Hi Folks,

I just wanted to get some opinions on service manuals... I wanted to buy a factory service manuals but Nissan said it would take ten weeks. They want gold for them on Ebay and I really don't care for the Chilton or the Haynes. I've had factory service manuals for my other cars and they were really good. Here is a web site that has the factory repair manual on CD rom each year having it's own CD, and printable pdf format
http://www.courtesyparts.com/publications/280ZX.html if the link doesn't work I guess the old cut and past will just have to do. Anyways any opinions or thoughts.

 

Yeah Carl got one of those and they are great! Well worth the money, and also I have FSM manuals for my '81 and '82 280zx. Also my '83 Celica GTS!

 

I agree. I have the Haynes manual and the FSM for a 1980 Zx. Lots of details and illustrations. Its got all of the info I need for my 1981 except the turbo section. Highly recommended.

 

It was the best thing I purchased for my Z.

 

That's awesome. They unfortunately don't have a service manual for the 200sx(sylvia s12) form the 80s. My lil brother wants to buy one of those cars since he wrecked his lil 240sx on a curb trying to drift it in the rain a few months back. Stupid dumbass

 

Haynes is good, But I have the factory repair manual for my VW and talk about info.. there is like 1400 pages in that thing and everything has part #'s.. That would come in handy for a ZX

 

When I got my Z I bought a Chiltons for it and was disappointed with its coverage. Then I found a factory manual on ebay and it was by far the best manual I ever bought. It has a lot better coverage then any manual I have ever bought.

 

FSM is hands down, the best service manual you can buy for any car. Period. It's worth every penny and the wait (if you cant find available sooner). Get a cheapo Hayne's for $12 while you're waiting for the FSM. They do have some useful info, they're just not nearly as detailed and half of their steps for repair say to seek the help of a professional. If you don't do your own work, or your car is as good as the day it rolled off the showroom floor, then maybe the extra coin for the FSM isn't for you. But if you got a project like I do, there is no comparison.

Plus take into consideration that these are made by the manufaturers and used by their factory mechanics. Not written by some guy who took a car apart and took some pictures and vague notes of how he did it.

 

Yep j is right, you can't beat 'em for nothing. Best damn manual there is period!

 

I love the CD factory service manuals from Courtesy Parts and have one for each of my 'years'. It's makes searching VERY easy.

However, there is still no substitue for the hardcopy. It's available from the original publisher for Nissan at:

Dyment Distribution
20770 Westwood Drive
Cleveland, Ohio 44136
Phone: 1-800-247-5321

They run about $75 each.

It'll be the best money you ever spent on your Z.

 

Yep lww I have both the original for my '81 and '82280zx's. Got them on e-bay cheaper, just got lucky. Also have a hardcopy for my '83 Celica GTS!

 

I just got off the Nissan Publications, Dyment Publications, and they told me that the FSM come unbound and shrink wrapped and that I would have to hole punch it and put it in a binder. And that it would take 4 weeks to get. I think I can print from the CD rom. Has anyone printed pages from the CD rom? And if so how is the quality?

 

I guess a it's a littel early in the morning because it says, "Pages are in printable Adobe PDF format. Anyways I think I'll go with the cd rom.

 

The CD is just as good. The only drawback is having to print the pages. But if you don't see that as a drawback then its all good. Plus, if you ever ruin a page with so much grease you can't read it, or evaporate a page in coolant or gas, you can just reprint it. That's something you can't do with the hardcopy.

 

I just ordered the CD ROM... I have a bit a work to do. I wanna do the front rotors... slotted and all that... calipers... flex hoses. I'm going to print the pages.

 

Good luck. Brake upgrades are great. Alot of people put that kind of stuff off. But all that power isn't gonna do you any good when you plow into that semi cause your breaks couldn't stop you in time

 

That only happens on I-5....I'll be cruisin on CA 1 with the t-tops off. Don't see many semi's on the coast.

 

Man I miss the coast. I don't think theres even a body of water here in South Dakota unless it rains I'll be in VA soon though. It's not gonna be the same as SoCal, but it's gotta be better than out here.