Porsche 911 Book Thread

[LuckyRR]

Building a Porsche 911 book / technical materials collection.

-List the necessities and your favorites.

[Geronimo '74]

http://www.pelicanparts.com/catalog/shopcart/book_catalog.htm

Bentley manual is great, as are Wayne's books (rebuilding and modifying 911 engines, 101 projects for you 911)

[Rich76_911s]

Up-fixin Der Porsche are full of great information.

[nineball]

the used 911 story - peter zimmermann
porsche 911 buyer guide - randy leffingwell
bently manual x2

[Grady Clay]

I’m going to split my recommendations into two categories: books about the cars, people and Company and books useful (necessary) to enjoy working on our cars with some degree of confidence.

Without doubt, everyone should own (or have available) and have studied is:
Ludvigsen, Karl; Porsche; Excellence Was Expected: The Comprehensive History of the Company, its Cars and its Racing Heritage, 3rd Ed. (Cambridge, MA, Bentley, 2008). ISBN 978-0-8376-0235-6.
This is in three volume slipcase with 1886 pages. Absolutely worth the cost. If you only buy one title about Porsche, this is THE one.

Also in the ‘must have read’ category are:

Frere, Paul; Porsche 911 Story, 7th ED. (Newbury Park, CA, Haynes, 2004). ISBN 1-85960-839-6.

and

Aichele, Tobias; Porsche 911, Forever Young, (Indianapolis, IN, Beeman Jorgensen, 1994), ISBN 0-929758-11-0

There are dozens of other titles but you can evaluate them after you finish Ludvigsen.


The technical manuals are critically important for figuring out what to do working on our cars. There is no such thing as having too many. While there can be duplication, presenting the same information in different ways prevents misunderstanding the ‘facts’.

The Factory Workshop Manuals (FWM) are indispensable. They are expensive and difficult to maintain but worth the effort. Keep in mind that all the FWMs are published and then supplemented with packets of individual pages – some in addition and some as replacements.

Volume I & II cover ’65-’71. The set of Volumes III through Volume VI cover ’72-’83. There are major sections covered in Vol. I & II that are not covered in later volumes. The 911 Carrera starts a new manual.

The Bentley manuals (911SC and 911 Carrera) are worthwhile substitutes or additions.

Bentley, Robert, Editor; Porsche 911SC Service Manual, (Cambridge, MA, Bentley, 2000). ISBN 0-8376-0290-4.

Bentley, Robert, Editor; Porsche 911 Carrera Service Manual, (Cambridge, MA, Bentley, 2000). ISBN 0-8376-0291-2.


The parts list for every Porsche is available on CD for about $10 from Porsche. This has all the exploded diagrams and part numbers for every Porsche production car.

There is a series of little (92x120 mm) Spec Books. They cover single model years or a few. The 911 coverage is: ’65-’68, ’69-’71, ’72-’73, 1974, 1975, ’76-’77, ’78-’81, ’82-’83, ’84-’87, etc. These are necessary additions.

Each year there is a “Porsche 911x Service-Information Model (year)”. Later (’85->) versions are called “Information Technik”. These cover what is new for that model and year. These very worthwhile booklets (A-size) by nature are cumulative. Many are still available from PCNA for the newer cars.

Additionally, the best commercial books are:

Anderson, Bruce; Porsche 911 Performance handbook, 3rd Ed. (Minneapolis, MN, MBI, 2009). ISBN 978-0-7603-3180-4.

Dempsy, Wayne; 101 Projects for Your Porsche 911, (St. Paul, MN, MBI, 2001). ISBN 0-7603-0853-5.

Dempsy, Wayne; How To Rebuild & Modify Porsche 911 Engines, (St. Paul, MN, MBI, 2003). ISBN 0-7603-1087-4.

Many of these books are available from our host. When Pelican Parts doesn’t have something, I go to Pelican fbarrett atToad Hall Motorbooks http://www.toadhallbook.com/
Frank has found me all sorts of ‘out of print’ titles as well as the latest published.

Best,
Grady

[PCA7GGR]

"Porsche 911 Engine History & Development" by Tobias Aichele

[LuckyRR]

Grady thank you for your comprehensive list!

[Mark020]

Original Porsche 911-Peter Morgan

[ramonesfreak]

Originally Posted by Mark020

Original Porsche 911-Peter Morgan

+1

still my favorite porsche 911 book to read for pleasure and relaxing. looks like its out of print which would be a shame if true. tons of great photos and some great info

[Capt J.D.]

I understand that there have been two versions of Waynes Book 101 Projects for your Porsche 911.. Which version is current?
My copy has the ISBN: 978-0-7603-0853-0
The copy listed on Grady's reply is: 0-7603-0853-5.
I assume the 978 is not a factor in the revision process.
TIA

[Josh D]

In addition to the ones already mentioned, I enjoy the Brooklands Gold Portfolio series that contains reprints of road tests and comparisons from magazines of the day, broken up into different generations of the 911. It's nice to have the performance figures and direct comparisons of the 911 when it was new. Good coffee table/bathroom books!

[RWebb]

Porsche Books

Ludvigsen, K. FERDINAND PORSCHE GENIUS OF GENIUS: ROAD, RACING AND AVIATION INNOVATIONS, 1900 TO 1933. (ISBN 978 083761334 5) – outstanding & comprehensive history
Porsche, Ferry and John Bentley. WE AT PORSCHE.
HOW TO MAKE AN OLD PORSCHE FLY
Carrera and Carrera RS – publ. 2003. Unique Motor Books.
1963-1973 PORSCHE 911/912 SOURCE BOOK
Weber Carburetors – official manual; also tune-up & hot rod guide

PORSCHE. THE ROAD, SPORTS AND RACING CARS. by the Dalton Watson team. 1993, now out-of-print. 260 pages, size 9.5 in by 8.5in, hard-bound – no ILL

Bacon, Roy. ?? Illustrated Motorcar Legends Porsche
Blick, Kevin. 1988. Supercars: Porsche 911. Salamander Books. Large format HB
- has some diagrams I have not seen before – need to ILL it
Cotton, ?? Porsche Progress.
Cotton, Michael. 1994. PORSCHE 911 AND DERIVATIVES - VOLUME 2: 1981 - 1994. Croydon, Motor Racing Publications.
Cotton, Michael. 1994. PORSCHE 911 AND DERIVATIVES VOLUME 1: 1963 - 1980. Croydon, Motor Racing Publications.
Godau, Marion and Bernd Polster Design Directory GERMANY. UNIVERSE 2000 – no ILL
Haab, Mark - 1974-1989 911, 912E and 930 PORSCHE AUTHENTICITY SERIES
Laban, Brian - PORSCHE - another coffee table picture book
Leffingwell, Randy. 2002. PORSCHE LEGENDS. MBI Publ. Co. St. Paul, MN. 228 p.
Leffingwell, Randy. 2005. Porsche 911: PERFECTION BY DESIGN. Motorbooks. St. Paul, MN. 352 p.
Lewandowski, Jurgen. PORSCHE 959. 1986 by Sudwest Verlag GmbH & Co. – no ILL?
Long, B. ??. 63-71 DEFINITIVE HISTORY OF THE 1963-1971 911 PORSCHE.
Miller, ?? PORSCHE: POWER AND PERFORMANCE ed 2.
Pasini, PORSCHE 959.
Rasmussen, Henry. PORSCHE -- SIX CYLINDER SUPER CARS.
Rasmussen, Henry. PORSCHES FOR THE ROAD.
Schiffer, ?? PORSCHE 911.
Sparrow, ?? PORSCHE RACING.
Starkey, John. 2003. FROM R to GT3R - RACING PORSCHE 911 & 930
Vann. FANTASTIC PORSCHE.
Weitmann, Julius and Michael Cotton (Editor). 1991. PORSCHE STORY (ISBN 0 668 06504 4)
Wright, Nicky. 1990. PORSCHE THE ENDURING LEGEND. HB 1st Ed. 160pgs. Smithmark Publ. ISBN-10: 0831770937; ISBN-13: 9780831770938



Porsche Books - have already read:
Adler, Dennis. PORSCHE 911 ROAD CARS. 1998. MBI Publishers. –
Adler, Dennis. 2003. Porsche - The Road to Zuffenhausen - coffee table book; nice photos, a few tidbits not found elsewhere, concentrates on 356 years. Unclear why anyone would publish this in the face of the 3 vol. Ludvigsen book.
Aichele, Tobias. 1995. PORSCHE 911 FOREVER YOUNG – has lots of model year change info
Anderson, Bruce. 911 PERFORMANCE HANDBOOK, 2nd ed. – the definitive guide to hotrodding and to technical improvements over the years; getting a bit long in the tooth, so review his Excellence and Pano columns for newer info
Anonymous. 2000. PORSCHE, THE ESSENCE OF PERFORMANCE. Publications International, Ltd. Lincolnwood, IL. - nice picture book
Batchelor, Dean. ILLUSTRATED PORSCHE BUYERS GUIDE, 4TH ED. – updated by R. Leffingwell -- not very useful
Becker, Clauspeter. 1997. PORSCHE 911 - THE EVOLUTION; Stuttgart. 1997 – no ILL
Boschen, Lothar and Jurgen Barth. THE PORSCHE BOOK: A DEFINITIVE ILLUSTRATED HISTORY. 1978. Argo Books. – lots of text and pictures with a lot of very informative info
Clausager, Anders Ditlev. 1998. PORSCHE - THE COMPLETE HISTORY OF THE MARQUE. Gallery Books. – photos and some history; numerous errors
Cockerham, Paul W. PORSCHE: PRECISION, BALANCE, AND STYLE – big large format photos with perhaps more errors in the text than any other book on Porsche
Dempsey, Wayne R. 101 PROJECTS – wide range of skills needed for all projects
Dempsey, Wayne R. 2003. HOW TO REBUILD AND MODIFY PORSCHE 911 ENGINES 1966-1989. – xlnt photos & clear text
Editors of Consumers Guide. PORSCHE CHRONICLE. – worthless
Frere, P. ?? THE 911 STORY. Haynes Publishing. ?? – best book on the 911
Gruber, Dr. Thomas and Dr. Georg Konradsheim. 1992. CARRERA RS. Hdbd., in slipcase, 10 1/2x 12, 255 pgs., 122 black – white illustrations. limited ed. book is the key reference on the RS
Harvey, Chris. GREAT MARQUES – PORSCHE – picture book with superficial text
Leffingwell, Randy. PORSCHE 911 BUYER’S GUIDE. MBI Publishers. – highly repetitive and with several errors.
Lewis, Lucinda. 1997. Porsche – FINE ART OF THE SPORTS CAR – very large picture book, consists solely of short chapters on each model car.
Lentinello, Richard A. 2000. AUTO FOCUS: PORSCHE 911 – pretty photos and not much else
Long, Brian. 2003. PORSCHE 911, THE DEFINITIVE HISTORY, 1963 TO 1971. Veloce Publ. – some nice photos, but text is hardly definitive
Ludvigsen, Karl. EXCELLENCE WAS EXPECTED. – the definitive history, now in 3 vols. have read to p. 350??
McCarthy, Mike. 1983. The Classic PORSCHE. Exeter Books. – big picture book
McCarthy, Mike. 1986. PORSCHE. Gallery Books. – big picture book, some history
Meredith, Lawrence. PORSCHE 911 – MODEL BY MODEL. –
Miller, Susan. PORSCHE 911/912 SOURCEBOOK – information compendium now superceded by other sources
Morgan, PETER. 1998. ORIGINAL PORSCHE 911. – good photos and good text
Paternie, Patrick C. 2003. PORSCHE 911. Crestline Books. decent, but abbreviated overview.
Paternie, Patrick C. PORSCHE 911 RED BOOK.
Porter, Lindsay and Peter Morgan, PORSCHE 911 GUIDE TO PURCHASE AND DO IT YOURSELF RESTORATION, Foulis Motoring Books – low quality photos, focuses on body repair.
Porter, Lindsay and Peter Morgan. PORSCHE 911 : GUIDE TO PURCHASE AND DIY RESTORATION. Haynes Manual (Foulis Motoring Book).
Post, Dan. PORSCHE OWNERS COMPANION – rust prone areas, theft protection, how to park…
Prew, Clive. 1989. PORSCHE. - has some info on yearly models.
Reisser, Sylvain. PORSCHE. Motorbooks Intl. – modern pretty picture book; concentrates on race cars
Seif, Ingo. 1985. PORSCHE: PORTRAIT OF A LEGEND. Gallery Books, New York, NY. – may be best of the pretty picture books; has essays by various notables
Starky, John. PORSCHE 911R, RS & RSR – not very in depth
Vivian, David. 1988. SUPERCARS: THE MYTH AND THE MAGIC. Motorbooks. – a few unkind words about the 911 and 959.
Von Frankenberg, Richard. 1969. PORSCHE : THE MAN AND HIS CARS. Bentley Publ. 1983.
Wright, Nicky. 1993. PORSCHE. Longmeadow Press. – big picture book
Zimmerman, Peter. USED 911 STORY – good buyers guide; typical trouble spots, section on each model year


Automobile Quarterly, Winter 1963-64. CONSIDER THE PORSCHE, by James D. Bell.
Automobile Quarterly, 9(2), Fall-Winter, 1970. about half this volume covers Porsche – nothing that isn’t in the Ludvigsen book; small photos
SuperAuto Special Issue, April 1987. Porsche 911.

Car Books
Adler, Dennis. ART OF THE SPORTS CAR – pretty picture book, concentrates on 1920’s, 30’s
Bell, A. Graham. Four-Stroke Performance Tuning. -- goes through the engine system by system and describes how they are modified for racing.
Burgess and Gollan. SpeedPro Series Books: HOW TO MODIFY AND TUNE CYLINDER HEADS
Campbell, Colin. 1973. DESIGN OF RACING SPORTS CARS. Robert Bentley, Cambridge, MA. xlnt primer, though dated
Campbell, Colin. 1973. THE SPORTS CAR – ITS DESIGN AND PERFORMANCE. Robert Bentley, Cambridge, MA. xlnt intro, though dated
Smith, Carroll. Nuts, Bolts, Fasteners and Plumbing Handbook
Smith, Philip H. 1954. The Design and Tuning of Competition Engines.
Smith, Philip H. 1972. Scientific Design of Exhaust and Intake Systems.
Freeth, Nick. ROUTE 66.
Hammill, Des. HOW TO CHOOSE CAMSHAFTS AND TIME THEM FOR MAXIMUM POWER.
Milliken, William F. & Douglas L. Milliken. 1995. RACE CAR VEHICLE DYNAMICS. Robert Bentley, publ. in-depth treatment but ignores all non-US work
Steil, Tim. ROUTE 66.
Vizard, David. How to Build Horsepower (Vol. 1).
Watson. HOW TO BUILD AND MODIFY CYLINDER HEADS, CAMSHAFTS AND VALVE-TRAINS - don't waste your time with this - title is similar but the contents are not!
Sources for Books & Parts
Frank Barrett;Toad Hall MotorBooks, specializing in Fine Books on Mercedes Benz & Porsche since 1980; Welcome. ; fbarrett = Pelican bbs ID

My Porsche 1-800-655-3280
Seaside, California
parts@my-porsche.com

motorbooks.com 800-826-6600.

[RWebb]

Magazine Articles
Don’t Have Copy:
R&T - December 1963 - Tested: very first Porsche 901, 911 cover story
R&T, Dec. 1967 – NART Spyder article
R&T, March 1969 – 911T
C&D, March 1968 – Sportomatic test
C&D, March 1975 – Porsche Carrera, The Fastest Production Car in America
Motor Sport magazine 1970 - Porsche 911S
Motor Sport magazine 1966 - Porsche 911 2.0 litre
Classic and Sportscar magazine. April 1982 - article on 911 Carrera RS 1973 2.7.

Have Copies (bold) or Have Read:
R&T, March 1965 – Porsche 911 intro test; also Weber Carb article
R&T, November 1966 – 911S test, 906, Butzi interview
R&T, April 1968 – Alan Johnson's 67S compared to stock 911S
R&T, January 1969 - Tested: Porsche 911E – wt. = 2,361 (4 spd); paint fantastically good; air leaks around front door edges causes noise
R&T, February 1969 – owners report – owners drive much more than average, 94% use daily, 6% race; Best Features: Handling – 77%, Performance – 33%, Fuel Economy, Workmanship, Reliability – 16%; Worst Features: Heater/Defroster, Expensive Service, Ventilation; 95% would buy another –22% had instrument problems, mostly with speedometer
R&T, March 1970, p. 60-62 – Porsche 911S – little torque until 4,500 rpm; instruments are complete, decidedly businesslike and readable; but car has chronic leaks around leading edges of doors
R&T, August 1973 – Porsche 911 S and Carrera RSR
R&T, April, 1971, p. 31 – Porsche 911T Sportomatic – nice but why?
R&T, November 1972, p. 138 – Ultimate Porsche 911 911E with +30 hp, flares, spoilers
C&D, April 1965 – Porsche 911 Great New Sports Car; & Rear Engine Cars Handle Best (by Jim Hall)
C&D, January 1967, p. 37 – Porsche 911S (“Oversteer is back, and Porsche’s got it!”)
1967 Car and Driver-911S test - Pelican Parts Technical BBS
C&D, March 1969, p. 35 – Mark Donohue tests Four ’69 Porsches
C&D, February 1972 – Tested: Porsche 911S, 911T & 911E – have online download
Motor Trend , Jan. 1967, p. 22 – 1967 911S – Fuchs are “not particularly handsome, but [do] aid in cooling the disc brakes”
Motor Trend, May 1972 – Porsche Faces Porsche, John Cristy, p. 23; Road tests of the '72 Porsche 911T
Sports Car Graphic, Dec. 1965

Comparison Tests:
R&T, June 1969 – Four Luxury GT’s, p. 52 – 911T rated higher than XKE, Corvette (except on engine), or MB 280SL – owner’s images characterized, and a Porsche owner is overly “serious,” not a swinger, and has a “limited sense of humor”
Motor Trend, July 1971 – 911 vs. Dino – 911 build quality superior; 911 has classic economy of line vs. Italian trick stuff like curves and bulges and flares and scoops. Dino feels completely neutral and can drive deeper into corners than can the 911, but the 911 is much easier to go fast with comfortably right from the start. Thus, the Dino has only a barely perceptible higher cornering velocity. Both use Porsche synchronizers, but Dino is stiff and gate is too wide. 911 has effortless gear changes up and down but vague pattern. 911 is best – more of a road car/racer, while Dino is more of a show car/racer.
Motor Trend, May 1970 - Corvette vs. Porsche 911, page 76-78, 116- – Corvette as fast as 911 through the corners; but Porsche Quality still conquers
C & D Shootout ??, 1981 (Ferrari, Delorean, Vette, Datsun Turbo)
C & D 1988 Carrera CS vs Vette
Some Brit mag 911 vs Ferrari 328
Classic Sports Car Best 911 Value


to Read:
R&T, Dec. 1967 – NART Spyder article & cover

MT – April 1974

R&T, Feb. 1972 – 911E Road Test

Road Test / March 1972 - "A Porsche Anyone Can Drive"

[porwolf]

There is one Porsche book I am looking for: A friend gave it to me about a year ago. It described the history from te beginning in Gmund up to the 356C. It was a beautiful coffe table kind of a book with lots of pictures, black and white an color. I misplaced it or loaned it to somebody, I just don't remember what I did with it. It's gone now!

Anybody out there who knows the book and can tell me more about it so I can track another on down? After all it was a 356 that started my madness.