356 C owner's manual

[Jon Schmid]

I did a search and came up empty. Anyway, on page 72 of my 356 C owner's manual, which I believe to be original to the car, the page devoted to Rear View of Engine points out 12 items. Unfortunately, 9 of the items as identified are dead wrong. Maybe no big deal now but to a new owner 50 years ago I wonder what confusion it caused. My 356 B Roadster manual is accurate. Anyone else notice this?

[Mike Wilson]

Hey, Jon!

Maybe a mistaken carry-over from the later B manual or just mis-identified?

[Jon Schmid]

I don't know, Mike. My Roadster is an early (March) 1960 model so I don't know about the later B manuals. I just think it's odd that the factory guys would have been so far off on this info. That's why I'm hoping someone else has noticed this in their manuals as well.

[Gary Carriveau]

I noticed it in my original manual and, at the time, ignored the mistakes. The items (incorrectly) identified are easy to know/identify simply by looking at the picture for anyone familiar with engines. For the new owner without that experience, not so much.
It is strange that this passed a drawing checker or editor at the factory.

Gary
'64 C Coupe

[Emil Wojcik]

Here's page 72 from my original '64C manual. Everything looks right to me with the exception of #7, the carb pre-heat air duct, which is labeled as "air intake" (sorry, the label for #7 is cut off in my photo--it's all the way to the lower left).

[Jon Schmid]

Thanks, Gary and Emil. It looks like the early manuals like mine were messed up and then they basically corrected everything.

[Wil Mittelbach]

Page 72 of my 65C cab's original "356C Drivers Manual" is like Emil's, and also correctly identifies the C engine's primary components - with perhaps needing a better item #7 description as a warm air intake as noted by Emil.
Also perhaps relevant: The "356 B/C Workshop Manual" primarily uses B descriptions and pics as a baseline, with C differences noted via supplements.

[Wil Mittelbach]

Page 72 of my 65C cab's original "356C Drivers Manual" is like Emil's, and also correctly identifies the C engine's 12 primary components - with needing a better item #7 description as a warm air intake, as noted by Emil.
Also perhaps relevant: The "356 B/C Workshop Manual" primarily uses B descriptions and pics as a baseline, with C differences noted via supplements.

[Wil Mittelbach]

Page 72 of my 65C cab's original "356C Drivers Manual" is like Emil's, and also correctly identifies the C engine's 12 primary components - with needing a better item #7 description as a warm air intake, as noted by Emil.
Also perhaps relevant: The "356 B/C Workshop Manual" primarily uses B descriptions and pics as a baseline, with C differences noted via supplements.

[Wil Mittelbach]

Sorry for the redundancies, despite clicking "edit" and "cancel" to no avail in trying to rid them.

[Gary Carriveau]

My manual is dated "W31 July 1963 Edition".
It came with the car when new (and shows 50+ years of use).

Gary
'64 C Coupe

[Emil Wojcik]

I should have noted in my post above, mine's dated "W 31 e September 1963 Edition". I would guess that the "e" somehow refers to a corrected version that came out in September.

[Norm Miller]

Emil,

The W31 e probably takes into consideration the disc brake upgrade primarily.

Norm

[Emil Wojcik]

Perhaps, Norm.

So, Gary, based on Norm's comment, if your C manual doesn't have the "e", which brakes does your manual specify--discs or drums?

Obviously, for a C it would have to have discs to be correct. But for Norm's response to be correct--that the "e" signifies a change in the manual to reflect the changeover to discs--Gary's manual would have to have the brakes incorrectly listed as drums. I'm guessing that Gary's manual correctly shows discs since I would think he would have mentioned such an obvious mistake in his first post, which in turn would mean the "e" signifies something other than the brake upgrade.

I'm not at all familiar with manuals, so I'm just throwing out ideas here...

[Gary Carriveau]

My manual clearly shows and describes disc brakes, front and rear, throughout.
With the exception of discussion of the handbrake.

Gary
'64 C Coupe