Air-Cooled 911s are hot right now and I don’t see any signs of them cooling off. Porsche isn’t ever going to make an air-cooled flat-six again so if you want to experience what made the company what it is today, the only way is to buy a classic. An SC would be the most sensible route but a long-hood model like this ’71 might be more interesting. More expensive too. This particular car is listed here on eBay with a $58k asking price.
A rear-mounted engine may not make sense in a sports car but that’s exactly what makes a 911 so special. The uncommon layout may have been shared with the Volkswagen Beetle but this is no slug bug. On paper, the output numbers of that 2.2-liter flat-six may not seem too impressive but Porsche has always done a great job at making their cars move. I’m not sure if it was down to low weight or gearing but the 911 could keep up with much larger engined machines.
The seller mentions that the carbs have been rebuilt and the fuel system cleaned up. Having a running is great but rust is always the big concern with these early 911s. Unlike later cars, they were not galvanized or even rust-proofed that well. In the photos, this one does look pretty solid. These front suspension mounts are always a concern. It would be nice to have more photos of the jack mounts and the torsion tube but an inspection might be a good idea here.
The interior is a little rough but that might be a good excuse to hunt down some vintage-style bucket seats like Porsche used to run in their competition cars. A smaller three-spoke steering wheel would add that extra sporty touch. Plan on spending a few more bucks on things that you can’t see like moldy door cards and worn carpets. I would much rather replace interior bits than repair floor rust or body damage so we are in good shape if this is the worst of our problems.
We might not be that lucky but this one sure looks like a nice solid car in the photos. The mustard color would make it stand out in the sea of 911s at Oktoberfest too. Hopefully, the rust is minimal enough that the paint could be left alone so you can focus on that interior and the mechanicals. The Fuchs are there and a lot of the dirty work has already been performed so this project looks about perfect to me!
The color of this 911 is Olive. Porsche has 2 olive colors on their color palette. The later olive color has more green in the paint. There is a reason I geek out over the color. I have picked this for my next color on my VW Beetle. I think this color represents well with the curves on the 911 and beetle. The condition of this car doesn’t do the color justice. Prices for air cooled 911’s have crossed the ludicrous threshold and have gone plaid. Driving an air cooled 911 will have to take place in my dreams.
A pal of mine might still have one – I haven’t checked – so I might be able to get a shot. It’s a 60s 912 with a 911 engine.
My first ever competition car was a Skoda 120; always fancied a shot of a faster take on that…
Totally agree up and down your comment. I once had a 1967 911s and I miss that car more than any other. It was a raw driving experience, not luxurious at all, but that long climb in 3rd gear was exhilarating as was the sound of that engine behind me and throwing it through the twisties in the canyons above Los Angeles, or the drive from Big Bear to Lake Arrowhead, was just as thrilling.
I too have a penchant for these “gold tone” greens from the 60’s and early 70’s no matter who the manufacturer was.GM had some beautiful offerings.
And of course, hindsight always being 20/20, the $6000 I got from selling the car in 1991 kicks my arse every day lol
Waaay too many Dollars! Of course, I’m not in the biz or even someone whose opinion might be respected… Still, I’ve been following BFs for a while and this is my POV.
Cheers, Gyps
Ha….
By the time you paint this, buy seats, fix the interior, cure any unseen snags, and make everything work or look reasonably right, you’d have well over the cost of buying an already restored car, which is probably why the guy is cutting his losses and selling it.
58k$ 🚫 no WAY
I’ve restored vintage Factory Werks car XO19 62 Carrera Lemans car with Dads pal Dr.Porsche.
This isn’t Junk, the price is outlandish.
Here in Germany 12k all day long in better condition.
Well, if you can buy these in Germany for $12k and sell them in the US of A for $50k +, then that’s a winner. PM me and can go into business together.