IN STOCK 

The previous editions of 356 Porsche A Restorer's Guide to Authenticity have formed the basis of Authentic restoration.  The latest edition is updated and now features color.  Essential book for basis of an authentic restoration.

FROM MY REVIEWS IN THE 356 REGISTRY:

356 Porsche Authenticity, rev 3, by Brett Johnson, is one of the basic books needed for restoring a 356.  Keyed to the factory parts manual, Brett writes how it really was.  If you are buying, restoring, or just interested in the 356, this book is indispensable and absolutely required.  Even if you have an earlier edition, the improved photographic reproduction and updated information make “rev iii” a must buy.  And it’s reasonably priced at $27.99

FROM MY REVIEWS IN THE 356 REGISTRY:

Brett Johnson's book is out! Basically a compilation of his Restoration/Originality columns in the Registry, modified by corrections from the membership, THE 356 PORSCHE: A RESTORERS' GUIDE TO AUTHENTICITY(I don't know why the apostrophe is there either) is nothing less than THE WORD on originality and correctness of the 356, including body, chassis, trim, interior and luggage compartment. The book should be on the shelves of every 356 lover -- right next Ludvigsen.  And like Ludvigsen the very rare quibbles are expert level disagreements rather than errors. The book is organized in the sections around Factory Parts Manual drawings.  First Brett gives the chassis numbers as (if) listed in the Manual and then his analysis of the Registry members' cars.  A multitude of errors in the Factory Manuals are exposed.  Last there is frequently a synthesis if information is divergent. I am sure Brett will be deluged with additional information, not listed, now that the book is out. For instance,

the hinge mechanism of the vent windows on cabriolets, differs between my C and earlier cars. Brett claims to be delighted to receive any new information.

I can think of no other automobile which is now as well documented as the 356

Porsche.  $20.00 the book is also extremely inexpensive -- especially when you consider thatthe profits are being split between the Registry and Brett's other love, Classic Amusement Parks.  I am not sure whether our shorthand method

of referring to titles will result in this BOOK being called THE 356 PORSCHE (other less worthy books have precedence) or perhaps AUTHENTICITY. In any event THE 356 PORSCHE, A RESTORERS' GUIDE TO AUTHENTICITY is a must buy

FROM MY REVIEW IN THE 356 REGISTRY:

Porsche 356 Defined – a Pictorial Guide, Brett Johnson is a slightly modified update of his original out of print book.  All are, or at least should be familiar with Brett’s 356 Porsche a Restorer’s Guide to Authenticity rev iii, which is organized as is the factory parts manual – by logical car section and its sequential changes.  Porsche 356 Defined is organized by time and model with part changes change.  Think of cutting a database horizontally rather than vertically.  Porsche 356 Defined is upscale of Authenticity in that it is almost all color photographs.  It lightly traces the Gmund, gets serious with the Pre, split and bent window, and covers very extensively the T1 356A through T-6/C.  Brett elected to concentrate on one or a few example cars rather than many different cars, which gives a unity to the book.

Those of you who have the original Porsche 356 Defined do not need to buy the new one.  The major change is removing two repeated paragraphs in the 356A section and a switch from hard to soft cover.  The printing and color were and remain very decent.  However, if you don’t have the first version, this new one should be a standard reference on your shelf.  Personally, I think prior to being allowed to ask a question on 356TALK, one should be required to have and have read several books, specifically including this one.  Porsche 356 Defined is reasonably priced at $34.95

TITLE           Porsche 356 Defined A Pictorial Guide (HARD)

AUTHOR     Johnson

                    ENGLISH

ISBN            10 0929758145

ISBN            13 NO ISBN 13

PRICE          $45.00

OUT OF PRINT -- AVAILABLE @ BLOCKS BOOKS

FROM MY REVIEWS IN THE 356 REGISTRY:

PORSCHE 356 DEFINED, A Pictorial HisTory, Johnson. Brett has adopted the approach taken by Merideth in the Original Porsche 356, except he did it correctly: for  each successive Porsche model, he takes a single correct car and uses it exclusively as he illustrative example. All the photographs are in color. The book is a superb segue between PORSCHE 356, Driving in Its Finest (Purest) Form and PORSCHE 356, A Guide to Authenticity.

PORSCHE 356 DEFINED, A Pictorial History, Johnson ($29.95) is a new absolute must buy!  While his 356 PORSCHE AUTHENTICITY is organized by part, then by year; Brett's new book is organized by year model (not exactly the same thing, as model year-some years models didn’t change) with changes associated with that modeL Brett starts with the Gmund chapter; featuring two spectacular silver cars, discussing the multiple meanings of 356SL.  For homologation reasons the factory needed 50 cars, so all Gmünds officially became 356SLs.  On the other hand only a limited number of the early coupes were actually converted to 356SL specifications.  Subsequent chapters cover each succeeding model: the original 500 Reutter order, the subsequent models '51 and '52, each still for 500.  Then with the model 356, Porsche decided they had a winner, placed an open-ended order and started productionizing cars.  Brett traces this with the changes of of these generations  and how their evolutionary changes from the previous model, continuing with the production ('53'55) pre-A, the T-1, T-2, T-5, T-6 and C changes-sort of like taking a data base and cutting it by model and then by part rather than part by year. Beyond this different approach, the new book has new information,

the most up to date serial numbers and paint and interior codes, spectacular photographs of CORRECT cars, and is a much classier book than AUTHENTICITY.

TITLE             914 & 914/6 Porsche 

                      A Restorer's Guide to Authenticity

AUTHOR       Johnson

                     ENGLISH

ISBN 10         0929758013

ISBN 13         9780929758015

OUT OF PRINT -- 

NOT CURRENTLY AVAILABLE @ BLOCKS BOOKS

FROM MY REVIEWS IN THE 356 REGISTRY:

By the way, Brett's new book The 914 AND 914/6 Porsche - A Restorer's Guide to Authenticity is now available.  I don't think it is quite up to the 356 and early 911 versions, but then I am not very fond of the car. So while I accept that there are all sorts of subtle changes, which Brett ferreted out, I found it a snooze comparatively speaking.  But if you have a secret (and please keep it secret) fondness for 914s, or if you buy every Porsche book, or all of Brett's work for its unusually high level of scholarship, I can recommend this.