A better option for Beta technical publications?

[chrisc]

So my day job is all about software development and AI, and I was thinking that these scanned old haynes manuals or service manuals just aren't that easy to use in practice, so I'm having a tinker with making a website that lets me use them more easily. It's a work in progress at the moment but I thought it might be interesting to show the idea.

I started with a 3d model of a s1 coupe, then spent probably more time than is healthy trying to illustrate the differences between an s1 and a s2fl (which my car is) to AI, but it's getting there.



You can look round it and click on different bits, and it loads up relevant content to that part



You can then either ask your own question, or you can follow the links to see the digitised documents, with the relevant section highlighted.



And for the mechanicals and interior you can turn the body transparent to get to them (this still needs work - I know the engine exhaust / inlet are reversed at the minute as a minimum!)



Thoughts? there's lots of gaps at the moment - the documents cover all variants but the model is just the coupe

I'll probably keep tinkering for my own amusement but I wonder if there's value in me hosting this and making say manual.lanciabeta.co.uk point to it with a bit of tony help

[SanRemo78]

The first thing tat springs to mind would be copyright issues arising from the use of the Hayens Manual...

I'm not sure if that publication is still available new or is being published still (highly unlikely) but I would suggest an approach to the publisher for permission to use it in electronic format would be a wise step along with a promise of non-profit and publisher credits?

Plus, is there any owner of a Beta out there without the Haynes manual?

Guy

[chrisc]

Yeah its a possibility - but I'd gamble they haven't gone after any of the people selling digitised copies yet, and similarly Lancia haven't gone after anyone on the factory manuals.

Maybe enter a discussion if they sent a cease and desist letter but probably go quietly till that point

[rossocorsa]

The amount of technical information for Betas more than you might think. For most folk I think the technical data books and parts book/fiche are by far the most useful as opposed to the actual workshop manuals

[chrisc]

Maybe - this site has the microfiches plus the haynes manual plus the workshop manuals plus the guy croft manual though I'm not sure how i would unlock that for people - really started out with this being a local tool for me so it also has various photos of my lancias

Have a look - https://betacoupe.co.uk/

[rossocorsa]

It's very nicely done (what I can see). There is a lot of fine detail on Betas which isn't widely available, for example do you know how to use the sort of oval shaped packers on the rear suspension bushes? Just an example.
The answer is in the lancia technical updates book for S2FL cars.
I have acquired a lot of information over the years if you are ever passing you are welcome to have a look, possibly a few that you haven't seen? I also have quite a lot of sales literature and press packs which make interesting browsing and all the parts books and fiche.

[chrisc]

So the docs it has are

• 1984 parts microfiche
• S4 coupe rhd wiring diagram
• S4 coupe rhd wiring table
• S4 coupe rhd wiring table
• coupe rhd wiring table
• 1981 Lancia Service manual
• Haynes manual
• Colour reference table by Paul Mayo
• Blower rebuild instructions from a now dead website - mylancia.co.uk
• Lancia beta book by Brian Long

no idea what s4 means..

[rossocorsa]

In Italy the coupe hpe and spider are defined in series, it's odd how they differ from other markets but actually it's the most straightforward method.

S1 = S1
S2 = S2
S3 = S2FL
S4 = S2FL2

This causes much confusion! Many people call an S2 an S1 because they look so similar, a lot of people refer to S4/S2FL2 as S3. When looking for parts this is problematic.

Berlina is even more confusing

[rossocorsa]

So the docs it has are

• 1984 parts microfiche
• S4 coupe rhd wiring diagram
• S4 coupe rhd wiring table
• S4 coupe rhd wiring table
• coupe rhd wiring table
• 1981 Lancia Service manual
• Haynes manual
• Colour reference table by Paul Mayo
• Blower rebuild instructions from a now dead website - mylancia.co.uk
• Lancia beta book by Brian Long

no idea what s4 means..

That microfiche is it FL 2/S4? there is also fiche for spider and coupe/hpe FL  Berlina 78/79 and Berlina 79 and Trevi. The FL and spider fiches appear more up to date than the respective paper  parts book

[chrisc]

Looks to be later than that - it has volumex material in there. The dashboards in it are also series 2 onwards

[rossocorsa]

Looks to be later than that - it has volumex material in there. The dashboards in it are also series 2 onwards

I'll have a look and see if I have any spares if they are of interest for you to scan. They changed to microfiche in around 1979 I think (?) . No microfiche for pre facelift brown dash cars

[Nigel]

Looks to be later than that - it has volumex material in there. The dashboards in it are also series 2 onwards

I'll have a look and see if I have any spares if they are of interest for you to scan. They changed to microfiche in around 1979 I think (?) . No microfiche for pre facelift brown dash cars

I think you're right on that date Alan, as I started working in a Lancia dealer
in around 1980. Parts man Derek didn't like that "new fangled machine" and
much preferred the thick old books!

[rossocorsa]

Looks to be later than that - it has volumex material in there. The dashboards in it are also series 2 onwards

I'll have a look and see if I have any spares if they are of interest for you to scan. They changed to microfiche in around 1979 I think (?) . No microfiche for pre facelift brown dash cars

I think you're right on that date Alan, as I started working in a Lancia dealer
in around 1980. Parts man Derek didn't like that "new fangled machine" and
much preferred the thick old books!

He was right, the illustrations in the parts books are an absolute work of art and easy to interpret. A must for all Beta owners as you can see exactly which washers or bolts the previous owner missed off and pretty much how everything goes together.