Bob Mannel book

Super book!!! Just buy his .pdf version, then have it printed and bound at your local office supply store... good to go.

I thought so, too, Fred, but I looked up his website and he only lists the .pdf version now. Perhaps that is an oversight?

I just bought a copy off of eBay about a month ago. There were 2or3 copies available at that time. There is one currently available for $50. Paul

Hi, all. I have not been monitoring the forum in quite awhile, but since Fred contacted me, I logged back in to make a post. I began the book project back in the early 1980s, finally self-publishing 5,000 copies in 1998. Although I expected to sell them all within a few years, then reprint, it took 26 years instead. The last ones were sold in December 2024. Sometime around 2015, I wanted to do a follow up and began working on a PDF Edition based on the book, but including all the corrections and a lot of additional information. I completed that in 2019. It was given away with each book sold after that and now sells for $25, just to cover my expenses. You can read all about the PDF Edition at http://www.fordsmallblock.com. The PDF Edition is not a PDF copy of the book. It includes links within that make navigation to the info you are looking for very quick. Much faster than you could do in the book, and much more additional information. In addition, I update the PDFs whenever new discovers, corrections, etc. are uncovered. In a sense, it is a "living" book. When you order it, you create an account of your own. This allows you to download replacement PDFs at no charge. You can always check the date of your PDF and compare it to the date given on my website. If your date is earlier than the one listed, you can log into your account, and download the latest version to overwrite your old one. I have attached a picture of my 63 Fairlane engine compartment and car. I bought the car in 1984 and finished the restoration last year.

Bob i purchased your book 20 years ago and have used it faithfully through the years its great that you have put together the pdf version also. your 63 fairlane is sweet i was not aware a 4 dr K code 289 fairlane was available in 63, will you be a ford Carlisle this year with your club. best regards , chuck.

This year I will be at the Fairlane Club of America National Meet in Dayton, Ohio. The car will be there. As far as what has come to light so far, this is the only survivor of two -- the other crushed as a shell in Colorado decades ago. This car was ordered by Westside Ford Inc, 4755 Fauntleroy Ave SW, Seattle, WA (now an apartment complex with store fronts). I think it might have been a showroom display -- catering to the family customer (4-door) and performance group (HiPo) before steering family customers to milder engines, and the performance group to the hardtops. When I got the car, it had 63 chrome plated valve covers which were likely put on by the dealer for display dazzle. It was eventually sold on January 11, 1964 for about $1,950 (which was $1,000 less than sticker price) as a leftover model. The car sold for $400 in 1972 and was taken off the road in 1976 after being used as a daily driver for 94,000 miles. I bought the car in 1984 for $1,700.

Wow that is a really interesting story rare Kar is it a manual 4 speed or automatic it sure would have enough power to tow a boat or anything else put behind it what rear gear is in it.

Bob,

On Feb.14 2011 you posted you had a Fairlane that the scheduled build date an engine assembly date were the same, is this the Kar you were talking about, I ask this because my 65 Kar has the same dates an I was told by a few no way couldn’t happen. My block is vin stamped an it looks legit.

Yes it is. The engine was assembled April 9, 1963 and the car's scheduled date was April 9, 1963.