I want to get 1 but I want to know which is better. Thanks!!

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Looking for:

87 IROC-Z L98
84 TRANS AM H.O.

 

In my opinion the Chilton's manual is far superior.

 

I vote for Haynes. Flip thru 'em yourself at a store.. that's how I decided. I love how Haynes lists the torque specs at the front of each chapter.. that tiny paperback-book-sized Chiltons didn't list a thing. Of course that was 6 years ago..

I also have the GM Service Book ( http://www.helminc.com ), but the Haynes one is much better for general maintainence, and for getting the "quick & dirty" procedures. The GM one is much better for diagnosing problems.

-Tom P (Hot rodded 1986 Firebird 2.8l) from http://www.f-body.net/mailbag/3rd/3rd_mailbag.html message boards

 

Get a Helms service manual. Well worth the money. Better information than either chiltons or Haynes.

James

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If the women don't find you handsome they should at least find you handy

 

I got my Helms manual slightly used for $35 from 1-888-MANUAL9



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1991 Camaro Z28
5.7L 5-Speed (originally 305)
13.25 @ 107.18 MPH
Southern California
Member: SoCal 3rd Gen F-Bodies
Webmaster: SoCal F-Bodies
-=ICON Motorsports=-

 

Go with the Helms, do not waste your money on any of the half-assed manuals that the local fly by night auto parts stores try to sell you, they absolutely SUCK!(just like their parts)

Helms factory shop manual only!

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"84Z28/'91 305TPI comp cam flowmaster TB coolant bypass/shutoff valve to heater core MAT relocated Ram-Air(home-made) gutted air-box IROC ground effects/wheels GY245/50's 700R4 superior shift kit/ corvette servo(excellent shift kit BTW) Rebuilt engine and transplanted it myself. Love this engine!
LOW performance people should drive low performance vehicles!

 

I don't want to spend like $30 on a manual, thats why I just want to know which is better between Haynes or Chilton. Which is more informative and has more pictures actually showing u stuff??

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Looking for:

87 IROC-Z L98
84 TRANS AM H.O.

 

I've been disappointed with the last few haynes I've purchased.. While i can't think of any examples off the top of my head, there have been MANY things i've tried to look up that were not in the haynes. I don't know about a chiltons, but my friend has the factory service manual.. It's about 5cm thick, and seems to cover a whole lot.. Many wiring diagrams and such, too..

-Tesla

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91 T/A 305
STB, Airfoil, Hooker cat-back, pseudo-cold air to K&N, Accel coil, !cat, !smog pump.
300 lb*ft of rice churning power.

 

Both Haynes and Chiltons are based on the GM Service Manual (that is the REAL name, not Helms. Helms is the publisher. ), that should tell you something right there. But, they just include info they think is relevant to the car owner (sort of like an expansion to the owners manual) and not the DIYer.

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George P. Lara
1994 Z28 LT1 T56
1984 Z28 High Output
Member: SCCA, SCFB, SC3GFB

 

What did you guys try to do with your Haynes manuals? Rebuild a trans? Diagnose an electrical problem? Swap engines? No way would I turn to the Haynes for that kind of stuff! The electrical diagrams in the Haynes are a joke compared to the GM/Helms.

But the picture-by-picture brake jobs in the Haynes are great, as are the tuneup & fuel pump replacement & trans replacement & distributor rebuild & suspension work & etc! In fact many times the Haynes mirrors the Helms book exactly!

I fail to see why I love the Haynes as much as the GM book, but 90% of you guys say "I threw my Haynes/Chilton in the garbage"!

So what exactly did you guys try to use the Haynes/Chiltons for?

-Tom P (Hot rodded 1986 Firebird 2.8l) from http://www.f-body.net/mailbag/3rd/3rd_mailbag.html message boards

 

If you don't even want to cough up $30 for a Helms manual, you shouldn't be fixing your car. Not to sound like a *****, but if you scrimp on parts like you want to scrimp on the manual, you're going to wind up with problems. We're not screaming Helm because we're all rich and have money to **** away. If you plan on doing repairs and especially diagnostics on your car, you NEED the Helm manual. If you won't buy a Helm Manual, save the $10 for the other two and put it toward an AAA membership, because you'll be needing it.

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The IROC Homepage
<A HREF="http://www.rit.edu/~jli4307/camaro" TARGET=_blank>
View the restoration of an 85 IROC</A>
"I didn't know a bored out Ford could go so slow" -Shenandoah

 

I just got a factory shop manual on e-bay (NOS not used) for $20.50 plus shipping.
(I did get an 83 manual, and I have an 84, but I don't think there is uch difference).

I beleive in good manuals Haynes and Chilton's are junk, but if you don't have much $$$ then troll ebay and you may find a good deal.

 

85IROC, if I had the $$ right now I would get it, but I don't. I never buy cheap anything for my car, thats probably why I don't have the $30 for the manual!! I do think I will take u guys advice though, and get the Helms when I can.

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Looking for:

87 IROC-Z L98
84 TRANS AM H.O.

 

Hehe.. still, nobody can tell me what they tried to do, and couldn't, with a Haynes or Chilton's manual. C'mon, there must be some reason you threw them away! Are you guys going to argue with me that the Haynes isn't good for tuneups, or brake jobs, or trans fluid changes, or fuel pumps, or distributors, or ... ??

Or, is this whole "get the real manual" conversation similar to one that says "The f-body is junk because it's not a real sports car, instead, buy the Corvette"?

Or that 14k gold is a waste, and 24k is the only thing you should buy?

Or Craftsman open-ended wrenches suck, and you should only buy Snap-On tools?

Or...

I'm still amazed that I find the Haynes as useful as the GM/Helms. Why am I the only one?


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-Tom P (Hot rodded 1986 Firebird 2.8l) from http://www.f-body.net/mailbag/3rd/3rd_mailbag.html message boards

 

I have a haynes, and ill tell you exactly what i tried to do... I was doing MINOR ****, like pulling my dashboard apart to access my gauges and what not. Now granted, this can be figured out without a manual, but i like to have a little reassurance, so that everything is PERFECT when im done. And ya know what? I found pictures to a dash from a god@#$ Camaro in the Haynes manual. I know they are the same car, but the whole dash is different, and the lighting on the gauges works different. If there gonna make two damn books, at least give them there own friggin pictures.

And oh yeah, trying to wire my girlfriends stereo, i was going to cut the harness and wire it directly to save her money, and the stupid haynes manual didnt even HAVE the wiring diagram for the stereo. Seriously now.... Have you seen a mercury topaz's stereo wiring? The colors are all tweaked, nothing like a pontiacs.

THATS why i hate my haynes, any questions?

Go GM service man, only way to go.

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1988 Formula, 305TPI, 700r4(for now), headers, stage 2 PROM, modded MAF, cat back, no catalytics, cowl hood, centerline champ 500 rims, KOBEL predator ground effects kit, Trans AM tailights, dash pouch, 92 shift console w/indicator, white face gauges, accented red trim, 12 speaker stereo, 4 amps, tint, T tops... icq 44373460 AIM:admrlam
see it at www.geocities.com/admrlam/bird.html

 

I replaced the heater core this weekend using the Haynes manual. It didn't tell me to remove the shifter ****, otherwise I did it exactly as it said. Took me 4 hours, including a 1/2 hour break between taking it apart and putting it back together (once you clean up to go to the can, you might as well check email and have a snack).

I wouldn't call it a great manual, but it's adequate.

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82 Berlinetta, orig V-6 car. Rescued w/86 LG4/TH700R with all harnesses, sensors, ECM, etc. 2.73 open, cat-back from '91 GTA, Accel HEI SuperCoil. AMSOIL syn lubes bumper-to-bumper. Daily driver, work-in-progress (LB9 w/ZZ3 cam, ported heads, exhaust, paint, etc.).
57 Bel Air, my 1st car. Currently 396 .030 over, Weiand Action+, Edelbrock 1901 Q-Jet, Jacobs Omnipack, 1-3/4" headers, TH400 w/TCI Sat Night Special conv & shift kit, 3.08 10-bolt, AMSOIL syn lubes bumper-to-bumper. Best 15.1 @ 5800' Bandimere. Daily driver while Camaro was being put together.

 

Tom, I'd give specific examples of why the Haynes manual sucks, but I trashed it a LONG time ago. For one, it had nothing on ECM and emissions diagnostics. It had crap for wiring diagrams. It had a lot of color pictures about crap I didn't need like how to do a half-assed rust repair. It also doesn't have specific information on a lot of stuff. The Helm manual tells you how to remove virtually every part on the car. It's just a vastly superior manual.

------------------
The IROC Homepage
<A HREF="http://www.rit.edu/~jli4307/camaro" TARGET=_blank>
View the restoration of an 85 IROC</A>
"I didn't know a bored out Ford could go so slow" -Shenandoah

 

if those are your only options id definatly opt for the chiltons, but if you really love your car you would get the model/year specific GM shop service manual.. it covers a lot more stuff, in a lot more detail.. or you can go a step further and get the shopkey cd for your car (about 60 bux), but who wants to get their computer all dirty when their workin on the car...

 

Some of us have hybrids that have later year stuff swapped in, so model/year specific manuals don't cut it. The general manuals can be useful in that case.

Chiltons and Haynes don't claim to get into the deep stuff, so don't flame them for not being something they don't claim to be. They're aimed at the people that don't want to take their car to the dealer or Goodyear or Sears or Midas for regular maintenance and repair, and that's all. Since the dealers and Goodyear and Sears and Midas are getting to the point where they don't want to deal with our cars, either, as they're getting older and less common, we're getting to the point that the better manuals are becoming worth it.

Decide what level you want to tackle, and spend the money for the manual that gets that done for you. Or, buy a cheap manual and ask lots of questions on these boards.

 

Thanks five7kid, that's just what I was going to say- the Haynes and Chiltons aren't meant to replace the factory service manual. Otherwise, they'd have the same high price tag!


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-Tom P (Hot rodded 1986 Firebird 2.8l) from http://www.f-body.net/mailbag/3rd/3rd_mailbag.html message boards

 

I have both, I don't really think there is a clear cut winner. The Mitchel ones are really good, but they are very expensive.

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1987 Chevy Camaro IROC-Z
L98 TPI 350 (5.7L)
TH 700R-4 Transmission with 2.77:1 Rear End

Current Mods: Edelbrock TES 1 5/8" Headers, Hooker Aerochamber Cat-Back System, Performance Resource Chip with 160* Thermostat, Accel Ignition Components, K&N Filters, All Free Mods, Falken ZIEX Z-Rated Tires.

Best ET : 14.3 @ 97mph
(corrected for elevation)

 

you would be SO much better off getting the helms manuals. MUCH MUCH BETTER- well worth the money in my opinion!

Steve

 

Did anyone ever say the Helms wasn't better?


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-Tom P (Hot rodded 1986 Firebird 2.8l) from http://www.f-body.net/mailbag/3rd/3rd_mailbag.html message boards