Customer Reviews

Porsche 911 Performance Handbook

5 star:		(6)
4 star:		(6)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Bruce Anderson, author of several Porsche books, has created a book that any Porsche enthusiast who aspires to learn the technical wizardry behind these machines shouldn't be without. The book, now in its second edition, covers all 911 models through 1996 and includes detailed photos, charts, and diagrams that will allow you to determine how effective that engine rebuild, exhaust modification, brake upgrade, suspension change, or chip switch will be. And for those who are not yet owners a chapter on buying a used 911 covers what parts of the car warrant a detailed inspection, descriptions of where the car wears quickly, and details on the known problems for various models.

As a Porsche owner and enthusiast, we fall into two camps when it comes to our cars: 1. We want to take care of them and/or 2. We want them to go faster.

Bruce Anderson takes care of us all with an upfront guide to getting the most out of your engine, suspension, brakes, wheels, and tires. He cuts though all the marketing junk out there and makes firm recommendations on what modifications to perform or dodge and the parts and sources that have worked for him and others in the past.

Largely based on his advice and help, I built a turbo 911 from 288 horsepower to 450 horses over two years for about 10 grand. If not for this book, I'd still be sorting through the "creative truths" provided by Porsche aftermarket suppliers. If you're even thinking about doing something like this, or if you just want to take better care of your car, this book is pennies on the dollar.

Bruce's grasp of the intricacies of the 911 engine is excellent. This book is one of the best sources of information regarding the 911, and should be a staple in any owner's collection. The book focuses on the history of the 911 engine from a technical perspective, and then talks about performance modifications that can be performed on your car. The focus is the engine, with a lesser focus on the rest of the car's subsystems. The book's one drawback is the layout - the pictures don't match the text on the pages, and the index is just about useless. The book takes on more of an overview of the performance upgrade process with very little how-to focus. It's a great reference for learning about the modifications that you would want your mechanic or engine rebuilder to perform. Bruce's knowledge and integrity in his recommendations are also well respected in the Porsche industry.

I found that the book provides adequate coverage of most areas, however, it falls short of the sort of detail I was anticipating. I guess if your purpose is to become acquainted with the marquee and its evolution you'll get a good synopsis. If, however, you are inclined to further tinker with your car, the performance chapter of the book is fairly imprecise. If I wanted a list of tuners I would buy Excellence and read the ads. It falls short on discussing realiability and driveability given the suggested mods. From an editing point of view it does not help that the pictures are lagging several pages behind the text. Otherwise a fine book giving you a bit of everything. Beefing up the DIY mods would make it perfect.

Bruce Anderson takes his 30+ years of Porsche experience and distills it down to one relatively simple guide book.

Covering the first 901's up to the last of the 993's, this book breaks down chapters by car parts. Suspension, gearbox, brakes, and engine all have their own chapters. Also included is a chapter on how to buy a good used 911, and an overview on engine rebuilding.

The bad side of this is that in some places, it can be a real dry read. Bruce is notorious for his use of charts and obscure
serial numbers in this book. If this can be forgiven, it is due to the fact that he compiles a lot of hard to find data for Porsche owners to have at their fingertips. As the last models covered in the book were the 993's, which were discontinued in 1998, this manual is long overdue for a 2nd edition to bring 996 owners into the fold.

While this manual would never be considered a replacement for a full blown repair manual or a factory manual, it is still a highly informative guide to finding more information on your air cooled Porsche, and making the right performance choices.

If you own a Porsche and want to take care of it, or know more about it, you need this book. The information contained in the book is invaluable and it will quickly become your reference espically if you intend on upgrading, modifying or improving your car.

i love this book. i have ten 911 reference books. i pick this book up more often then any of my other books. it contains some really good information and suggestions. it cuts through the confusion and bull s*** you read in excellence's adds.

This is one of the best books about Porsches available. Very detailed information for engine building, brakes, and suspension. If you own a 911, this is a must-have.

A mostly great book, with a substantive review of the history of 'real' 911s, a huge amount of sound advice on maintenance and overhauling, detailed pictures of such arcana as variants of cylinder heads over the years, and practical, experienced advice on how to proceed if you are really determined to screw up your 911 by modifying it. The book is flawed only by being written from a "California" point of view, meaning lots of pictures of slantnoses and whatnot and too much encouragement to those who think badly-engineered aftermarket parts will actually "improve" on Porsche's incredible design. Still, if you have an air-cooled 911, and you have *any* inclination at all to work on it yourself, you need this book.

Good book. Nice pics. What else do I need to say? Buy it for a Porsche person