John Haynes RIP
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brucemillar
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It was the done in many families, clubs etc to give the manual relating to the car, as a gift to the new owner. I had many of them where the pages had turned translucent through years of oily paw prints. There will be many a car boot out there now that still holds one.
How many cars lived longer than they may otherwise have done as a direct result of. John Haynes wonderful manuals.
RIP
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How many cars lived longer than they may otherwise have done as a direct result of. John Haynes wonderful manuals.
RIP
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
grober
MB Master
Great manuals, but not perfect. 
Often entire chapters devoted to engine rebuilds for example but missing details on such things such as air conditioning or vacuum and electrical schematics. How many DIY owners would really attempt a full engine rebuild for example, but be frustrated by a lack of info on secondary systems which could easily be repaired with adequate info? This was particularly true of the later MB canbus type models heavy with electronic gismos.
Nevertheless credit where credit is due. RIP
Often entire chapters devoted to engine rebuilds for example but missing details on such things such as air conditioning or vacuum and electrical schematics. How many DIY owners would really attempt a full engine rebuild for example, but be frustrated by a lack of info on secondary systems which could easily be repaired with adequate info? This was particularly true of the later MB canbus type models heavy with electronic gismos.Nevertheless credit where credit is due.
RIP 
RIP Mr Haynes, your manuals were an innovation and very helpful for many thousands of budding home mechanics.
On a lighter note, I've had this page bookmarked for a while now: -
Haynes Manuals - The Real Meanings
On a lighter note, I've had this page bookmarked for a while now: -
Haynes Manuals - The Real Meanings
Edd1968
MB Enthusiast
RIP
I have had a Haynes manual for every car an motorcycle I've owned for 20 years now. I am so glad I kept them all. I'll cherish them all now.
My last one was the A-class W168 but funnily enough I don't think they produced one for the CLK.
I have had a Haynes manual for every car an motorcycle I've owned for 20 years now. I am so glad I kept them all. I'll cherish them all now.
My last one was the A-class W168 but funnily enough I don't think they produced one for the CLK.
They used to proudly boast that , in making every manual each car was completely dismantled.
I have a number of reasons to be thankful to the late John Haynes.
A couple of weeks ago, I was chasing an intermittent fault with the heater blower on 'Vera' the Land Rover using my trusty Haynes manual to trace the wiring loom colours.
This is using the Haynes books in a traditional way.
It turned out to be terminal corrosion....quiet literally!
A couple of years ago I was asked to help write one of the manuals. I'm not sure it will be a big money maker as not everyone drives one of these cars, but it was fun and thought provoking....and I got paid.
A couple of decades ago, (well 3 actually) I was invited to the Haynes West Country base where the above Jaguar was on show to a major 'do'
I got to meet and chat to John.
The opportunity also arose to meet my childhood hero at that event, the writer Dennis Jenkinson. (or Jenks or DSJ)
I was working at that time on a daily basis with current well respected F1 drivers, but I was much more in awe of a small, bearded, slightly awkward and prickly character who was DSJ.
His writings in Motor Sport and his book 'The Racing Driver' had fuelled my passion for motorsport as a kid and to get to meet and chat with him was an honour.
He is probably more famous for his 1955 Mercedes win in the Mille Miglia with Stirling Moss, and was one of the very first users (inventor?)of a sort of 'bog roll sat nav' we now know of as 'pace notes'
Mercedes-AMG Petronas Motorsport - FLASHBACK: Unbeatable – Sir Stirling Moss at the Mille Miglia
Thank you and RIP John Haynes.
A couple of weeks ago, I was chasing an intermittent fault with the heater blower on 'Vera' the Land Rover using my trusty Haynes manual to trace the wiring loom colours.
This is using the Haynes books in a traditional way.
It turned out to be terminal corrosion....quiet literally!
A couple of years ago I was asked to help write one of the manuals. I'm not sure it will be a big money maker as not everyone drives one of these cars, but it was fun and thought provoking....and I got paid.
A couple of decades ago, (well 3 actually) I was invited to the Haynes West Country base where the above Jaguar was on show to a major 'do'
I got to meet and chat to John.
The opportunity also arose to meet my childhood hero at that event, the writer Dennis Jenkinson. (or Jenks or DSJ)
I was working at that time on a daily basis with current well respected F1 drivers, but I was much more in awe of a small, bearded, slightly awkward and prickly character who was DSJ.
His writings in Motor Sport and his book 'The Racing Driver' had fuelled my passion for motorsport as a kid and to get to meet and chat with him was an honour.
He is probably more famous for his 1955 Mercedes win in the Mille Miglia with Stirling Moss, and was one of the very first users (inventor?)of a sort of 'bog roll sat nav' we now know of as 'pace notes'
Mercedes-AMG Petronas Motorsport - FLASHBACK: Unbeatable – Sir Stirling Moss at the Mille Miglia
Thank you and RIP John Haynes.
slade1
MB Enthusiast
Great manuals, but not perfect.
Nevertheless credit where credit is due.
Most modern engines outlast the rest of the car.
RIP Mr. Haynes.
I'm not sure there is a Haynes manual for my S205, but there is one for the MX-5 so will get hold of one sooner or later. Have had various manuals from Haynes in the past as cars have come and gone. Been life-savers at times.
I'm not sure there is a Haynes manual for my S205, but there is one for the MX-5 so will get hold of one sooner or later. Have had various manuals from Haynes in the past as cars have come and gone. Been life-savers at times.
Williamwoo
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The 2 things common to every Haynes manual were liberal use of the following:
- 'Always disconnect the battery first' (even if all you wanted to do was polish a hubcap)
- 'Reassembly is a straightforward reversal of the dismantling process' (er, it never was!)
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bpsorrel
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Mactech, have you ever thought about writing a biography?? It would make truly fascinating reading. I will buy it for sure!
RIP John Haynes. I have untold numbers of Haynes manuals in my garage (I only found out how many last year when we moved house and I boxed them all up! From my first car (a Datsun 510, 1600 in UK) up to the last car I tinkered with, my much missed Jaguar XJ6.
I fondly remember rebuilding a FIAT engine with my late father using a very oil stained copy of the manual! We built it, checked everything and fired it up.... started first time! We were very proud! LOL!
RIP John Haynes. I have untold numbers of Haynes manuals in my garage (I only found out how many last year when we moved house and I boxed them all up! From my first car (a Datsun 510, 1600 in UK) up to the last car I tinkered with, my much missed Jaguar XJ6.
I fondly remember rebuilding a FIAT engine with my late father using a very oil stained copy of the manual! We built it, checked everything and fired it up.... started first time! We were very proud! LOL!
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LOL! Oddly, you are not the first or only one to suggest thisMactech, have you ever thought about writing a biography?? It would make truly fascinating reading. I will buy it for sure!
But I'm an engineer not a writer. I have written a number of articles on things I understand and have even delivered the annual 'Engineering Excellence' lecture to the IMeche.
However, I've also been paid to write a book for Bentley on the Le Mans project of early this century. As project manager I had unrivalled insider knowledge ....and it has yet to be published.
After decades in motorsport I'm hardwired to win and so stillborn projects and unpublished books don't fit this model.
I can't ever see a book about me being a best seller so I think I'll stick to articles and contributions to the books of others.
I know of some other motorsport characters who are now using their boxes of unsold books to fuel the log burners.....
bpsorrel
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Do you think Haynes totally disassembled these two aircraft and rebuilt after writing the book?
The Mosquito book reminds me of a fascinating WWII story featuring Eddie Chapman (the book is called Agent ZigZag) who was a double agent and to cut a long story short helped in the subterfuge of convincing the Germans that the DeHaviland factory in Hatfield had been blown up, because Hitler was terrified of the effectiveness of the Mosquito! Apparently the British team used some help from a film studio to dress the factory up to look wrecked! Chapman then gave photographic "evidence" of a smouldering wreck of the DeHaviland factory. German bombs were misdirected way passed the factory, and they never knew until after the war.
The Mosquito book reminds me of a fascinating WWII story featuring Eddie Chapman (the book is called Agent ZigZag) who was a double agent and to cut a long story short helped in the subterfuge of convincing the Germans that the DeHaviland factory in Hatfield had been blown up, because Hitler was terrified of the effectiveness of the Mosquito! Apparently the British team used some help from a film studio to dress the factory up to look wrecked! Chapman then gave photographic "evidence" of a smouldering wreck of the DeHaviland factory. German bombs were misdirected way passed the factory, and they never knew until after the war.
bpsorrel
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That,s a shame. All that knowledge and experience shouldn't be lost..
Maybe a periodic feature here about the amazing world you've inhabited over the years....
I loved that, thanks! It took me back to the brief time period 20ish years ago when I thought it was a good idea to fix my own car...
Gbrowncls55
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This man helped me keep many cars alive when I was a teenager and as importantly taught me how to do (basic) spannering. ....Now its all on youtube. RIP.
Like many of you I to have a pile of Haynes Manuals stretching back to the 70's and only this weekend my wife and I were imagining the time when (and it will come) my sons clear the attic when I'm gone.
As they are about to dump the lot we figure the comments would go, "this must have been a tough job 4 spanners and look at all the oily finger prints!!" RIP John Haynes
As they are about to dump the lot we figure the comments would go, "this must have been a tough job 4 spanners and look at all the oily finger prints!!" RIP John Haynes
Scott_F
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