Club Sales Poll: S12 Factory Service Manual

Ok, just an idea here for some extra club funding. Say I were to purchase some S12 factory service manuals (possibly including the Australian/European version manuals as well), cut them down page by page and scan the entire thing in. Who would be interested in this? These are 500+ page manuals, so it will take a ton of my time to do something like this. Moreover, what would be the best way of distributing this?

Option 1: Burn it to CD's and sell it. Probably $15 - $20 range for the CD. Pop the CD in anywhere and search through it at your own lesuire.

Option 2: Have it all up on the club website, and have it part of a new "Donator Only" package I'm planning on setting up. People who pay the $5/year membership fee have access to the Factory Manual then from any computer in the world with Internet access. No need to remember to bring along the CD if you go over to a friend's house to work on their S12. If you get lost, just head over to the Club-S12 site and find what you need instantly.

What are the thoughts here?

Sounds like a plan. Count me in for a cd. Or try to host it somewhere and ask for donations. :spy:

Now as I have read the full post how does somene in the UK join. :o

i say CD.. b/c the load time will probably be a whole lot quicker than if you were to load it via the internet

The best way would be cd. If you take 500 pages and scan them in and then format them into pdf it would alot of space.

Put me down for a CD!

Yah the CD idea sounds good to me, I'll take one please...8)

Vote #1 CD

Don't know if Nissan cares anymore but they may not be happy about you distributing their manual :-P On a person-to-person basis you can get away with that, but when you start having it posted in searchable text and get a lot of people involved, problems may arise. Big companies get pissy over their copyrighted material.
Putting it on a CD would be less conspicuous then having it up on the 'net for all to see.

http://www.zcarcreations.com/

Perhaps you could talk to them and ask what the process is of making copies officially. I'm sure it would cost money though. Maybe you could ask them what kind of demand they require to add a car to their library.

cd sounds good the membership might be a good thing for how to's like ca20et, t25 swap.. that kind of stuff

Don't know if Nissan cares anymore but they may not be happy about you distributing their manual :-P
The CD's will be sold as Backup Copies Only. I'll only sell them to you under the assumption that you already own the manual in hardcopy and the CD will be there for easier access and searachability reasons. ;)

yay for loopholes...

I wouldn't mind helping you scan stuff. I've got a '86(pre-revision) fsm.

I wouldn't be cutting my pages out tho.

The CD's will be sold as Backup Copies Only. I'll only sell them to you under the assumption that you already own the manual in hardcopy and the CD will be there for easier access and searachability reasons. ;)
I know I could use a back up copy ;)

How about the option of either? I'd prefer download tbh. Any chance of Chiltern and Haynes manuals being thrown in the mix too? I'm well up for the member/donator only stuff....this site has been invaluable to me. Time to give summin back ;)

"Either" is close to what I was going to say, I say BOTH.

Offer the CD for $30, and offer online access for a seperate fee, albeit a small one.

I would personally rather have the CD, but the option to roll out to a buddy's house and look it up online is a nice idea.

"Either" is close to what I was going to say, I say BOTH.

Offer the CD for $30, and offer online access for a seperate fee, albeit a small one.

I would personally rather have the CD, but the option to roll out to a buddy's house and look it up online is a nice idea.

It is a nice idea...how ever lets say that 500 or so pages into a pdf file takes 500 mb....well over a dsl line thats not to bad of a d/l. About a 33 min download on the average dsl connection. On dial-up, your looking at 150 mins or so, about 2 1/2 hours. I guess if everyone has a cd burner then internet still would be the best way. I don't mind waiting 33 mins for a 500mb file, but I don't want to do it twice. i.e friends house.

I say CD, I'm down for one.

even if the manual were on cd, it would be logical to have it in pDF format anyway. but i also rthink a cd would be better, seems you would actually have less convenience using an online version

even if the manual were on cd, it would be logical to have it in pDF format anyway. but i also rthink a cd would be better, seems you would actually have less convenience using an online version
Especially when people like me have dail up...oh how I hate dial up...:evil:

Just thinking about it more, I would really have no way of making sure legally that anyone accessing the manuals online is a real owner of the hardcopy manual. The internet is was too free and open to be able to be 100% sure that it's only going to those who can legally see it. So I think that's out of the question.

CD it is. That was I can make you click a little checkbox on the orderform that says "Yes, I am an owner of a hardcopy factory service manual." That way I'm in the clear.

The CD's will be sold as Backup Copies Only. I'll only sell them to you under the assumption that you already own the manual in hardcopy and the CD will be there for easier access and searachability reasons. ;)

I am all for the CD, but i dont have any copy of the service manual, does that mean that i cant get a CD, because i would pay for the cd and i would just use that, why do i have to own a hardcopy already, and if i did, then what would be the point in having the CD, if i already have the book. that would be a waste of money.

but yea CD all the way if anyone on the club can buy one.

rs200sx

I am all for the CD, but i dont have any copy of the service manual, does that mean that i cant get a CD, because i would pay for the cd and i would just use that, why do i have to own a hardcopy already, and if i did, then what would be the point in having the CD, if i already have the book. that would be a waste of money.
It's a *wink wink* kind of deal. It's like when you download MP3's off Kazaa. "Yesss... I own the CD, this MP3 is just a backup copy." It just keeps lawyers at bay.

So how long would it take before this CD would happen,(appreciating the logistics and all of doing it) I'm keen as everyone else.

I am all for the CD, but i dont have any copy of the service manual, does that mean that i cant get a CD, because i would pay for the cd and i would just use that, why do i have to own a hardcopy already, and if i did, then what would be the point in having the CD, if i already have the book. that would be a waste of money.

but yea CD all the way if anyone on the club can buy one.

rs200sx
Are you sure you don't have a hard copy?? ;) ;) Dan is just trying not to get sued...which is a good thing...

When you order the CD, and check that you already own the hard copy, it just clears Dan from any law suits...but if you "lose" your hard copy after you get your CD then all's well...if you catch my drift...;)

I just need to track down the service manuals. Hasn't been much on Ebay lately.

also web based would increase your monthly traffic

i totally understand, i was just making sure no one would get mad if i got a CD and did not own a hard copy. also i dont want to get anyone in trouble!!!
i understand totally, thanks

rs200sx

For what it is worth

http://www.300zx-twinturbo.com/cgi-bin/manual.cgi

That is the complete z32 fsm

I'm ok for a cd even it is english

hah yeah id get a CD for sure

Some news of the CD?

yeah CD would be the best.. ive got the manual but its in pretty poor condition lots of greasy fingerprints and torn pages.. i got it for $50 when i bought my first s12 and its saved me hundreds.. this cd is an awsome idea..

thats great, cd or download. but what matters is getting it up........

Ok im all for a copy no matter which way it goes. As an added extra i have a full copy of the genuine Nissan Spare Parts catalogue that covers all General and Australian Distribution ( sorry no left handers allowed LOL) its on micro film. It is possible to paper format this but at an unreasonable cost. I do however have a hardcopy Microfilm machine that makes photocopies of each individual frame. All i needs to do is go get it back??? More money. But not nearly as much as payin someone to hard copy it for us? Anyone interested? i can have them copied cheaply directly onto more microfilm if anyone one is interested in that also.....