top ten porsche books

[red67]

whats everyones top ten? i need some new reading.
i've read so many history of porsche books, but the books i love reading and use the most that are fingered thoroughly and a bit trashy from use, are listed below (actually factual ones) -

1 the 911 & 912 Porsche: A Restorer's Guide to Authenticity by dr B johnson


2 The 356 Porsche: A Restorer's Guide to Authenticity by dr B johnson


3 101 projects for your porsche 911 by wayne dempsey


4 the porsche 911 red book by p. paternie


5...?


(sorry wayne, the good doctor b. is unbeatable on pure nerd detail factor)


whats everyone elses?

[dw1]

"Porsche 911 Story: The entire development history" by Paul Frere
This has to be in every 911 enthusast's library

"Porsche: Excellence Was Expected : The Complete History of Porsche Sports and Racing Cars" by Karl E. Ludvigsen
Dated, but still great.

Wayne's "101 Projects" book is a personal favorite

And the Bentley manual for your particular car.

[red67]

oh, and i musnt forget pete zimmermans book in the top 10 - wonderful guy and great book -

[longhornchris04]

I'll throw my votes in for (in no particular order):

101 Projects
How to rebuild and modify your 911 engine
The Porsche Performance Handbook
The Bently Manual (year group specific)

Also, its more of a narrative, but I really enjoyed "The Gold Plated Porsche." Will it help you with your car... probably not. Will it help you with your obession about your car... maybe. Then again, it may make things worse.

[john70t]

"We at Porsche". Co-authored autobiography by Ferry.

A little world history, a little driving/mechanical bragging(actually it's not bragging at all when it's quite real), and a small window into the amazing world of one person creating and keeping alive a family business in a highly turbulent and competitive marketplace with the thought process that went into each step.

[dw1]

Originally Posted by longhornchris04

Also, its more of a narrative, but I really enjoyed "The Gold Plated Porsche." Will it help you with your car... probably not. Will it help you with your obession about your car... maybe. Then again, it may make things worse.

Agreed.

I should not have left that one off my list.

However, in keeping with one of the themes of the book, you'll have to pay a lot more for it than it will every be worth, and chalk it up to experience. "Zen and the Art of (unprofitable) Porsche Restoration"?

[billroth]

The Gold-Plated Porsche: How I Sank a Small Fortune into a Used Car, and Other Misadventures

[PCA7GGR]

"Porsche 911 Engine History & Development" by Tobias Aichele

[Scott at Pelican Parts]

Originally Posted by dw1

"Porsche: Excellence Was Expected : The Complete History of Porsche Sports and Racing Cars" by Karl E. Ludvigsen
Dated, but still great.

Great book.
Ludvigsen updated the book (3 volume set) in 2004, and added another 100+ pages for the reprint a few years ago.

[Wayne 962]

http://www.101projects.com

-Wayne

[Formerly Steve Wilkinson]

Jeez, I'm gonna subscribe and see if anybody else votes for me. I'm seriously flattered to even be considered for such a list.

I second the nomination of Paul Frere's "The Porsche 911 Story." Denis Jenkinson's "A Passion for Porsches" is interesting, and I frequently consult Lothar Boschen's and Jurgen Barth's "The Porsche Book." (It's a lot easier to lift off the shelf than Ludvigson's cinderblock.) And I'm surprised nobody has mentioned Bruce Anderson's "Porsche 911 Performance Handbook," which is what really got me started on my project.

[86 911 Targa]

Peter Morgan did a nice job on this book.



This book has a lot of option(s) info, along with production numbers.

[onlycafe]

here's one.

[craigyirush]

The legendary Dennis Jenkinson's 'A Passion for Porsches'.
Takes you back to the early days of the factory, and relays some great tales of the European racing scene in the golden years of the 50s and 60s.

[Mark Morrissey]

Mine favs are:
Liebe zu ihm
Racing Porsches R to RSR
From R-GT2
930-935 the turbo Porsches
Porsche, Excellence was expected
Porsche sport 1973
All of Paul Frere's Porsche books

yadda, yadda

Thank you, have a great day.

[Mark Morrissey]

Liebe zu ihm. This is what the book looks like. It's stupid expensive but super cool.

[burgermeister]

In Order:

Gold Plated Porsche (actually my favorite of the bunch - it's always nice to read about someone far more crazy than oneself ...)
The UpFixin' der Porsche series (spars with the Gold Plated Porsche for #1 on my list of favorites)
The Frere 911 history book (just great history and general info)
The Bentley manual (a great shop manual worth every penny)
Both Dempsey Books (I really like the cost & time in the 101 projects. I multiply both by 4 and I'll always come out just below.)
The Bruce Anderson performance book (not all that useful, but interesting nonetheless)
Zimmerman's Guide to Used 911's (it described in excrutiating detail pretty much all of the problems my car has not (yet) had, and glossed over or didn't mention all the the ones it did, which I find amusing as well as frightening as to what the future holds)

Books I do not like:
Vic Elford's book. It's a bunch of racing stories with the occasional poorly explained driving technique tidbit thrown in.
911 - the engineering story. Engineering content is near zero - Frere's book has 50 times more.

[Formerly Steve Wilkinson]

Funny, I had exactly the same reaction to Vic Elford's much-touted book.

And thank you for the craziness vote.

[geoz]

paul frere

[Trotskyite]

"Porsche Rennsport: The Definitive Photographic Record of Porsche Racing Sports Cars, 1949-2004"

It is one of the nicest gifts I've ever recieved, and one of the most beautiful books I own. As far as utility? 101 Projects and the Bentley manual for sure.