Author Topic: Owner's Manual Jackpot!!! (Read 11490 times)

moonpup · « **on:** July 30, 2012, 05:50:17 PM »

Last week I was doing some random searches on craigslist checking to see what I could turn up. I found a listing for some vintage owners manuals. The ad said he had 30+ manuals, so I clicked on it to see if there might be any Bridgestone stuff included.

BINGO.... the first pic showed a 350 GTR manual right at the bottom! The ad also said he didn't want to sell them individually, but I thought it wouldn't hurt to ask if he'd take $20 for the Bridgestone manual and to my surprise, he agreed.

A little bit later I called Bikenstein to tell him of my find and I'm glad I did, cuz he ended up talking me into buying the whole lot!

So, for the astronomical price of $100, I got my 350 GTR manual along with 30 others which range in date from 1964 to at least the mid 70's. The vast majority are Honda's, with a few Kawasaki's tossed in.

moonpup · « **Reply #1 on:** July 30, 2012, 05:52:18 PM »

Here are the other ones. Some have multiples of 2-4 copies.

reed · « **Reply #2 on:** July 30, 2012, 09:51:53 PM »

Mike,
Good find, they are fun to collect.
Thanks.
Steve.

Steve S. · « **Reply #3 on:** July 31, 2012, 03:32:30 PM »

Hi Moonpup. Wow, what luck! Any chance you can scan and share with all the board members? Or does it already exist online somewhere? I have never been able to find it if it does.
Thanks.

moonpup · « **Reply #4 on:** July 31, 2012, 03:51:06 PM »

Thanks Steve (actually both Steve's

), it was a LUCKY find. I should be able to sell the others and not only recoup my initial investment but make some extra $$$'s so I can then turn around and give it to Richard for more goodies!

I don't have a scanner, so I can't help you out with that. If I can figure out a way to get it done, I certainly will. I'm surprised it hasn't been done yet.

ziggy stardust · « **Reply #5 on:** August 01, 2012, 07:21:14 AM »

There was an original GTR owner's manual recently on eBay along with some other related stuff, I don't think it sold.

I have one.

Z

moonpup · « **Reply #6 on:** August 01, 2012, 01:55:15 PM »

Here's a link to the other thread that discusses recent eBay auctions for these.

http://bridgestonemotorcycleparts.com/index.php?topic=2329.0

Also in that thread, Mike Anderson states....."I have an original and it has both Gtr and Gto info in it. I believe the covers just changed from time to time and the actual information inside stayed basically the same. Mine was printed in 1970 and has a slightly different cover."

Well, there were apparently more than just slight cover differences as my recent acquisition dated May 1967 has absolutely no references to the GTO. Which is what I would expect since the GTO is still approx. 2/3yrs. down the road.

That being said, if anyone has an earlier GTR and a later manual with GTO references and would like to work out some sort of trade with someone that has a GTO and a manual that has no such references...... I'm your guy!

reed · « **Reply #7 on:** August 01, 2012, 09:01:52 PM »

Moonpup,
This is from my collection its a Austin A30 1956 a great car in its day.
Thanks.
Steve.

reed · « **Reply #8 on:** August 01, 2012, 09:07:23 PM »

This is a picture of the car etc.
Thanks.
Steve.

reed · « **Reply #9 on:** August 01, 2012, 09:18:16 PM »

My favourite the Austin van.
Thanks.
Steve.

moonpup · « **Reply #10 on:** August 02, 2012, 02:31:51 PM »

If anyone has a late 1969 or 1970 manual and would care to share with us, I was wondering just what GTO specific info is in it and are there any pictures of the GTO included?

Hap · « **Reply #11 on:** August 04, 2012, 09:27:11 AM »

I had a candy apple red early 80's Kawasaki KZ750 just like the one in the picture on the manual. That bike screamed! Anyone who rode it came back with tears in their eyes. In 1985 an old man came along and bumped me off the road. The bike landed in a ditch next to a graveyard in Gananda NY. I went flying off and landed near a headstone. They could of buried me right there but I woke up in a hospital. I was without a bike for a long time afterwards since I moved to Boston afterwards and did not even want to have a bike there. It wasnt until I moved to NH in 1998 when I wanted a bike again.

disc_valve · « **Reply #12 on:** August 04, 2012, 11:29:08 AM »

In answer to your qusetion about GTO handbooks:-

About 4 years ago I did see a pair of 350 GTO handbooks on eBay - I put a bid in and failed to win either of them. The cover was to the later "Loop" design (like the BS100TMX /GP and BS200 handbooks), but in green. I presume that was the type of manual that Mike Andereson referred to.

I have my own copy of the 1967 GTR handbook (like the picture posted by Moonpup), and of course Rockford subsequently reprinted that manual with a Black cover.

The only GTO manual I've ever seen was the one I missed on eBay, so I guess they must be a bit rare.

moonpup · « **Reply #13 on:** August 04, 2012, 11:43:23 AM »

That's very interesting Graham, based on previous discussions here, I was under the impression that there were no GTO specific manuals.

Did you happen to save a picture of the manual you saw on eBay? I'd love to see one.

Also, maybe a picture of a "Loop" design cover you mentioned?

Steve S. · « **Reply #14 on:** August 04, 2012, 12:00:29 PM »

So.....just to clarify. Is there a GTR Owner's Manual online somewhere to be found? I have never seen it if it exists.
Let me know. Thanks.

disc_valve · « **Reply #15 on:** August 07, 2012, 06:10:25 AM »

Hi, Moonpup,

I'm afraid I didn't think to save a copy of the GTO manual from eBay, I probably should have done so, but at the time I didn't realise it was such a rare item. I try to will dig out my TMX manual and post a scan of the cover when I get a chance - watch this space.

Graham

RayK · « **Reply #16 on:** August 07, 2012, 11:43:37 PM »

Steve

You might like to know that my first car was 1958 Morris Major Series I - followed by a 1962 Morris Major series II and then would you believe - a 1963 Austin Lancer. Easy to work on compared to today's cars. They had SU Carbies.

Cheers
Ray

disc_valve · « **Reply #17 on:** August 10, 2012, 06:41:22 AM »

Hi, Moonpup,

Here's a scan of my BS200 handbook cover. The 350GTO hanbook was the same design in two shades of green, and the BS100GP/TMX handbook is the same design in two shades of blue.

You'll notice that the scanned cover is a bit battered about. That's because I've only got the cover. I took a gamble on a small lot of handbooks a few years ago that the seller said had some water damage. Most weren't too bad, but the BS200 manual was unsalvageable - all the pages were stuck together. I managed to peel off the cover page, but that was all. I've been looking out for a BS200 manual as well as a GTO manual ever since, but I've not found one yet.

It's also occurred to me that there is a good chance that the guys who beat me to the two GTO manuals on eBay are members of this site. If so, maybe one of them could provide a scan of the real McCoy GTO cover.

Graham

disc_valve · « **Reply #18 on:** August 10, 2012, 07:06:26 AM »

OK, guess who forgot to add the picture to his previous post. Dohh!!

With luck, this post should contain teh BS200 manual cover scan.

Graham

moonpup · « **Reply #19 on:** August 10, 2012, 09:14:14 AM »

Thanks Graham for taking the time to post the picture of the "Loop cover". It would be nice if we could get more of these items scanned and added to the "Manuals/Articles" section of the site.

Oh well....... back to the hunt!

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Author Topic: Owner's Manual Jackpot!!! (Read 11490 times)

reed

Steve S.

ziggy stardust

reed

reed

reed

Hap

Steve S.

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