It’s interesting to monitor the enthusiast appetite for project cars. There was a time a few years ago when any air-cooled Porsche was a reasonable car to buy, regardless of how much of an undertaking it was to restore. We saw 356s that looked like they had been stored underwater fetch five figures, and the same trend continued with long-hood 911s and 912s. The car shown here on eBay is a 1974 Porsche 911 Targa, which has typically been a cheap entry point into air-cooled ownership – but no longer. Now, with the disassembled engine included and a nearly rust-free body, it looks like a fair deal at $38,500 or best offer for a winter project.
Now, this 911 has a lot going for it, namely in its nearly rust-free structure. The body panels appear straight and the floorpans are remarkably solid. The seller contends there are no signs of accidents, and there’s no major alterations in terms of bumpers and fenders. We know many of these cars were treated to widebody conversions of dubious quality back in the day, so it’s always refreshing to see a project car that remains nearly stock in terms of configuration. The Fuchs wheels are a nice touch, but the raised rear haunches tell you that the engine has been removed.
The interior is also a bright spot, with most everything shown perfectly reusable in a restoration project. The seats have some minor cracks and the dashboard is supposedly crack-free. It seems highly likely that this car came from a rust-free climate and was stored indoors, the best of both worlds for a project car. The switchgear is also quite clean and the same goes for the carpets. While $38,500 for a roller still seems ambitious to me, at least you’re starting with a car with seemingly good bones. The seller also shares photos of the targa panel, which looks tidy as well.
Despite the empty engine bay, the remains of the original engine are still with the car. It was removed for a rebuild by the previous owner following the loss of compression on one piston. He or she apparently took it out for a rebuild that never commenced. With the 2.7L engine in base form, the 911 produced 148 b.h.p. and 173 lb.-ft. of torque. The listing notes that it “… looks like all the parts are there,” and Porsche fanatics are generally pretty careful about storing original engine components safely until the rebuild commences. Do you think this project 911 is priced right in today’s market?
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