About Ethyl’s Garage Automotive Bookstore

Ethyl’s Garage was started by Alex and Melinda. We wanted to create the best online bookstore specializing in automotive factory service manuals (FSMs) (also known as factory shop manuals, factory workshop manuals, factory maintenance manuals, and factory repair manuals), owners manuals, do-it-yourself (DIY) books, auto enthusiast and collector books, and rare and hard-to-find books.

We currently have about 50 tons of books in our warehouse. Right now they are still in boxes. We are working hard to unpack them and get them into our database so you can buy them. Please check back soon for updates on our progress.

A Little About Alex and Melinda

Alex and Melinda have been a couple since they met as students at the University of Washington in Seattle in the late 1970s. Over the years they have owned many interesting and unusual vehicles, including:

• 1984 Yamaha Riva scooter (purchased new)
• 1983 Yamaha Vision 550 motorcycle
• 1976 Peugeot 504 station wagon
• 1981 Peugeot 505S diesel sedan
• 1971 Fiat 850 Coupe
• 1983 Moto Guzzi V65 SP motorcycle (sadly totaled by a drunk driver in 1987)
• 1987 Ducati Indiana motorcycle with custom touring package
• 1977 Moto Morini 500 SEI motorcycle
• 1971 Honda 600 sedan
• 1985 Toyota van
• 1992 Geo Tracker
• 1996 Land Rover Discovery (the last manual transmission Land Rover imported into North American), customized with zebra stripes
• 1984 Chang Jiang CJ5 sidecar motorcycle
• 2004 Diamo Velux scooter with retractable top (perfect for Seattle’s rainy weather)
• 2006 Schwinn Sport scooter
• 1977 BMW R100 RS motorcycle
  

Current vehicles include:

• 2006 Aprilia Scarabeo 500 maxi scooter
• 1991 Subaru Sambar Dias XV JDM van with Hello Kitty customization
• 1985 Yamaha Riva Deluxe scooter (deluxe version of our first scooter)
• 1984 Moto Guzi V65 SP, because we missed the one that was totaled in 1987
• 2013 Fiat 500 Abarth

About Ethyl

Who ’s Ethyl and why does she spell her name that way?

Baby boomers and older generations may remember folks pulling into the gas station and asking the attendant (you did not have to pump your own gas back then) to “Fill ’er up with ethyl.” Tetraethyl lead was an anti-knock gasoline additive used in premium gas in the United States from the 1920s through the 1980s. Even though it was known that lead was toxic, the use of tetraethyl lead did not start being phased out in the U.S. until the 1970s.

We are glad that lead is no longer added to gasoline. We acknowledge the toxic legacy. We chose the name Ethyl’s Garage to invoke the quality image of ethyl gasoline’s premium brand. And to convey our affection for classic cars and car culture.

Our Ethyl logo was designed by our friend, graphic designer Clare Parfitt. You can find more of her work at her website.