The Classic Opel Forums - View Single Post - Best Factory and After-Market Service Manuals for an Opel

03-09-2002

I placed this reponse on the OMC message board. Any comments or words of wisdom from this group? (sorry for duplicating the post, but there are probably more GT fans on this site than the OMC site, and even more on the classicopel@yahoogroup site. But this one has a more focused audience, and is the better structure of the three)

Author: Keith Wilford (---.cg.shawcable.net)
Date: 03-06-02 00:57

Heather,

My first advice is to surf IMMEDIATELY to two web sites: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/classicopels
and
http://opelgt.com/ .
These two sites will prove to be the best source of Opel help that exists, as there isn't a manual written that can replace the practical experience of seven or eight hundred Opel owners.

Any manual is better than none, and I have no fewer than four (4). I have an Autobook, a Chiltons, a Drake (quite rare) and a factory Service manual. At times it is vey handy to have a couple of choices on how to repair or re-build something. But the best is easily the factory manual. So my second piece of advice is to surf on to ebay.com and buy a used factory manual (I don't believe that any of the ones mentioned above are in current print, even the Chilton's).

One complication that you might have is the year of your GT. Early 1970 models and prior (with square indicator lights in the dashboard above the steering wheel versus the later round lights) have a different wiring diagram than the later GT's (late '70 to the end in '73), so that might affect which manual you should buy. But the good news is that the electrical diagrams (and other technical help) are available on the Opel Association of North America site at:
http://www.opel-na.com/
(another great site, by the way)

My last advice (for now) is to buy your parts from Opel GT Source, online at:
http://www.opelgtsource.com/ . You can also try one of the other Opel vendors, such as USA Opel at http://www.justwebit.com/members/39011/ or Opels Unlimited at http://www.opelsunl.com/ . I personally haven't used these last two, but they are kind of like having more than one manual. One might be best for most occasions, but another might just have exactly what you need.

HTH

Keith Wilford
'71 GT
Calgary, Alberta, Canada

03-09-2002	#5 (permalink)
Guest Posts: n/a	Opel Manuals I placed this reponse on the OMC message board. Any comments or words of wisdom from this group? (sorry for duplicating the post, but there are probably more GT fans on this site than the OMC site, and even more on the classicopel@yahoogroup site. But this one has a more focused audience, and is the better structure of the three) Author: Keith Wilford (---.cg.shawcable.net) Date: 03-06-02 00:57 Heather, My first advice is to surf IMMEDIATELY to two web sites: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/classicopels and http://opelgt.com/ . These two sites will prove to be the best source of Opel help that exists, as there isn't a manual written that can replace the practical experience of seven or eight hundred Opel owners. Any manual is better than none, and I have no fewer than four (4). I have an Autobook, a Chiltons, a Drake (quite rare) and a factory Service manual. At times it is vey handy to have a couple of choices on how to repair or re-build something. But the best is easily the factory manual. So my second piece of advice is to surf on to ebay.com and buy a used factory manual (I don't believe that any of the ones mentioned above are in current print, even the Chilton's). One complication that you might have is the year of your GT. Early 1970 models and prior (with square indicator lights in the dashboard above the steering wheel versus the later round lights) have a different wiring diagram than the later GT's (late '70 to the end in '73), so that might affect which manual you should buy. But the good news is that the electrical diagrams (and other technical help) are available on the Opel Association of North America site at: http://www.opel-na.com/ (another great site, by the way) My last advice (for now) is to buy your parts from Opel GT Source, online at: http://www.opelgtsource.com/ . You can also try one of the other Opel vendors, such as USA Opel at http://www.justwebit.com/members/39011/ or Opels Unlimited at http://www.opelsunl.com/ . I personally haven't used these last two, but they are kind of like having more than one manual. One might be best for most occasions, but another might just have exactly what you need. HTH Keith Wilford '71 GT Calgary, Alberta, Canada Last edited by kwilford; 10-12-2004 at 01:29 AM.