Can You Sell Old Car Repair Manuals?

Do you own old car repair manuals that you no longer need? Unsure of what you should do with it or whether it is worth anything? 

Well, before you shove that old repair manual in one corner of your garage or basement, let me tell you that it could be worth a lot more than you think. Old repair manuals are highly in demand and form one of the backbones of the secondhand car market and the classic car industry.

Not only that, but we will also cover a few other reasons why your old repair manual could still be quite valuable, even if it doesn’t cover a legendary model. 

So let’s begin. 

Great Source of Knowledge on Past Technology

Most automotive repair manuals are model year specific and are a valuable source of repair and troubleshooting instructions on older vehicles. 

Older vehicles were equipped with technology that is completely obsolete nowadays. For instance, drum brakes and manual parking brakes are almost non-existent in modern cars and carburetors are nowhere to be seen. Heck, kids going to auto mechanic school these days are not even taught carbureted engines anymore.

Moreover, modern-day cars use lighter and stiffer steel alloys and come jam-packed with driver assistance and safety systems. On the contrary, their predecessors were big and bulky and more analog. We are talking about old-school features such as CD or cassette players, unassisted steering, and power antennas. You will find it much harder today to find any repair instructions on these retro technologies, and an old car repair manual might be your last resort. 

For those still new in the field or self-taught DIY’ers having to work on an old pony with drum brakes, a carb, and a cassette tape, these vintage vehicle service manuals are highly valuable. 

Sell It at an Auction

Old manuals are practically worth their weight in gold. Apart from being an invaluable source of information about antique vehicles, they can also fetch a high price at auctions as collectible items. 

Indeed, if you own an old Dodge Charger manual that you no longer need, someone might very well be willing to pay big bucks for it. I would suggest doing some research and registering at auction sites like eBay or Sotheby’s to sell your manual. The rarer and most exclusive your manual is, the higher the price it will fetch.

So if you own an old car repair manual, don’t forget that it might turn out to be a highly-priced collector’s item — maybe not now, but you never know what the future could bring. Consequently, make sure to take good care of it and if the exterior hardcover of the manual is coming off, bind it properly with a new cover. Finally, put it up for sale and see if it gets any traction.

You never know!

Useful for Classic Car Restoration

With the growing demand for classic and vintage cars, the need for repairing and maintaining them has drastically increased. Timeless masterpieces such as the Mercedes-Benz 300SL Gullwing or the Ferrari 250 GTO that were last manufactured almost 50 years back require constant attention to stay in mint condition. Restorers and mechanics rely on these manuals for repair guidelines, and unfortunately, manufacturers often stop making manuals for out-of-production vehicles — and finding an original one might be quite tricky.

Indeed, finding paper-bound manuals for vintage muscle or sports cars can be troublesome in this day and age. They are scarce, and even if you find one, chances are it will be an expensive collector’s item. Luckily, you can always look for online auto repair manuals. Popular sites such as emanualonline.com sell digitalized versions of auto repair manuals for model years dating back to the 1970s. You can go to their site, select the exact model year, and download the manual on your smartphone, laptop, or tablet. 

Whether it’s your grandpa’s car that has been rusting in your garage for years or your next restoration project, these car repair manuals will provide all the essential knowledge and step-by-step instructions you will need to bring them back to life.

Find the Right Buyer

As mentioned earlier, vintage and classic car owners constantly look for old repair manuals about their models. It is rather the exclusivity of a manual that makes it so valuable. For instance, classic Land Rover repair manuals are costly because the company no longer manufactures them, and there are very few ones left. 

Furthermore, the information available in these old Land Rover manuals is also rare and specific to the model, and owners may have a hard time finding it elsewhere. And if you are among that one percent of people who happens to own one of these, you can easily make a few bucks extra — you just need to find the right buyer.

Last Words

The next time you think of leaving an old car manual in the attic among a pile of other unused stuff, think again! Someone might be out there willing to pay big bucks to acquire to get their hands on it. All you need to do is find the right connections and channels to get a reasonable price for your manual. 

Consequently, don’t forget to take care of your old and used manuals. If they’re worn out, dusty or greasy, they’ll definitely not be worth as much.

After all, a repair manual is a mechanic’s best friend; if you take care of it, it will take care of your car in return. And even if you don’t need it anymore, you can still sell it and make a good profit — what’s not to like?