Altair - A different perspective

From: Lawrence Walker <lwalker_at_mail.interlog.com>
Date: Wed Aug 19 16:06:28 1998

On 19 Aug 98 at 1:54, Tony Duell wrote:

> >
> > At 02:44 AM 8/18/98 +0100, Tony wrote:
> > >>
> >
> > >years), it's reliable. And it's no harder to work on, given the manual
> > >than anything else.
> >
> > Yes, well that's the problem. Most people here in the US won't even read
> > their car's owner's manual much less go BUY a service manual and read it!
>
> Yep. And then there are those home-mechanic manuals (Haynes, etc) that
> are often worse-than-useless. The diagrams in later ones come out of the
> official manuals, but they miss out some of them, and they forget to
> explain some of the symbols (!). And they often miss out bits that they think
> you won't be able to do at home (automatic transmision, electronic engine
> management, some of the other electrical bits, some of the more complex
> hydraulic bits, major bodywork repairs, etc). Sorry, but I'll decide what
> I can fix
>
> The manufacturers shop manual (for anything, car, computer, electronic
> equipment) is always worth buying IMHO...
>
> >
> > Joe
> > (who has a service manual for every car he owns and some even for cars he
> > doesn't own.)
>
> Yep... I have the official manuals for the cars my father has owned since
> I started seriously working on them, manuals for vehicles I'd like to own
> one day (Land Rovers, older Citroens, etc), and manuals for vehicles that
> have unusual designs (Manumatic transmission, Wilson Preselector
> transmission, etc). Nowhere near as many manuals as my computer
> documentation, but still a fairly large shelf.
 
> -tony
>
 Hmm, I must have smaller horizons. Bicycle manuals and micros rather
than car manuals and minis. :^))
 But I too almost always did my own car repair. I don't like using things
I can't understand and/or repair. Part of why I got into electronics.
 I've pulled heads, replaced drive boxes, and most things that didn't require
expensive equipment. I once fabricated a wooden brake pad to replace a
shattered one as an emergency measure when travelling in a remote mountainous
region. Worked okay. Shop manuals were always my guide. I threw out a bunch of
Chiltons once in frustration at how sketchy they are.
 I only wish I was as good at el. tech. as I am at older cars or Constuction.
The field is so vast tho that it's difficult to be encyclopaedic. The shape of
things to come, I guess.

ciao larry
lwalker_at_interlog.com
Received on Wed Aug 19 1998 - 16:06:28 BST