Consolidating & safeguarding Maserati technical information

Thanks, Marc. I'm glad that this gets your blessing to do it this way.

Non-computer-geeks: please don't be alarmed about the computer-tech stuff. If this is to be useful, those among us who have the experience with the cars need to speak up. If you've suffered trying to track down some arcane piece of body hardware and paid through the nose for it, only to find out later that you could have got it from a Fiat X19, your voice is needed here.

People who are knowledgeable about the cars but who may be busy with other things just now, (maybe you are writing a book or arranging a 40th anniversary party): please at least monitor this and speak up when you need to.

My hope is that whatever results from this -- if anything at all -- let's make it as flexible as possible for future change. Let's not get "locked in" to a specific design or platform.

Carmine

 

Anyone who feels inclined to do so, please post anything you know about the cars and parts, so we start to collect it all here. That might be your own discoveries, some other web site, a rumor you heard that we might verify, etc..

1967 Intermeccanica Torino (Italia):
Fuse box and ash tray -- same as Maserati Ghibli. (My own experience).
External door lock and window hardware from Fiat 850.

Khamsin 1974-1982:
Parking brake handle from Fiat 124. (A rumor I heard)

 

All,

Here are some general ideas to start thinking about record format. Any of us can begin to play around with this as a very simple "relational data base". (Wow! You've learned some new tech terminology already!)

The text below is "Comma Separated Values". You should be able to:
. clip it from this posting,
. paste it into an ASCII text file,
. import that file into your spreadsheet program as CSV or "Comma Separated Values".

Once in your spreadsheet, it should look like the screen shot below, (although you will have to adjust formatting).

Then play around with the data manipulation tools like search and sort.

DO NOT TRUST THE ACCURACY OF THE ATTACHED DATA! It is just a quick assembly only to discuss record format.

Carmine


<<< CLIP THE FUNNY LOOKING STUFF BELOW INTO A CSV FILE >>>
"CarManuf","CarModel","CarYearBegin","CarYearEnd","SystemMain","SystemSub","PartName","PartManuf","PartNumber","PartRetailer","PartActObs","Comments","RecordDate","RecordAuthor"
"Maserati","Khamsin",1974,1982,"Running Gear","Suspension","Front Outer Wheel Bearing","Federal-Mogul","CSC-48232","MaseratiNet","Activ",,"2000.01.01","Young"
"Maserati","Khamsin",1974,1982,"Running Gear","Suspension","Front Inner Wheel Bearing","Federal-Mogul","CSC-48233","MaseratiNet","Activ",,"2000.01.01","Young"
"Maserati","Khamsin",1974,1982,"Engine","Ignition","Amplifier","Bosch",227100008,,"Obsol",,"2000.01.01","Young"
"Porsche",928,1978,1984,"Engine","Ignition","Amplifier","Bosch",227100008,,"Obsol",,"2000.01.01","Young"
"Maserati","Khamsin",1974,1982,"Engine","Filters","Air Filter","UFI","27.853.00","Alfa Ricambi","Activ",,"2000.01.01","Young"
"Maserati","Khamsin",1974,1982,"Engine","Filters","Oil Filter","UFI","23.113.00","Alfa Ricambi","Activ",,"2000.01.01","Young"
"Maserati","Khamsin",1974,1982,"Running Gear","Brakes","Rear Caliper Kit","Girling","SP2873","MaseratiNet","Activ",,"2000.01.01","Young"
"Maserati","Khamsin",1974,1982,"Running Gear","Brakes","Front Pads","Girling","64-321-337-RM","MaseratiNet","Activ",,"2000.01.01","Young"
"Maserati","Khamsin",1974,1982,"Running Gear","Brakes","Rear Pads","Repco",97,"MaseratiNet","Activ",,"2000.01.01","Young"
"Maserati","Indy",1971,1973,"Running Gear","Brakes","Rear Caliper Kit","Girling","SP2873","MaseratiNet","Activ","Years not verified","2000.01.01","Young"
"Alfa Romeo","Montreal",1970,1974,"Body","Latches","Door Handles","Bertone","Proxy-CAS-20120201",,"Obsol","From Graeme. Years not verified","2012.02.14","Carmine"
"Maserati","Khamsin",1974,1982,"Body","Latches","Door Handles","Bertone","Proxy-CAS-20120201",,"Obsol","From Graeme. Years not verified","2012.02.14","Carmine"
"Maserati","Khamsin",1974,1982,"Body","Lights","Tail Lights","Bertone","Proxy-CAS-20120203",,"Obsol","From Graeme. Years not verified","2012.02.24","Carmine"
"Maserati","Indy",1971,1973,"Body","Lights","Tail Lights","Bertone","Proxy-CAS-20120202",,"Obsol","From Graeme. Years not verified","2012.02.24","Carmine"
"Alfa Romeo","Berlina",1971,1974,"Body","Lights","Tail Lights","Bertone","Proxy-CAS-20120203",,"Obsol","From Graeme. Years not verified","2012.02.24","Carmine"
"Alfa Romeo","Berlina",1967,1970,"Body","Lights","Tail Lights","Bertone","Proxy-CAS-20120202",,"Obsol","From Graeme. Years not verified","2012.02.24","Carmine"
"Maserati","Mexico",1963,1965,"Running Gear","Brakes","Front Pads","Maserati","Proxy-CAS-20120204",,,,"2012.02.24","Carmine"
"Maserati","Khamsin",1974,1982,"Running Gear","Brakes","Front Pads","Maserati","Proxy-CAS-20120204",,,"Years not verified","2012.02.24","Carmine"
"Maserati","Indy",1971,1973,"Running Gear","Brakes","Front Pads","Maserati","Proxy-CAS-20120204",,,,"2012.02.24","Carmine"
"Maserati","Ghibli",1967,1972,"Running Gear","Brakes","Front Pads","Maserati","Proxy-CAS-20120204",,,"Years not verified","2012.02.24","Carmine"

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(re-posting from the Khamsin thread)


In this example I am going to use a Wiki engine (something like Wikipedia) called "moinmoin", which is open source and at the same time it can be run either online or on your personal computer. All data are stored in a single data file, which can be shared via email, web or other methods.

It requires a little knowledge of computer stuff, but nothing too technical.

The following procedure works for Windows computers:

1) Download "moinmoin" from: http://moinmo.in/MoinMoinDownload

2) Download Python Windows installer from: http://www.python.org/download/

3) Run the installation for Python that you downloaded in step 2

4) Extract the moinmoin archive from step 1 into a directory on your computer

5) Double-click on the file "wikiserver.py" which is in the "moinmoin" directory

6) Point your browser to the following address: http://localhost:8080/


There, 6 easy steps that even a non-technical person can follow, with limited computer knowledge. You just need to know how to download a few files and install/extract them on your system.

I can describe the above procedure for those using a Mac or a Linux computer, if anyone is interested.

You can even create your own "moinmoin" archive, with nice Maserati logos, for your own distribution

Please let me know what you think. I'd appreciate some constructive comments.


PS:
possible problems that might arise: the moinmoin archive is not a regular ZIP file that most people are used to work with, so they might not be able to open it. We can
of course just supply it in ZIP format, so that is not an issue.

 

Hi Carmine,

Thank you for the instruction. Does this mean that we all have to add our data in the same format on this site in order to enable others to save as .txt and paste in excel accordingly?

Thank you,

armaz

 

Mark abarth69 #1228 from Toronto,
Man, you are the one who volounteered to do this (on the Khamsin thread), so I hope you'll participate. As for me, only because I've got too much time on my hands just now am I participating.

Maserati Blue,
Thanks for the database suggestion. I will look at it when I get the chance to and give you some feedback.
However, initially, I am more concerned with getting the records formatted in a way that will be the most useful. (See note to Armaz).
If you have expertise in the moinmoin database, maybe you'd start importing the available records and see how it works? Let us know.

Carmine

 

Armaz

Thanks for speaking up. Is that your Khamsin on YouTube doing doughnut burnouts and racing around a track along with a Triumph TR-6?

Why not start that way? The on-going effort will be to add any parts information anyone may have as it turns up.

An important initial effort is to decide upon a data format. My prior post was only to suggest a record format as a starting point for discussion. We don't have to lock in to any format now, but:
. The format will be determined by how we want to use the parts list.
. I can think of us needing to search either by car or by part.

Example:
If we are looking for a hood latch mechanism for a Ghibli:
. The database system must be able to identify other cars that use the same mechanism.
. Let's say a Taif 500 used the same parts.
. So on both the Ghibli hood latch record and the Taif 500 hood latch record, there must be some common part identification. If we have a good part number like a Bosch or Girling active part number, that would be preferred. However if the part number is obsolete or unknown, we might use a "proxy" number. The important thing is to have some common identification in both records.

But again to answer your question, yes abolutely start adding anything you've got to the parts list in any way you can.

Carmine

 

The records can't be imported that easily, so we should decide a system early and keep that, instead of doing conversions in the future (which are very costly in terms of work hours).

Unfortunately, the CSV data file doesn't allow for relations and file attachments, those would have to come as a separate entity.

 

Hi carmine,

Yes that is my car, in the hand of the previous owner.

Thank you for the information.

Armaz

 

Personally, I am most interested in alternate sourcing of parts for body, lights and trim; and for ancillary mechanical and electrical systems like windshield wipers and air conditioning. Many of you guys already know about this, but for some of us, this is a learning experience. For example, in the link below, note the taillights on the "French Rally Berlina":

http://www.berlinaregister.com/Nl32.htm

Graeme, thanks for alerting me to this sort of thing.

For basic mechanical parts like brakes and bearings, of course these things are important and should also be on the listing. But these days there seems to be a number of enthusiast-oriented suppliers, (like MaseratiNet.Com in the USA). So these types of parts are more readily available.

 

Still with you.

Cheers

Mark