This 1969 Porsche 911T appears to have been discovered in a side yard or otherwise private property with no indication of having been garage-stored anytime in the recent past. The seller says it has rust in the “..usual places”, so clearly the California climate hasn’t prevented this neglected air-cooled from staving off years’ worth of being just another used up sports car. That said, it’s still likely to be restored, and it’s slightly unusual for not having a sunroof. Does that make it rare enough to buy at the seller’s asking price of $17,250? Make your own judgements after viewing the listing here on craigslist in Orange County, California.
The California blue plates tend to cause enthusiasts to get bit thirstier for a given specimen, as they’re one step away from genuine black plates and they usually indicate a car has been a West Coast resident for some time. This 911 is a mixed bag as it relates to deducting whether it was an honest car that simply became a parts rig when its value was at its lowest point, or if it was battered and bruised for most of its life and left for dead. Whatever the circumstances, most enthusiasts now find a car like this immensely appealing as a restoration candidate because of how valuable old air-cooleds have become. Bent decklid grill, missing bumpers, flaking paint – it’s all yours for $17,500.
The “slicktop” configuration and attractive white-over-red color combination make it appealing as a restoration candidate, particularly if the areas of rust the seller has spotted aren’t nearly as bad as the bulk of what you see on vintage Porsches from other regions. That’s the saving grace of California, as even if it has rust, it’s usually not as bad as it is in other parts of the country. The interior looks surprisingly complete, especially considering the drivetrain is long gone – which makes it seem likely that it was just a parts car at one time. The fact that all the window glass remains intact and in place likely played a big role in this interior remaining in such decent condition.
The seller notes the asking price includes the Fuchs wheels, but he will sell it for less if the wheels aren’t included in the sale price. The bodywork is said to be original, which presumably means original panels remain in place. The white paint is original to the car, which is surprising on a neglected vehicle like this. I’d love to know the story as to whether this is where the 911 was discovered – especially with the nose of a split window Type 2 Bus poking through on one picture. Perhaps there are more German gems in this California backyard, but the 911 is clearly the one that needs rescuing first.
Never wanted any car in this condition for 17K.
Has usual rust but not horrible..perfect to hot rod , historic race , this was typed in the craigslist ad. The USUAL rust.? ? ? NOT horrible ? ? ? How does a California Porsche 911 get in this bad of shape ? So sad that someone couldn’t take the energy to cover this gem many years ago. Furthermore $17,500 with NO engine , NO transmission. Seriously ? Say NO to DRUGS.
How does a California Porsche 911 get in this bad of shape? Easy, it starts life somewhere else, the plates are late-70’s numbers and/or it spends time on a part of the coast which experiences ground fog. Notice how much of the rust is on the top facing surfaces, that’s typical of cars from the coast (parts of Long Beach), where ocean fog condenses and causes any surface with a paint chip to rust. Cars that have spent time subjected to fog like that rust from the top down. Who knows what this cars history is like, but I wouldn’t be surprised if it spent time in the rust belt and on the coast.
Steve R
Blue plates with a V indicate a 1979 titling. So who knows where this car was before ’79.
Not sure if I relayed this story before, but, when I was 19, I had gone to an after party of the community playhouse. I was involved with community theater for quite awhile. Anyway, at this party, which usually starts at 11 pm and ends anywhere around 8 am, I was talking to a guy who was telling me about his 1967 Porsche and was actually comparing it to my brand new 1972 MG Midget. He kept saying I should drive it. I really wasn’t in any condition being up all night drinking.
I finally gave in and said I’d drive it. This was in rural New Jersey. It happened to be the one day in March that we got a light dusting of snow. Naturally. This bozo tells me to get the tac up to 5 and put in 5th gear. What I didn’t know was that put us at over 100 miles per hour. On back rural slippy roads. Lots of curves and such.
Longer story short, we came up to a curve I knew was much sharper than it looked . It had 6 oak trees on the right side. I was afraid of hitting the trees so I eased up on the gas pedal. That caused the cars rear started to slid. I basically let go of the steering wheel and closed my eyes and that car was gonna go wherever it want. We ended up on the left side of the road so missed the Oak trees, but instead hit a small concrete “bridge” and a telephone pole. The impact fortunately was right on the “A” piller, and the dashboard. Still, it caved in over 2 feet. The speedometer broke at 90 Mph.
Needless to say, the car was totalled. The guy wasn’t hurt and I broke my wrist on the floor shifter.
That was my first car accident. Someone else’s Porsche. If we had hit just 12″ further back. We both probably would have been killed.
That’s my Porsche story.
Angel, great story and glad u didnt get hurt. I never though one of these would fare an accident too well. Keep ’em coming! Stay safe and good luck.
Cheers
GPC
Thank you, GPC,
I tried to give him my MG to use but he was a nice guy and said no. He also told the police and his insurance company that he was driving. So, I didn’t get any points and his insurance paid it off.
Oh, what webs we weave
Letting off the gas in any car in Angel’s situation will bring the rear end around. Dry road not a problem. Snow on the road big problem. Letting go of the steering wheel probably minimized her injuries and is a recommended action in any accident where you have lost control of the car. Glad’s she’s still here to tell her story. A little luck goes a long way here.
Yes Bob, I learned the hard way…… take your foot off the gas and that rear is gonna slide around. I now know I should of excellerated instead.