New 911 manual offers admirable clarity

There’s no getting away from the fact that even today £84.95 is a lot of money for a book, writes Philip Raby. But this new Porsche 911 Carrera Service Manual from US-based publisher Robert Bentley could pay for itself very quickly, and then go on to save you even more money.

As its title suggests, the book covers the 911 3.2 Carrera - in Coupé, Targa and Cabriolet forms - from 1984 to 1989. That said, much of the information contained within it is also relevant to the Turbo models of the same period, and even to the earlier 911SC.

For anyone who has been brought up with the UK’s well-known Haynes manuals, this Bentley publication is a revelation. You can’t knock the Haynes books - they’re excellent for the money - but we think this is in a different league altogether.

Each page is laid out clearly and cleanly with plenty of large, good-quality photographs and diagrams - which we’re told, are culled from Porsche’s own service manuals - and there are plenty of hints and tips to make the job easier for the inexperienced (and, indeed, the experienced) mechanic.

It’s not perfect, though. We spotted a number of small but annoying typographical errors and, more serious, at least three crossreferences that appear to be incorrect. What’s more, some UK readers will be puzzled by fundamentally American terms such as stabilizer bar, brake rotor and fender, although when read in context the meanings usually become clear enough.

We can’t help feel that it would require only a little more work on Bentley’s part to produce similar manuals for the earlier 911SC and the contemporary 911 Turbo - after all, quite large sections could almost certainly be lifted from this material.

As it is, though, the Porsche 911 Carrera Service Manual is essential reading for all owners of a 3.2 Carreras, and very useful if you have an SC or 1980’s Turbo. It is not, however, particularly relevant ot the later 911s from 1989 onwards. And if you’ve never considered undertaking your own maintenance you may be pleasantly surprised at how straightforward routine servicing can be!