A: The following lists the parts books from the Factory for the 356 enthusiast. There are other publications, namely museum/gift shop books, which are not included here.

The 356 Pre-A 1953 Parts Book.

The "first" 356 parts book was published in 1953 for the 356 Pre-A Porsches. It totaled 161 pages and was applicable to 356 Porsches for 1950 to 1953. An interesting statement is made on page 1: "All
replacement parts not listed in this catalog will be found in the VW Parts List". Says something about where Porsches came from.

The 356 Pre-A 1955 Parts Book.

A second Pre-A parts book was published in January 1955. The book's introduction indicates that it covers "convertibles & coupes from model 1950 to model 1955". Engines covered are the 1300 and 1300 Super, as well as the 1500 and 1500 Super.

This parts book totals 337 pages and is divided into the following sections:

Group 1 Engine
Group 2 Transmission
Group 3 Chassis
Group 4 Fuel tank, instruments, road wheels & accessories.
Group 5 Bottom frame and body sheeting
Group 6 Accessories for Doors
Group 7 Bumper assemblies
Group 8 Body Interior
Group 9 Electrical System

Interestingly, Group 4 includes "parts for right-hand drive cars"!
Within each section there are line drawings of the parts in each section known as exploded-view part diagrams. For example, Illustration 1 in the 1953 Pre-A Parts Book is a line drawing showing the engine case, the heads, and exploded view of the pistons, cylinders and rings. They are drawn in such a way that one can see the order of assembly and disassembly making the line drawings an invaluable aide to restoration and repair. Their original purpose, of course, was to facilitate the identification and rdering of spare parts by dealers.

Along with the exploded-views diagrams, there are pages containing part numbers and part descriptions. Interestingly, each part description is written in three languages: English, German, and French, making the parts book considerably longer than
would otherwise be necessary.

The part number itself is a code number the contains considerable information and ranges from 8 to as many as 11 numbers.
For example, part number 369.03.204 in the re-A parts book describes the 73.5 mm piston for the Type 369 1100 (1.1 liter)
engine.

Various sections of each part number are coded to describe important bits of information about the part, including the
project, in this case the Type 369 engine, and other interesting information described in detail in a 30 page collection of
memorandums previously offered to list members.

The 356-A 1957 Parts Book.

The 356-A parts book came out in May 1957 and grew to over 3 inches in thickness. Unfortunately, there is no numbering system for the entire book, so I can't give you the total number of pages, and frankly, I'm too lazy to count all of them. Covered are Coupes from chassis #55,001, Convertibles from chassis #61001, and Speedsters from chassis #82001.

Included in the "A" parts book is a 200 page section on the Carrera 1500 Engine, including exploded-view part diagrams as well as the part numbers with descriptions. The overall organization of this compendium is similar to that of the Pre-A, but not exactly the same.

A set of supplements for the 356-A parts book was issued in March 1958, in part for the Convertible D, and covers, among other things, the Zenith carburetor, the changes for the Convertible D (windshields, door windows & mechanisms, top, seats, etc.).

The 356-B 1960 Parts Book.

Next in the order of things comes the 356-B parts book published in January 1960. This 356-B was designated the T-5. The lineup of covered models changes somewhat to include: Coupes, Cabriolet Hardtops, Roadsters, and Hardtop 61's. The engines covered include:

1600 Serial numbers beginning at P-606,800
1600-S Serial numbers beginning at P-700,000
1600 S-90 Serial numbers beginning at P-804,000

Now you guys with B T-5's can run out and see what engine is really in your car! The organization of the book is essentially the same as the 356-A book.

Interestingly, we have had the following Porsche 356 models: (1) coupes, (2) cabriolets. (3) cabriolet/hardtops, (4) America
Roadsters, (5) speedsters, (6) convertible D's, (7) roadsters, and (8) Hardtop 61's. This list omits the various Carrera models, the Spyders, and other racing models. I used to think there were only coupes, cabriolets, and speedsters!

The 356-B T-6 1961 Parts Book.

The T-6 356-B parts book first came out as a series of supplements to the 356-B T-5 parts book beginning in September 1961 (model year 62). Substantial changes were made in the T-6 compared to the T-5, most conspicuous among them was the gas tank filler on the passenger side front fender. In addition, the front trunk lid was more squared on the T-6 as compared to the T-5. To have a complete parts book for a 356-B T-6, it was necessary to have the original 356-B parts book along with the T-6 supplement set. In the supplements, only the new or changed parts were described.

The 356-C 1963 Parts Book.

The changes for the 356-C were handled in the same way, i.e. another set of supplements published in August 1963. This
"2nd supplement" to the Spare Parts Catalog 356-B for PORSCHE vehicles contains the spare parts which have been modified and/or newly developed for type 356-C." Various supplements were added from August 1963 well into 1965.

Conclusion

Original parts books are a real treasure, and they contain a lot of information that is useful no matter what level of work you do
on your car. They are great obviously for parts identification. More importantly, the exploded-views show how part assemblies
go together and in what order, and the relationship to other assemblies. For assembly/disassembly work and for restoration
projects, the parts books are an invaluable visual aid.

Charlie White
Scottsdale, Arizona

Technical advice given on these pages is provided free and without warranty. The user of information presented on these pages assumes all responsibility and liability in its use. We're not lawyers, we're car folk, just sharing our experience. Be careful, use your head, have fun.