Considering the other available sources for this information, what are these realistically worth these days?

Here's a set on Ebay for $975.

https://www.ebay.com/itm/1970-1976-Porsche-...dRK&vxp=mtr

Don't see a lot of bidding though.

Individual manuals for $500.....ha.

https://www.ebay.com/itm/1968-PORSCHE-914-9...Xf0&vxp=mtr

https://www.ebay.com/itm/1968-PORSCHE-914-9...Xhs&vxp=mtr

Another for $195

https://www.ebay.com/itm/Factory-Original-P...KYg&vxp=mtr


I guess you get the picture.
I don't see all that many any more, so the asking price is sky high.

I recently bought an ok condition set for $300 and was happy with that price.

eBay recently sold to nice sets for $495 and $538.

Hope this helps.

[quote name='Jett' date='Dec 13 2017, 12:19 AM' post='2557273']
I recently bought an ok condition set for $300 and was happy with that price.

eBay recently sold to nice sets for $495 and $538.

Hope this helps.

Wasn't there someone in Canada selling one on a CD for less than $100? copyright violation?

As you can expect it's all about condition. $450-$600??

My own opinion would be, all things equal, the earliest version with the grommet in the pull holes should be worth a bit more, but that's just me (mine are the later ones).

Us older guys like the hard copies of service manuals, but I do like being able to print out a copy of a page I need to take to the shop vrs my old method of photo copying that page

While having a set of factory manuals might suggest that you will have all the correct information you will ever need to maintain your 914 - you're wrong. I've barely used mine and, some of the information and procedures are wrong. I've found that that the internet, namely Peilcan, Youtube and this forum has been way more helpful than the factory manuals. Remember, the publications proceeded the internet and as a result, were the only source for maintenance procedures, and was better than nothing.

If you want something really valuable, purchase a factory 914 parts listing. They are available on Ebay in notebook form for about $80. They exploded views are helpful when re-assembling a project.

Dave

Long time ago there was a link here, but I believe someone got the nasty letter. I printed off the manual but it was around 900 pages.
All my porsche manuals, right up to 2010 as I do any 911 engine, are on a zip drive now that I always have a laptop in the shop. If I want paper I just print out the job at hand.

workshopmanuals(dot)uk(dot)co is a good source for auto manuals by download on ebay.
tractors scotland if you're into heavy equipment, got my Fiat 640 manual for $12.

I have the complete set of printed manuals and parts manual, but they just hold down a shelf. However, they do look great along with my other Porsche themed book and make a wonderful decoration.

The internet’s websites make finding information easy to find (and sometimes even accurate) and YouTube shows you how to accomplish just about any service procedure.

Thanks all. A grand for an incomplete, tired set is what I would expect to see on ebay...and it will never sell at all being incomplete, or at least no where near that price.

I am thinking in the $200-300 range is the reasonable value to a real buyer for a complete set with the plethora of other free or low cost sources of this information available.

The 914 workshop manuals are available to download for free if you know where to look....

Not so long ago, Stoddard had complete sets (8 notebooks) for sale at $400 something. I paid around that for a set in excellent condition on eBay before that. Check out the Stoddard website.

The factory manuals are very valuable, but they are written by a herd of dyslexic cats.
The factory parts listings is referred to as the PET and I agree it's a good resource.

Google it

Nice info source LaLee914, thanks for that!



-HB

Back in the day I had a red set for 70 911 but bought these gray covered set 10 years ago for $350. On EBay. I lost one.

Are they reprints?
Bob B

Click to view attachment Click to view attachment Am I the sheep

Glad I got the complete set, and parts catalog, way back in the early to mid '70's when I got the '71.

As noted above, I find the parts catalog more useful when working on the cars. Of course, with the internet now you realisticallly don't really need them as much. Just fun to have them on your book shelf...

Just wish there was an easy way to flip through the PET (at least on the iPad I use). Scrolling through all those pages isn’t quick.

Stoddard's has the full set for $416. Seems like a fair price. Ebay prices are crazy.

Original sets have the metal ring around the pull hole, they may have the porsche crest on the spine in color.
Reprinted by the factory, later versions do not have the ring and have a black and white crest without a lot of definition. The factory reprints have all the updates whereas the originals needed to updated manually.

The Reprinted version also lacks definition, in the images, they may have used the same printing plates.

I trust the factory manuals, all of the third party manuals use the factory photographs.
The text was written by someone who's native language is not English, but you get the gist...

944 binders, I believe.

This guys sells a PDF version for $40.

https://m.ebay.com/itm/Porsche-914-and-914-...6.c100890.m2460

amazing, eh? - think about the time & effort to scan & organize the set !! - gotta be a hobby cuz it doesn't pay well

long way from when Charlie got stopped by Porsche from selling his xerox parts diagram manuals (have a set .. but so do 8,000 others of us)

i have a set of the red ones b'ot from a Sunnyvale dealer's parts guy back when Porsche had ditched 'em in favor of digitized manuals;

once they were worth a LOT - NOW NOT SO MUCH since there are now a whole lot of guys who will scan & give 'em away for free - or simply scan & post any page anyone wants on any given day

such is the market - one day we may find that copies of GT's have also killed the market

- the average CSOB garage putterer could care less, i suspect - free is great & better even than a $20 Haynes

ONE CAVEAT - THE EbAY PDF SET does not have large nor color wire diagrams - they were scanned B&W and tiny - a Haynes beat 'em for that

- my oem set has 'em with color and that is worth a LOT to me - i have enlarged 'em at local shop to table top size

oops - sorry for the caps-lock

Scanning is easy these days. A good office copier/scanner/fax/printer will scan 100 pages in a minute and convert to pdf. I used to scan all my real estate paperwork to pdf. It can be searchable.

Agreed and PDF is great resource, but there will always be a market for these sets.

It's too bad Bentley Publications didn't publish a repair manual for the 914. The ones I have for my 911 and VW's are great.

Dave

I'm interested in a real set, but pretty much only because I think it's time to produce new PDF scans that are relatively searchable, much higher resolution, and with full color wiring diagrams.

Zooming in on a component on the wiring diagrams, only to have it go all fuzzy is getting annoying. Trying to decipher what pin number those 9 pixels look most like is also really annoying.

As mentioned, new scanners could eat through the manuals in about an hour, and apply character recognition.

I use Nitro Pro as my pdf reader and it has a feature that lets you convert a pdf to searchable using its built-in OCR. Once it is index, the pdf can be saved and is searchable from then on. I'm sure other pdf software must have a similar feature.

For wiring diagrams, I've been using the ones on Jeff Bowlsby's site. At least the ones from 73 on are in color and formatted for 11"x17" printing. I printed the 73 and 74 diagrams at that size and they are crisp and readable.

I'd still like to have a hard copy of the manuals because I think that format is easier to use. I've thought about printing the pdf and putting them in binders.