Of Templates and Legacy Docs

[Pinkham, Jim]

Hello, all --
 
I've just spent a couple of days getting our standard manual template
tweaked and polished and localized from its timeworn Germanic origins
(we inherited from our corporate parent across the pond). Now the task
is to begin applying the template to new docs that are often based upon
old manuals that used the old template. Looks like Template Mapper would
be perfect for the task, but let's assume that no matter how wise and
cost-effective and practical it might be, that $200 is not an option in
the near future. So let's not go there. We'll just postulate that's a
good idea, and leave it at that. For discussion's sake, this is a $0
project.
 
The question is this: Just using the normal set of tools that comes with
Frame (7.1 on Windows XP SP-2), and possibly freeware, what is the
fastest, most effective way to migrate a new template into old docs. Am
I doomed to paragraph-by-paragraph, table-by-table, and cell-by-cell
transformations? Or are there better alternatives?
 
Jim