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.
While it look bleak if rust free this is a good investment for someone that knows how to restore one of these. The 912 is really going up in value at a fast pace. Long Hoods the same.
Now if rusty run away.
Seems like a fair price. Plenty of good pictures on eBay but none underneath. Honestly I thought the price was too good to be true, but looking at all of the pictures it is a little rougher than I first thought. Still priced appropriately. Per the BF write-up, this needs to fall into the hands of a talented DIY buyer.
Crashes in the front as in this car, are extremely difficult to fully repair. The same is true for the rear because the contors of the metal in these 2 places are complicated and difficult to access.
What does “long hood” mean?
From ’66 to ’73 the hoods were as you see on this one. From ’74 on the large crash bumpers required shortening front lid. No more “long hoods”.
The body on this car is a complete mess nothing lines up. The interior is even worse the dash is just as bad every part of the body has multiple dents and bruises.
Bought a ‘66 912, less motor from a guy that promised it to someone else. Original offer was $500. I offered $1000 sight unseen. Seller accepted and told promisee “ get something else”!
If a 67 4 door Caprice is worth 30K, then this thing is a flat out bargain that can actually be turned into something of an investment.