Building a "Summit" style catalog for SC owners

aviationstation

Registered User
All,

I'm considering creating a Summit style catalog for SC owners. We are all aware that Ford and a number of vendors that supplied parts for these cars dropped the support ball a long time ago. And, while Summit has great accessories for my GM products, it is limited at best for SC owners.

So... I'm considering publishing a catalog in a number of formats, to include printed (my wife is a publisher and printer), PDF and web. Owners of Piper aircraft have access to a similar catalog and it has been priceless for both the technical atricles and in locating parts that are typically 300% more expensive from Piper. I've also had similar luck with 3rd gen camaros through a number of group generated threads, but none have been true catalogs and how-to's. I think that with a catalog and an index of hands-on, how-to articles, we'll find more interest in these cars.

Having said that, I'd be interested in what any of you might be willing to contribute. I spin wrenches on the side, so I can participate with head gasket job photos, 5-speed shifter swaps or repair, and manual trans overhaul among other jobs. Pics are, of course, invaluable. If you rely in a Haynes type manual for repair, you're kidding yourself.

If you are interested in our web work check out some examples at...

www.powerhousegraphics.com
www.palomar.edu/police
www.palomar.edu/policeacademy
www.coronacylinder.com
www.haaystack.com/mbr/m20
www.haaystack.com/mbr/fpp (static demo only)

We print materials for a number of clients, including the Temecula Valley Film Festival, Screen Actors Guild, Sony America, etc, so we typically generate quality materials with useable indexing.

Hope to hear from you...

M Randolph
Fallbrook, CA
 
http://www.mn12performance.com/mn12how-to/mn12how-to.htm

That site has quite a few very good how to's on MN12 cars. Contact Rich at richt@mn12performance.com with your idea. I THINK he would be willing to let you use the info he has compiled there because he is apparently shutting down the site in the not too distant future. From what I understand the transfer of all Rich's great info is in the process (or soon will be) of being transfered over to SCCoA.

If you could get that info from Rich's MN12Performance site that would get you a heck of a great start.

Keep us posted as to how it goes. This is definately an interesting idea that would surely help many of us.
 
Seems like a great idea. Even better if it could do updated with new stuff from time to time.
 
Rgr that. I'll check out the MN12 perf folks to see if I can glean any info. That would ceartainly be a good start with respect to technical info.

I agree with Tim that the ability to update on the fly is important. Thankfully most of the repair procedures are pretty static. Still, might be nice to setup a site with an interactive diagnostic interface that would allow you to step-by-step evaluate your problem then, once it was pinpointed, it would allow one to print off (i.e. in PDF format) repair procedures or watch a short MOV video of the procedure.

I've actually used an OBD scanner via serial to an 802.11 networked laptop and diagnosed a car (3rd gen camaro) from a remote machine. Mustach sold the software... that might be cool too.

Matt
 
just and idea to maybe keep cost down, i worked in a print shop myself.
Make a parts catalog once a year or so, and make a newletter type, (maybe bring back Chargin Thunder) for teh how to's adn email them or compile a few and mail them. But the Summit idea is great. I would buy a magizine from you.
 
For those of you who arnt members :)confused: :mad: :rolleyes: ) SCCOA is planning on bringing back chargin thunder and making it available to all members in PDF format.

It will be about the same thing that your thinking of doing.

Become a member and read about it. I think the first issue is going to be out within the next couple weeks.
 
lurch256 said:
just and idea to maybe keep cost down, i worked in a print shop myself.
Make a parts catalog once a year or so, and make a newletter type, (maybe bring back Chargin Thunder) for teh how to's adn email them or compile a few and mail them. But the Summit idea is great. I would buy a magizine from you.

The return of Chargin' Thunder is already in the works. It has been (is being) discussed in the members forums.

Put up the $15 to help support the club and you will gain access to this info and MUCH MUCH more.;)
 
All sounds great. I have no problem footing $15 or more for the resources that this site collectively pulls together (something Ford could not). And even with all that is her, and the forums (just as there are for bowtie owner), there is always something more to be had. That it what I'm going to work toward. No re-inventing the wheel here, since were using it to communicate. Instead, a supplemental catalog (that can be had in PDF ideally so that it will be free) and possibly in hard-copy format if there is demand (which there will probably not be). After that, a dedicated diagnostic site for these cars, not the genre of the lieks of what the code scanners include in the manual.

Even better, you can navigate from this site to, say, a second dedicated server 9that I can host) that will have one of two ways of diagnozing your issue. Text (i.e. drop down menus that are progressive) or a graphic of an SC, move your mouse over your code (say 214) and using Flash, the screen sooms to the CPS, highlights it, and describes how to swap it. If there is still doubt, one can link back to these forums and get more details and info. I've already done this for a number of clients (balthaser.com, etc) and it is the only way to simplify troublshooting (unless you own a Windstar like me). Now that... was a stupid move.

I'll work with whomever I need to and offer support if you want/need it. I drive a 24 Mil. mainframe perched in one of six supercomputer centers in the world so I can adjust pretty well to whatever technical needs this might require. Man that high school diploma paid off...

Matt R.
 
Matt,

I think it's a great idea. Thank you for volunteering. I think we do need to pull together. It would be great to see what is really available for the cars. That way, we could all save so much effort. Also, people could avoid trying to create products that already exist.

As to what i can contribute, I dunno. I have bought a lot of parts in the last year or so. I can give you brands and where purchased.
 
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