This 1969 Porsche 912 was purchased with the best intentions of making a road-going project out of it, but life, as they say, got in the way. The 912 was fitted with an early 911 engine installed, which would make for a very desirable project today – but the seller admits he sold the engine out of the car prior to listing it for sale. Throw in the challenge of distance – the seller is on the West Coast, the 912 is in Maryland – and he’s cutting bait on this air-cooled project. The 912 is offered here on eBay with a reserve, and bidding is at $7,400 with the reserve unmet at the moment. My favorite feature? Those period-correct amber fog lamps.

My least favorite feature? The very tacky rear wing. The seller hasn’t had much to do with this 912 after acquiring it in 2015, but he has a good story: the 911 engine that was installed was quite early, from March 0f 1965. He then located the 911 it was pulled out of and likely tried valiantly to buy that car, as that would be a very desirable specimen among today’s feeding frenzy for early, original long-hood cars. The owner of the 911 never gave in, at which point the seller sold the engine to another buyer, leaving the 912 engine-less and a bit of an orphan. Truth be told, it’s a shame the owner of the 911 didn’t at least try to buy the engine, as nobody really won in that scenario.

This 912 comes with factory sport seats, which are likely going to drive a lot of interest here. As supply has dried up, OEM options like these have becoming increasingly sought after. The seller includes just one lousy photo of them, which is disappointing – and showing some fuller pictures of the condition might drive more bidders to wave their paddles. The seller notes it also comes with Fuchs alloy wheels, and combined with the seats and the accessory driving lamps, I’m guessing the COA would reveal that this was a very nicely optioned car when it left the factory. With that in mind, I have to disagree with the seller’s suggestion of making this into an outlaw build.

The seller notes the 912 has a five-gauge cluster, but that was standard by the time the ’69 912 rolled off the assembly line. Still, it’s pretty to look at, especially if there’s a built motor in the back. I suspect that’s the path for this car, as the seller notes it does have rust in the floors and likely other areas. The bidding is still quite light, especially if the COA proves I’m right about this being a well-optioned car. Still, with no engine and plenty of bodywork needs to address, it won’t be a cheap project – but it could also be you don’t touch the paint, fix the rust, and source a motor and drive it while you restore it. How would you bring this 912 back?