Ram Mark II manual

[Matthew Noonan]

If only I had that kind of capital laying around. Then I might not mind paying 400 dollars for a manual.

Sadly I do not own a ram.

[Lauren Child]

Unfortunately you've hit on the problem. While US manuals are available quickly and easily, British and Commonwealth manuals aren't.

There are a few large collections of manuals around, and if you're looking for particular information then you can normally find someone to help.

With manuals like this being valuable, there's a very fine balancing act between releasing enough information to be helpful, and releasing copies more widely and thus devaluing the investment.

There's quite a good community though, and typically if you're working on a vehicle you'll find someone who'll run a copy off (or give up an original). They'll often run off a couple of extra copies so keep your ear to the ground.

Scanning takes quite a lot of time and effort though, and most collectors have got a backlog of scans on other manuals to run off for people.

I do know your pain though

It might help to explain why you want/need a copy.

[Matthew Noonan]

Would be nice to add to my collection in general.

Comparing figures the manual lists to things pulled out the Canadian microfilms or published books would be interesting as well.

I find no single source gives a clear picture, but the more sources you have the better idea you can get to what something actually was.

Take the R975 engine for example. most sources and even the maintenance manuals for it say one thing about the horsepower, while testing seems to show something different.

Edit: I see the manual sold already

[Lauren Child]

Yep, I tried to pick it up as well. I wonder who got this one (and the grizzly crew maintenance guide that was elsewhere on the booksellers site).

[rob love]

I figured it would disappear once you showed it to the masses on MLU. After all, it is a pretty rare book, and all they wanted for it was money, which is fairly common and you get more every couple weeks.

[Matthew Noonan]

Anyone with the manual could you tell us if they list any general specifications?

even if it's just weight, but if they included some armour measurements or dimensions that would be great.

Spec sheet lists the following for example on armour.

Turret front 76.2 (I suspect they mean the cover plate, and not the internal mantlet)
Turret sides 76.2 - 69.85
Turret rear 63.5
Turret top 38.1
Turret floor 50.8 - 38.1
(radio bulge)

Hull front upper 88.9
Hull front lower 50.8
Hull sides upper 76.2 - 50.8
Hull sides lower 38.1
Hull rear upper 31.75 or 38.1 (hard to tell if it's a 1" 1/4 or 1" 1/2)
Hull rear lower 38.1
Hull top 25.4
Hull top engine 12.7
Hull floor 25.4 - 12.7

Cupola 63.5

[Lauren Child]

I doubt it will list armour values - the service instruction books are more focussed on maintenance and repair.