Specifications Booklet

[Mervyn Hyde]

Have been going through the material in the glovebox and noticed this as well as the maintenance book, dealer cards and so on.

Were these supplied in all countries? I assume they were. Most useful little booklet with a wealth of technical information.

[Brad Ripley]

The so-called Spec Book was a book supplied thru Porsche dealers if you knew who to ask -- pretty much any technical literature was the same problem.

AFAIK. Spec Books were only printed in German and English -- this one having the complete item number of: WKD-420-220. But owners manuals and some other technical literature were usually printed in these languages:
item numbers ending in:
-10 = German language
-20 = English
-30 = French
-40 = Italian

[Mervyn Hyde]

Interesting Brad. So they were not a standard feature along with the owner's manual? Are there many of these around?

I am really impressed with how much information is in such a small booklet.

[Jim Neil]

There's one for sale on eBay now for $69. They are around and I'd say not that rare.

[Ron LaDow]

There are some errors in them, at least the English version. But they were certainly not supplied with the car as was the owner's manual.
Added by edit: Mine's on the desk right there. The Shop Manual's are down the hall; I grab the Spec book first and the Manual as the authority.

[Mervyn Hyde]

Thanks for the replies. I am told this is one of the older ones with the original AG company name, not the public company names used later. Seems a useful glove box companion. Were they part of the Travel Kit that came with this car perhaps?

[Adam Wright]

They are never not within an arm's reach, very handy.

[Peter Bartelli]

Thanks for the replies. I am told this is one of the older ones with the original AG company name, not the public company names used later. Seems a useful glove box companion. Were they part of the Travel Kit that came with this car perhaps?

Looks like a '76 print date. Not part of any travel kit but certainly part of every 356 owners "road kit". Keep it handy Mervyn

[Jon Bunin]

I am told this is one of the older ones with the original AG company name, not the public company names used later...

Hi Mervyn,
It's just a trivial detail, but the older versions (before 72) would be printed as Porsche KG (Kommanditgesellschaft), and the later versions printed as Porsche AG (Aktiengesellschaft).

[Mervyn Hyde]

Thanks John. For some reason I thought that AG was private company and KG the public, and thus in that sequence as well historically. Obviously not. The Booklet would seem then to stem from the early 70's and covers the period of the 356's from 1950 to 1965.

I gather that there were others for the 911 and so on.

[Brad Ripley]

There was a Spec Book for each model, 911 thru 1981 SC/Turbo, 928, 924, 914, etc. Your Porsche dealer should have a listing of at least the currently available books (or all literature for that matter). Ordering any literature from a dealer may be a "forever" long wait.

[Jim Alton]

They're well worth having and have sometimes been hard to find.

The 356 Spec Booklet is available now from both Stoddard and Sierra Madre Collection. Only Stoddard has the SWB 911/912 booklet in stock.

[Mervyn Hyde]

Original copies still pop up on eBay as well http://www.ebay.com.au/itm/1977-Porsche ... SwfRdZMwy3

I really should get one for my 911 from Stoddart

[Jim Clement]

Why don't we just post a copy so everyone has the information to properly complete the adjustments and information for the machinist who is doing the rebuild work ?
Would this not be a good way to perpetuate the knowledge ?
I received mine Free from Porsche..
let me know and I will try and figure out how to work the scanner at the office ??

[Brad Ripley]

While we're talking Spec Books, ever wonder why all the publishing runs say "3rd English Edition"? Was there ever a 1st or 2nd edition?

BTW, there are errors -- Harry had fun pointing those out in his books -- besides the errors in the chassis number listings. Harry published his own Little Spec Book as I remember.