Carrera 3.2 Which shop manual?

stewartjp · 03-01-2015, 05:54 PM

Hi Everyone,

I am from Australia and I have purchased an 85 Carrera 3.2 from a fellow Pelican. I will be coming over in August to drive the car around before shipping it home to Australia.

I am very experienced working on old cars but not Porsches. I am looking for a shop manual I can carry with me in case I have any problems during my trip. I am hoping you guys can suggest which one might be good?

Any advice would be greatly appreciated.

Cheers

Stewart

Drymartiniwi · Drymartiniwi's Garage

Bentley's a great book to have along and don't forget your smart phone or pad and you can ask a fellow pelican for help. We're here for you brother.

stewartjp · 03-01-2015, 06:25 PM

Thanks Mate,

What do you/people reckon about joining AAA? Is it worth it?

John W. · 03-01-2015, 06:27 PM

+1 on getting a Bently. My car came with a Hayes manual but there's no comparison. The Bently is worth the extra money.

stewartjp · 03-01-2015, 06:52 PM

Thanks Guys, looking for one now.

stewartjp · 03-01-2015, 06:52 PM

I suppose I should ask if there are any specific spares you guys would recommend I carry? IE spare plugs, coil etc?

timmy2 · timmy2's Garage

How long are you going to be driving around before shipping the car back?
What states do you plan on visiting?
Condition of the car?
That would dictate what all you may need.

AAA is worth every penny for while you are here.

stewartjp · 03-01-2015, 07:12 PM

I will be doing 5 weeks of driving.

The current plan is LA-Las Vegas-Bonneville-San Francisco-Portland-Seattle-Vancouver-Denver and back to LA

The car has 103k miles and passed the PPI with flying colours. The previous owner did some recommissioning last year after it had been sitting a while including the valve clearances, oil and filter, brake pads etc. He then drove it about 3000 miles with no trouble.

Thanks regarding AAA.

timmy2 · timmy2's Garage

With that route and a good mobile device you will probably have Pelicans in every destination to help you out should you need anything.
There are a few road trip spare parts threads here. Do an advanced search searching titles with well chosen words and you will find them.

Derek911 · 03-02-2015, 12:45 AM

^ ^ What everyone else said. I am currently reading the Bentley like a book... Cover to cover. It is actually an easy and interesting read. The book is huge, but a valuable tool to have in case you need a repair done at a shop not familiar with the car or if someone needs a reference. Internet access is ultimately your best friend. You can come here for info or do a Google search for any local Porsche specialist help. The good thing about AAA is that you should get a trustworthy tow operator in most cases.

stewartjp · 03-02-2015, 01:52 AM

Thanks Guys!

gamin · 03-02-2015, 02:23 AM

Be sure to get the Bently manual for the Carrera. There is also one for the SC.

robcf · 03-02-2015, 03:01 AM

Stewart:

robcf · 03-02-2015, 03:03 AM

Stewart, free shipping:

Porsche 911 Carrera Service Manual: Coupe, Targa and Cabriolet 1984, 1985, 1986, 1987, 1988, 1989 : Bentley Publishers : 9780837616964

Derek911 · 03-02-2015, 05:17 AM

I forgot all about the digital version of the actual porsche factory workshop manual... All 5 volumes or however many there are. There are downloads on the Internet somewhere, even a free copy. I paid around $12 for mine. Have it on my hard drive and on a dvd. If you travel with a computer or iPad, that is another option rather than the actual books, plus the books are expensive. I have not looked through the factory workshop manuals yet so I can't compare it to the Bentley that I am reading right now, but it is way bigger than the Bentley, so I'm sure it's just as good if not better. It's what the dealer service department uses, so it must be good. If you search the Web you can find a digital copy to download. The good thing about it is that you can print the pages you need and take to the garage, get them dirty and throw them away when your done.

silverc4s · silverc4s's Garage

Stewart,
The Bentley manual is the correct one to own, for your car. As for spares, first make sure you have the correct wrench for the fan belt pulley, then you should carry a spare fan belt, a spare DME relay, some fuses, and a couple quarts of your oil of choice.
That and a credit card should be all you need.
Do you have a working jack and a good spare tire? New wiper blades? Working screen washers? Paperwork, insurance, registration, etc...of course.
Sounds like a fun trip, depending on the weather. You are going to see some real mountains at some point in that route.

Derek911 · 03-02-2015, 07:39 AM

The Bentley manual in PDF would be too much to ask for. I guess they don't make it because it would be too easy to copy and pass around. It would be nice to have on an iPad so that I can read it at work. At the moment I am lugging this brick of a book around with me.

gtc · gtc's Garage

There is a PDF of an earlier edition Bentley manual floating around, but the pages are all mixed up and sized oddly.

For $88 (from Amazon) the Bentley manual is definitely worthwhile. Just make sure you get the yellow hardcover... some places still advertise the earlier silver cover softbound edition.

DRACO A5OG · DRACO A5OG's Garage

+1 Bentley, but Haynes is not a bad back up both have phone support as well for specific torque specs not published.

+2 on AAA road side service, check about Plus or Premium option for the 100+ mile towing.

stewartjp · 03-02-2015, 01:54 PM

Thanks everyone

robcf - Thanks I looked on that site and couldn't find it yesterday, that is a great store, I have bought lots from them

Do you have a working jack and a good spare tire? New wiper blades? Working screen washers? Paperwork, insurance, registration, etc...of course.

silverc4s - I know I have a good spare, The title and ownership docs, I am working on Insurance currentley, I think I have rego stored in AZ but I am not sure about the jack&compressor yet. Thanks for the spares tips