Friday 16th April 2021

BOOK REVIEW  By Peter Baker

Porsche 911 SC - Experiences & illustrated practical advice from one man's home restoration

This is not an easy book to review. Don’t get me wrong. It’s well written, packed with coloured pictures and has a happy ending. But even trying to be kind, what we have here is simply, a restoration guide. And unless you’re a Porsche restoration expert, or one of those boring 911 fanatics (and there are a few), getting emotional about a 280-page book that takes things apart, and then puts them back together, is hardly, err, gripping.

Mind you, the Porsche 911 is probably one of the last cars that the home enthusiast can work on without needing a science degree. Having said that, and in my experience, half of all 911 drivers don’t know one end of a socket set from the other, while the other 50 per cent are not prepared to spend hours alone in a cold garage getting their hands dirty.

So, is this book a waste of everybody’s time? Actually, no it’s not. Because, and take my word for this, author Andrew Clusker has made finding out more about what makes these complicated cars tick a voyage of discovery, and fun.

In closing. This is not a car handbook. Or a service manual. Or an extensive buyer’s guide. Just one man’s take on restoration. But, in that respect, the detail and thoroughness make it well worth the asking price. Just remember. If you are new to old cars, playing around underneath also means getting messy. Are you willing to go that far just to save a few hundred pounds on dealer’s labour rates? I suspect not.

But if you are one of life's ever-reducing band of genuine enthusiasts, not afraid to sport a set of broken fingernails in public, then I recommend spending £50.00 and buying this book.

Porsche 911 SC - Experiences & illustrated practical advice from one man's home restoration
Written by Andrew Clusker
ISBN 978-1-787114-53-1
Published by Veloce Publishing Ltd.
Price £50.00