Required Reading?
 

Long, long time lurker. Finally in a position to purchase.

I'm looking for suggestions for a couple of the difinitive books on the 911 model history. I did search, and came up with lots of options, as well as at amazon.com, but none seem to answer the question specifically. If this has been asked before, pardon.

I'm not looking for a history of Porsche, but rather a good reference guide for each 911 model year, options available, pros-cons, good photos, etc. Perhaps that is too ambitious.

For example how many C4S made and years produced. What makes the 95' 993 different from a 97'? Enginge differences between 911T and 911E? The kind of reference I can use to narrow my search before begining test drives.

I am as interested in the older examples as the newer, so a book that goes back to the begining and takes you to 996 or even later would be great.

Suggestions? Thank you very much.

Another detail I would love to have in my place would be detailed specs - measurements, weight, hp.

Thanks again.

"Original Porsche 911" by Peter Morgan, is a good place to start. Amazon or any good book store (Barnes and Noble) will have it.

The Used 911 Story - Peter Zimmermann. A frequent poster on Rennlist & an ex Pcar shop owner.

Ian

Or you can support your host
http://www.pelicanparts.com/catalog/shopcart/BOOK/POR_BOOK_bkpbuy_pg47.htm

I'm a big fan of the "Porsche 911 Red Book 1965-2005" by Patrick Paternie, which is all about specs and codes and numbers and such, with just enough prose to glue it all together. There is the occasional boo-boo, but it's handy, pretty thorough, and cheap.

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/076031960X/sr=1-1/qid=1154015795/ref=sr_1_1/104-7745995-4876729?ie=UTF8&s=books

Porsche 911 red book +1. Ten bucks from Pelican, everything you need to know by model year and type. It's a stock book at Borders, but you'll pay fifteen. If you really want to know the developmental history of the type 901 (911), check out Paul Frere's book, The Porsche 911 Story. Heck, most libraries have that one. It runs about twenty-five bucks on Amazon, forty off the shelf.
Any question about 911s you come up with can also be answered here on the BBS - Grady and Bill V. are freakin' encyclopedias on the subject, amongst others. The threads are endless - do a search, pull up a chair. You will never regret buying a 911 - rolling history, a thoroughbred, timeless, still a head-turner and always fun to drive.
Buy the best one you can afford - fix-it-uppers are no bargain.

Good luck in your search!

Try the series of books by Brian Long. They are better than you'd expect. They do a good job of breaking down the yearly changes and they are organized in a chronological format, unlike Paul Frere's book. The various buyer's guides and Peter Morgan's book have quite a few errors, although the pictures are nice.

Having said that, I have bought them all anyway, good or not. I have so many different editions of Frere's book, it's not even funny.

JR

"Porsche 911 Story" by Paul Frere is the best written, most authoritative, and generally succinct source of information concerning the evolution of the 911. "Excellent Was Expected" by Karl Ludwigsen is also, well, excellent, but is expensive and covers a lot of territory besides the 911. Paul Frere is the reason (the guy to BLAME) for my 911 ownership. If you want to understand WHY the cars are the way they are, look no further than Frere.
-Scott

DanJK,
not sure when you are where, but if you're in the DC area, get onto: www.dorkiphus.com
lots of LOCAL porsche knowledge... though the book question can be answered internationally ;)

Frere is the most comprehensive - it is not really a buyers guide.