New DeLorean Manual was:How difference between 500+ page Vinyl repair manual

[deloreanernst@xxxx]

In a message dated 1/14/2003 8:04:59 AM Eastern Standard Time, 
DMCVegas@xxxx writes:


> . I have what appears to be a "bootleg" copy of the workshop manual... 


> 
> The manual appears to be a "custom" copy that someone hand-edited. For 
> instance, every page has a # typed in the lower corners. The entire section 
> on 
> "Frame/Body" is hand typed with only a couple of clip-art inserts from the 
> Parts 
> Manual...

>From your description, that's a DMC-written Technical Service Manual issued 
in late 1981. They look pretty patched together, exactly as you described. 
Yours may actually be an original. They're so poorly printed that even 
originals look like copies.


> In reading both of the manuals, I can tell you that the problem with the 
> inaccuracies isn't due to incorrect information, so much as 
> incomplete/sloppy 
> tranlsations and adaptations for the DMC-12 application (ie. the A/C 
> section 
> has footnotes for 1979 & earlier vehicles).

Actually, you can find both problems, as any vendor will tell you. For 
instance, Service Bulletin ST 36 -12/81 was issued with the Technical Service 
Manual. It mentions an illustration on page 4:5-19 that should say "needle 
up" not "needle down." Yet that change was not made in the later Workshop 
Manual where it should have been (page G:07:07) Since ALL the repro manuals 
available today are completely unedited, if you buy a brand "new" one from 
your favorite vendor tomorrow, it STILL has that same error in it. Not a 
good thing!



If a rewrite is to be done, then one 
> person shouldn't take on the entire book. Individual sections should be 
> completed by people with specific experience in the particular repairs, and 
> they should be written/proofread one at a time.
> 

I agree. I previously suggested a team compiling the amassed wisdom of the 
DML into a concise format but found out it can't be done. Since the 
individual writers, in accordance with DML bylaws, do not assign copyright 
privileges to the DML, you can't compile it. So I tried it the other way, 
with a separate, (presently dormant,) e-group for tech issues where it is 
understood that all submissions are available to be re-edited, republished or 
whatever without writing for everyone's permission or paying "royalties." 
Some folks were outraged, convinced I'd get filthy rich from requoting their 
valuable scribblings in printed form. Fat chance. As Dave Swingle observed, 
there's no money to be made at this, it has to be a labor of love. Others 
feared a competing site weakening the DML, though they serve different 
issues. When the dust settled, I decided to use the website for a page by 
page "what's wrong with this picture" exercise for input, to be issued free 
unedited on the internet, or in edited printed format for a fee. But first I 
had to ask: How many manuals were there? How can you tell an original from 
a copy? What constitutes a complete copy? Is this the best copy available? 
Sounds simple, but no one could actually tell me, including any well known 
DeLorean guru you might name. Two and a half years and couple thousand 
dollars later, I KNOW. (I've bought more than half of the original DeLorean 
manuals that have appeared on E-bay for the last several years.) I even have 
unpublished materials used to train DeLorean mechanics in the classroom 
before ANY manuals were published. Unfortunately, that was the EASY part of 
the job. A few years ago, Ed from DeLorean One told me I "must have too much 
time on my hands" to even contemplate this project. I have had time on my 
hands this week due to knee surgery, but after next Monday, it's back to 4 
hours sleep a night. Are there any possible volunteers out there to help 
with this, now that the DeLorean Dead Sea Scrolls have been assembled? If 
you'd like to e-mail me off list, use waernst(at)aol.com so I spot it more 
easily. D owners only, please! Thanks.


Wayne A. Ernst
vin 11174
the new DeLorean manual project


[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]