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Re: Bentley and Haynes Manuals

To: ArthurK101@aol.com, triumphs@Autox.Team.Net
Subject: Re: Bentley and Haynes Manuals
From: ArthurK101 <ArthurK101@aol.com>
Date: Tue, 24 Mar 1998 16:29:19 EST
Folks,  about 2 hours ago I said I had located a couple of copies of the
Haynes TR2/3/4 manuals.  From the replies I got I see there is still confusion
about these damn things.  Here is a repost of the explanation I sent to the
list in Feb. One additional point is:  The Haynes manuals used to be available
for about $20 -- the Bentley's (and the original workshop manual of which it
is a reprint) usually costs more than twice that. 


Art Kelly

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In a message dated 98-02-19 16:54:13 EST, ArthurK101@aol.com writes:

> Recently I have seen what I think is a little confusion regarding the 
> Bentley
>  and Haynes manuals.  This is provided for clarification.
>  
>  Bentley - the Bentley manuals are reprints of the original Triumph Factory
>  workshop manuals.  These were the workshop manuals which could be bought at
> a
>  Triumph dealer when there still were dealers.  Bentley obtained (bought?)
>  permission to reprint those manuals.  I have an original TR4 factory manual
>  from the '60's and the Bentley's.  They are identical.  BTW -included in
the
>  Bentley's TR4 manual is a copy of the factory competition manual and the
>  "owner's manual" (the one that came in the glovebox of new Triumphs) - this
>  "owner's manual" is pretty comprehensive when compared with new car
"owner's
>  manuals" of today.
>  
>  Haynes - Haynes is another story.  Their manuals are supposed to be based
on
>  the fact that they buy a car, tear it apart, and them reassemble it.  This
>  experience is  documented and then written up for publication.
>  
>  As you can see, the Bentley and the Haynes manuals are NOT the same. 
>  However, they complement each other.  
>  
>  The original factory workshop manual (now reprinted by Bentley) was
designed
>  for Triumph dealers' mechanics to use when working on the cars.  The
>  assumption was that the mechanics were trained on or knew how to do the
>  necessary work.  All they needed was an engineering reference for the
specs,
>  torques, dimensions etc.  An owner could buy a workshop manual from a
dealer
>  if the owner wanted a reference to use when working on his own car.  (I 
> bought
>  mine to use for those times I could make the repairs etc. myself.  (That
way 
> I could save the labor costs at the dealer's shop).
>  
>  The Haynes manual, on the other hand, goes more (relatively) into HOW the 
> work
>  is done.  The torques, specs etc. are there but not in as much detail.  But
>  the Haynes is useful when, for example, you don't know how "something" is 
> put
>  together and the factory manual (Bentley) shows you a diagram without much 
> of
>  an explanation.  The Haynes will show you a picture and then explain how 
> that
>  "something" comes apart and is put back together.  As a result - the
Bentley
>  and Haynes manuals together are extremely helpful - even if you are not an
>  accomplished mechanic.  
>  
>  There are other manuals (Climers, Chilton etc.) from the period when our 
> cars
>  were new.  They are all useful to some degree.  No matter which ones I use 
> for
>  a reference I can always find some new slant.   But I carry both the Haynes
>  and the Bentley manuals in the trunk (boot).  Those two have saved my butt 
> on  several occasions.

>  Cheers.
>  
>  Art Kelly '64 TR4 CT33118L (original owner/factory pickup)
>  
>  

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