There are times when you are presented with the option to buy a car, and it gets deep into your psyche. You decide you will move mountains to take on a project, whether it means renting space or selling existing inventory. Then, some level of levity returns to the conversation, you begin to look at the scale of the project, and you decide that maybe you don’t need it after all. I recently became aware of a car similar to this one, a 1966 Porsche 912 listed here on eBay, and felt like it needed to be mine. Similar to this car, however, it’s a major project, and that can affect the enthusiasm of even the most deep-pocketed enthusiast. The seller is asking $14,700 or best offer for this 912.
In the case of the car I found, it was likely going to be difficult to buy; it was already promised to another buyer. However, I did spend a good week obsessing over it before looking more closely at photos showing a good deal of rust on the doors and elsewhere. Without ever laying hands on it, I am certain it has floor rust, in addition to the doors. Is it worth it? Perhaps. But there comes a point where no amount of crazy auction prices and TikTok videos claiming that it makes sense to restore a rusty air-cooled Porsche begin to wear thin, and you simply have to admit that there’s no cheap restoration project – especially if you do it right. This 912 will need significant investment to bring it to road-worthy condition, and fortunately, the seller has priced it fairly.
This 912 is a project all the way through, but some work has been carried out. There’s lots of trim missing in the photos, and the seller indicates that you’ll find plenty of components from trim to engine parts not present when you pick it up. Right away, the door sill is missing trim plates and door strikers; the instrument cluster and dash appears to be missing some cosmetic finish pieces; and the door panels show no hardware (and panels themselves are trashed.) Photos in the listing appear to show new floors installed, and the seats are in decent shape. The seller notes “…front repair section welded on at some but needs finishing,” but that doesn’t tell us much about the quality of the work actually done.
The engine appears to have had some work and repairs done, which I base solely on the presence of some new parts. The 912 is powered by a flat-4 engine, typically good for 90 horsepower and the same amount of torque. While not fast, the 912 is often described as light and responsive, a simpler 911 that loses nothing in the driving experience despite two fewer cylinders. The long-hood Porsche will continue to be a smart car to invest in for years to come, but paying Porsche specialist shop prices to restore one – and even more to do bodywork – will make it a risky move if you can’t do the work yourself, no matter how desirable these cars become.
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