Haynes Manuals

Advantages: Save you loads!
Disadvantages: Can be hard to understand.

...Do you own a boat, car, motorcycle, plane, husband, baby, bicycle, house, or commercial vehicle? Then you need a Haynes manual. Haynes manuals have been around for 30+ years, and have provided help for mechanics and car owners alike for that time, with relatively simple step-by-step instructions on what you’re trying to do. No matter what car or bike you own, Haynes are sure to stock a manual for it. The other manuals Haynes do (Boat, Plane etc.) are slightly more scarce, but you may get lucky! Unfortunately, the car I own (Daihatsu Hijet) doesn’t have a Haynes manual for it, but this is a rare exception. The newer Haynes manuals have numbers stating how hard the job you’re trying to do is. 1 is an easy job, say doing an oil change; and 5 is a hard job, say removing your big ends. To be honest, if you don...

o_morris 01.10.2003 · Read review
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Review of Haynes Workshop Manuals

Haynes Manuals - not just for Motors...

Advantages: Save a fortune on repairs/servicing.
Disadvantages: Pictures could be clearer

...father wasn't too pleased either because now my banger was stuck on bricks in his garage. He took one look at it and it was obvious to him that neither my friend nor I would have the first idea about how to put it all back together again - so the car was sold for spares for a fiver. You didn't have top pay people to take them away in those days. It was a few years later, when I was presented with another expensive repair on a Ford Escort. It needed a new clutch. It wasn't that I was heavy on my clutches, it's just that all I could afford in those days were cars with heavy mileage on them. Hire-purchase was never an option - my father didn't agree with it. The Haynes Workshop Manuals had just hit the market and I got one for the Escort before making the attempt. A work colleague had one for his Vauxhall and it had looked very good...

derek-j-a 29.05.2005 · Read review
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Review of Haynes Workshop Manuals

HAYNES - manual of just about everything . . .

Advantages: Clear instructions on how to strip most things.
Disadvantages: Can be a little limited, vague pictures, pictograms needed.

...The HAYNES series of manual have been with us for many years now, we have all used them. At one time they covered just cars, but now their repetoire includes caravans, decorating, washing machines, computers, bikes, and even racing engines. In fact they have one now covering "MAN - All models, shapes, sizes and colours. 120,000 BC to present day" It is number 3931 if you don't believe me! The books are produced by Haynes publishing in Yeovil, Somerset, and have been around for just over forty years now. They are still in the familiar hardback versions, which have wipe clean covers. The format has always been easy to follow, and the manuals contain both a contents page, and an index. The black and white photographs make it a lot easier to find the location and position of components. Personally I think...

smudgeybabes 17.12.2006 (22.05.2007) · Read review
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Review of Haynes Workshop Manuals

Ford Escort : 'Credit Crunch Car'

Advantages: Cheap to run, plenty of room, 5 seats, good first car, cheap parts, widely available, large boot
Disadvantages: no power steering, slow going up a steep hill

...The 1.4 Ford Escort is quite a car in many ways. Featuring 5 doors, a large boot and a sun roof, this spacious car certainly has all the features. It pretty much has everything you find in a standard car, except power steering which can make moving when stationary a hard task. Being quite an old car means the Ford Escort is an ideal first car because the insurance is only around £60-£70 a month for someone aged 20-22. I was fully insured for my first year, as this is when most people have a few minor scrapes and bumps as they're new to the road. Then I moved onto third party fire and theft for my second year, as I had gained good experience and confidence from driving solidly for a year. The insurance came down to around £50 a month for my second year of driving. The windows are manual along with the doors, which require a key to...

f1insidetrack 29.10.2009 (23.11.2009) · Read review
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Review of Ford Escort 1.4 Hatchback

Ford Escort Finesse

Advantages: spacious family car
Disadvantages: RUST(common Ford problem) not very safe

...FORD ESCORT FINESSE This review is based on a Finesse model of an escort, this model is a 1.6 16v, and it was first registered in 2000 on a 'W' plate. PERSONAL OWNING I owned one of these cars from 2000 till 2006 unfortunately it was an insurance write off so had to be replaced. In the time I owned this car it had a few problems such as the head gasket going along with the cylinder head but this was at around 90,000 miles. It had general ware and tear bits replaced throughout its life but no other major engine problems, suspension problems etc. Being a ford they are prone to rust and at around about 4-5 years old this car did suffer quite badly from rust mainly noticeable around the arches or the car. I used this car as a family car in the time I had it I found it spacious for things such as family transporting, shopping...

raregreyastra 03.04.2008 · Read review
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Review of Ford Escort 1.6 Hatchback

RTFM. Read The Fecking Manual.

Advantages: Cheap, easy to follow if you've got half a clue, saves you a fortune on labour charges.
Disadvantages: Photos in black and white, could explain things in a bit more detail.

...springs that shot out of the hub at the speed of light, then you may want to invest in some kind of owners manual to save you these wee traumas. And with every manual written being based on a complete stripdown and rebuild, you can safely assume that a Haynes workshop manual will be able to help with any problems you come across. Whatever car or motorbike (or boat for that matter) you own, chances are Haynes will have written a manual covering it. Just about every model from every major car manufacturer from the early sevenies to the present day has a manual dedicated to it with some earlier editions having recieved updates. Manuals for modern cars are always available from stock from car accessory stores, Halfords, Autosave etc, while those based on older cars can either be ordered for you from these outlets or directly from Haynes using...

rockandrollstar 01.05.2003 (12.05.2003) · Read review
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Review of Haynes Workshop Manuals

Ford escort 1.4 LX 1991

Advantages: Cheap on parts, cheap on road tax, cheap and chearful
Disadvantages: Poor handling, sluggish, prone to rust.

...I bought this car a couple of years ago when I was in between cars, I have a van that is used for my Business during the day, but you cant realy use it for pleasure, or trips out to places. So I bought this car .. cheap ( £100) with no MOT, and in need of a few mechanical repairs. ***First thoughts*** The escort I got had a bent rear axle, ( probably due to the poor handling !! ) and was in need of some welding. , MOT and tax later , the car was back on the road. I must admit I had a very low view of this car , compaired to other cars I've owned, but I have to say this car was a pleasure to own, it did all that was required of it, was reliable transport, cheap on all it's running costs, and does exactly what it says on the tin. The interior is comfortable, seats adjustable, has inbuilt security, by way of a standard alarm...

cashman44 30.06.2004 (06.08.2004) · Read review
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Review of Ford Escort 1.4 Hatchback

Ford Escort 1.6 16v Estate mkV

Advantages: Cheap to buy, cheap enough to run, cheap insurance, space.
Disadvantages: Rust, comfort and looks

...still some old reliable Escorts but the body work suffers the most. ~ Summary ~ So if you are looking for a cheap car and need space, think about this model. Being an Escort you can get parts really cheap and running costs can be kept low by doing things yourself. Costs can be kept down by using your local garage rather than a main dealer as all garages know the common Ford faults. Be prepared for high mileage estates as they are used by builders, decorators or salesmen. Signs to look out for are worn steering wheel, seats and gear knob. Make sure there is no play in the steering wheel or you will be looking at new power steering in the future. Make sure you run engine for a while so that you can hear it through all the rev ranges as they tend to have problems with the idle control valve. Don't forget that the MK5 are run by...

lostsworld 13.05.2006 (12.06.2006) · Read review
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Review of Ford Escort 1.6 Hatchback

Ford Escort Eclipse 1.3

Advantages: Extras
Disadvantages: Power, electric window switches

...I owned a Ford Escort Eclipse 1.3 (H plate) for around 2 years. I used to do 50 miles a day in it during this time and so I am in a position to comment on its reliabilty and driveablity. The pros of this car were that it was the last in that particular model that were produced so it came with electric windows, metallic paint, a sunroof, body colour bumpers and a spoiler. The cons were that due ot the window switches being in a poor position on the door handles they got water in them from the rain etc and used to stop working. The engine was an overhead cam and so made a strange noise rather like a sewing machine. After owning the car for just over a year and washing it every weekend, the paint started to flake off. Th Overall this car was a nice run around but it lacked power and wasnt really built to a high standard....

Bren801 14.01.2009 · Read review
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Review of Ford Escort 1.3

Yet another ford escort review

Advantages: Nice engine, cheap, insurable
Disadvantages: offset drivers seat, fuel economy

...Yet another car that I bought on the eastern edge of the M25, this was actually a good one. A 1994 M plate ford escort 1.6 LX. Coming from a very basic 1984 1.3 golf, it was amazing. It had a fews toys - power steering, electric windows. It had a 5 speed gearbox, decent headlights, proper electrics, reasonable speakers. It didn't smell of death. It accelerated. All these things my old golf didn't do. I ran this car for 6 months - 5000 miles. It was subjected to my usual servicing schedule of a 10000 mile service with a 5000 mile interim oil change, and fully synthetic oil. It responded very well to this, the oil I was dropping out at 5000 miles was still quite clear and light brown. Fuel economy was constant at 30mpg, no matter how I drove it. Even on a motorway journey to bristol and back from kent. This is also...

robachamings1 10.02.2005 · Read review
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Review of Ford Escort 1.6 Hatchback