One Family Owner: 1976 Porsche 912

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One of the more attractive features of any classic or vintage car is long-term ownership history. While I can’t pinpoint one specific benefit tied to single-family ownership, it does feel better buying a car this way versus one that has traded hands multiple times and trundled through the auction and dealer circuit. While you can still find a good car through the auction route, it’s just nice knowing the car you’re buying spent years being loved and looked after by a solitary caretaker. This 1976 Porsche 912 has been with the same Arizona family since new, at least until it got kicked over to the Orlando-based seller. Find the 912 here on eBay where bidding is over $20,000 with no reserve.

The 912 is definitely a driver, and while the seller doesn’t acknowledge it in the listing, the rear center garnish panel has been smashed. While you can still get these decor strips, like any Porsche part, it’s not cheap – but with bids already over $20,000 for a 912, I doubt the price to replace is much of a concern for any potential owners. The paintwork looks decent, but there’s nothing about this car in Concours condition – and that’s OK for a car you can drive without fear of damaging a pristine paint job. The wheels are an unknown make/model, but I’d like to see a traditional set of polished Fuchs wheels back on here and the suspension lowered down to European ride height.

The interior is in surprisingly good shape for a driver, and the seller notes that while the door panel has some cosmetic flaws, replacement material is included. The big concern with cars from the southwest is that the fragile interior surfaces are completely destroyed by the sun. Not here, as you can see the dash and the seats are both in excellent condition. The period-correct three-spoke steering wheel is a pretty typical upgrade at this point, and it looks way better than the standard Porsche wheel. The seller notes as some added bonuses that this is an early production car (number 458) and low-ish miles (138K.) Body-wise, the seller notes the 912 has zero rust and that the underside is in excellent condition. Thank you, Arizona.

The listing notes the 912’s drivetrain is in good order, firing up without issue and running nicely at the moment. The long-term previous owner was a PCA member and seemingly known within the community (Jim Leathem, anyone?), and it was seemingly under his watch that the engine’s finicky fuel injection was removed and replaced with a carbureted setup. The manual transmission is said to shift well and while we don’t get to see any sort of paper trail showing an extended maintenance history, one can hope that a PCA member who bought the car new in 1976 and passed it on to his son was the sort of enthusiast who placed an emphasis on upkeep. Would long-term family ownership cause you to pursue a car more than one without that sort of history?

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Comments

  1. bobhess bobhessMember

    Designation is 912E. That’s not the height of the US cars but the result of putting the wrong gas shocks on it. Lowered down to Euro height does wonders for handling. The fuel injection is not “finicky” and the carbs do nothing but cut gas mileage considerably. As for wheels, just putting the proper factory black paint on would help. How do I know all this? Bought one new and picked it up at the factory and drove it for 12 years. Plenty of power and over 500 miles on a tank of fuel.

    Like 10
  2. EuromotoMember

    Also, switching to carbs probably bitched it for registration in California given our stringent emissions laws. I realize most here could care less, but it’s an important point to keep in mind if you live in Cali and are contemplating post-1975 cars. There is no “25-year” rule in California.

    Like 8
  3. Grant

    These used to be great inexpensive used cars. I miss those days.

    Like 7
    • bobhess bobhessMember

      I miss them too. We paid $12,500 in ’76 picking up the car at the factory.

      Like 4
      • EuromotoMember

        According to my inflation calculator, you paid $65,500 in 2022 dollars

        Like 3
  4. Martin Horrocks

    This is a nice looking car (great back story) which would respond well to sorting, as @bobhess states.

    But it is also “The one with the VW engine”, so what to do next? 86 bhp in that shell is just going to be embarassing.

    Like 1
    • bobhess bobhessMember

      Not sure about your number but we ran up to 125 on the Autobahn and ran with the 911s on the Hallett race track in Oklahoma. Lighter weight in the rear helped there.

      Like 4
      • bobhess bobhessMember

        Martin.. Update on my above… We removed the cat converters and replaced with headers along with retuning the ignition to get that speed. 86 hp doesn’t sound like much but the car did run well. Don’t know what hp increase we got but it was noticeable. We had plans to put a 911 engine in it when we got back to the states but bought and restored a race car to go with it instead.

        Like 2
  5. Dallas

    Not just the deco panel at the back, but the engine cover has significant damage too.

    Like 3

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