I really would like to build the technical reference for our cars, we already have a pretty good selection of things but I would really like to get more that I can store on here for easy reference. If anyone has anything they could share that would be helpful, please let me know. Also, if you are in the U.S. and have things in paper form (i.e. TNTrabi) I would be happy to pay for you to send them to me via Media Mail and I can send them back. I also know Keri sent me some things I need to get uploaded. Thanks!
Are there any manuals for the Trabant in English ? All the ones I have found are in German , I did see one Dutch one on eBay but I don't speak Dutch either . It would be interesting to find out if there are any 'hard' original copies for the exported models or any electronic versions available in English.
I actually know a German born auto mechanic who would be the guy to translate the shop manual. Problem is i don't know if he would.
It would be good if he could translate it. I wouldn't mind paying for a copy , and I am sure other English speaking owners would too.
How about... 1- Become an automobile mechanic... 2- Learn a little German, or at least look at the pictures really hard? That's what I did... Can't say I recommend it.
We have some stuff in English in the reference section, not a whole lot but enough to get a good start I would think.
Hi Keri, I am already a Motor mechanic, I have cut my teeth on many an old English car such as Rover P6 and my favourite British car..the Morris Minor along with British motorcycles such as the BSA's and Triumphs, and ... admittedly... when I was 19 I bought a Harley Davidson..which I sold on when I was 22 ..the follies of youth ! I am currently doing a 1968 Morris at the moment. I am doing just as you say by learning German...slowly ... I know what a Kupplung is now and a Lichtmaschine , its slowly coming comrade .
I have a user manual in pdf format, but it is too large to upload here. i found it somewhere on the internet, but i cant remember where, and i cant find it again. Can i send it to you Justin? and then you can put it somewhere on the site?
К сожалению, мне больше нравится русский язык! Может выть Лада для меня? (Unfortunately, I prefer the Russian language! Maybe a Lada for me?)
Haha, Yeah a Lada as well as a Trabi . So far as I am aware the Lada 1200/1500 is very reliable , they did rust alot though. It may survive alot better in a moderate climate . I remember when I was 10 years old seeing a light blue Lada towing a Jag out of a muddy field .
If it's the drivers handbook, I have an English version uploaded to the site already, if it's something else, then YES, PLEASE SEND
I have 2 Trabant and one Barkas shop manuals in Hungarian. I would be willing to translate parts out of it if someone stuck on a project. I can't promice to translate the whole book, because I have no time for this at the moment. But really if anyone does a project and needs something, let me know. I'm also willing to lend my books if someone would like to scan them in to a computer...
There is no easy way.... I got a scanner, but it has to be page by page... We may could pay for a printing company to make a book out of it, but I'll have some serius translating to do to translate every single page, then someone to make grammer and spelling editing... Each page will have to be copied onto papers to be able to make notes. Kinko's could do the copy or scan part, may be you could do the editing and spell check after I'm finished... It's a long painful process. If you want an English version, this is what would it take... Or may be we have an old(er) less busy memeber who knows how to fix a Trabant who could help do the spell check and grammer correction after I've more less translated a section...Then double check with me to make sure the sentence has the correct meaning. Fortunately I'm pretty deep in fixing anything so I would be able to verify that the end translation means the same as it was written in the book. I'm in the middle of moving at the moment, but I when I'm at work I'm sitting in hotels for days sometimes so instead of watching TV (I'm so busy at home I never have time to watch TV) I could do something useful... I could do one section at a time. What do you think?
Hi Peter, Yes, I think this is a wonderful idea. This would greatly benefit English speaking owners or future owners but are worried that there is not an English manual available . I am sure there would be members willing to pay for a copy. I know I would pay a modest fee for one
Maybe we look at the cost or idea of having one translated? If a lot of people go in together on it might not be that expensive to have it professionally translated
It is most likely best done by us rather than "professional translators" Translating a repair manual requires a bi-lingual mechanic. I tried translating parts of the factory manual with a friend of mine who is German. Not being a mechanic, she could make very little sense of it.
There was a factory original English. I had one. I lost it to fire. Keep looking and someone will find one. I bet owners of them are hoarding them. If I had had technology before the fire, I would have scanned it all for future reference. Translations are nice too.
It would be nice to have that. I know we have the owners manual scanned in English, but it would be nice to have a shop manual
