32 of 32 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Bentley does a "Cadillac job" on Porsche!, October 20, 2000
This review is from: Porsche 911 Carrera Service Manual 1984-1989 - Coupe, Targa, and Cabriolet (Paperback)
The Porsche 911 Carrera Service Manual by Bentley Publishing is a MUST HAVE book for your automotive library. I bought my first Porsche a year ago, a rather worn '85 Cabriolet. One of the first "repair" purchases I made was $800+ worth of official Porsche repair manuals (the 11-volume set that Porsche provides its mechanics). I now wish that I had waited. Even after only two days of owning the Bentley Manual, I can already tell it will be the most dog-eared and grease-smeared of the lot!
It has 10 main sections, the first one being an overview: General Data & Maintenance; Engine; Engine Management, Exhaust, & Engine Electrical; Transmission; Suspension, Brakes, & Steering; Body - Assembly; Body - Components & Accessories; Body - Trim, Seats; Heating, Ventilation, Air Conditioning; and Electrical System. Each section has several subsections, and in typical German style they are all number coded. Each subsection starts with a general description of what it covers and includes a simple picture guide for any special tools that may be needed in that category (extremely helpful to me as a novice). For example, Section 201 Fuel Supply recommends three special tools: 1) a fuel hose pinch clamp; 2) a fuel pressure gauge; and 3) an automotive digital mulitmeter. The subsections also have straightforward, no-nonsense written steps, which are complemented by literally dozens of pictures. The pictures are simply amazing: very clear, and where needed, highlighted with arrows or alphanumeric characters. (Even Mr. Magoo could find his way through this!) Plus, there is plenty of room for you to add your own notes in the margin, if you so desire.
The book is not perfect, though. I am in need of information on carpet/floorboard repair and dashboard gauge repair (odometer, speedometer, etc.), and neither is in this book. In the grand scheme of things, however, these are small.
One final note... while this appears to be written for those who already own a 911, it can be equally helpful to anyone who is in the market to purchase one. Most savvy Porsche buyers will demand a pre-purchase inspection anyway, so the prospective buyer may just want to consider this as part of that expense. Yet, this book is not an expense, but rather an investment that will continue to provide dividends for a long time to come.
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14 of 14 people found the following review helpful:
2.0 out of 5 stars
Good but could be better, January 2, 2002
This review is from: Porsche 911 Carrera Service Manual 1984-1989 - Coupe, Targa, and Cabriolet (Paperback)
I've been waiting for this manual for a long time. Bentley's excellent VW manuals have been very high on the quality list for quite some time so I was excited to get this manual. Overall it is a great and is a must for the DIY mechanic who needs to know more about their car and can't afford the factory workshop manuals and I think that for the majority of individuals who won't be dropping engines and trannies this will sufice. My gripes are small. No detail on a lot of misc body stuff. The transmission section mentions both the 915 and later G50 transmissions but only shows how to dismantle and repair the 915. Heater and ventilation information is sparse (as always) at best.
I was surprised at how they did keep up with much of the Porsche tech bulletins that have come out during these model years as well as just the overall presentation. Very nice.
Ken
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12 of 12 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Not enough detail, July 11, 2001
This review is from: Porsche 911 Carrera Service Manual 1984-1989 - Coupe, Targa, and Cabriolet (Paperback)
This sure beats the orange covered "other" service manual and the $900 factory service manual in price. There are a lot of missing details like where to charge the A/C, rebuilding your Targa top (intricate locking mechanism details missing). Yes it shows breakdown of parts diagrams but some diagrams lack supporting text. This book is BIG and it is well worth the...you spend. A nice thing I read in the beginning was a disclaimer stating that it may have errors or lack of info but the publisher is more than open to accept any ammendments from it's readers and that they were meticulous about providing the MOST ACCURATE data they could find. This is why you SHOULD HAVE this book because WE the people can make it better! It IS a "must-have" book if you are serious about maintaining your own 84-89 911 Carrera.
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