I’ll admit it, I prefer the pre-’73 non-Federal bumper Porsche 911. I would imagine that most do. You place a ramming speed banger on a Ford LTD or a Buick Deuce and a Quarter, no one’s going to notice. Trying to retrofit a small car like a Fiat X1/9, or an MGB, or a Porsche 911S such as today’s ’77 subject car, and it’s gonna stick out like a sore thumb. Federal regs run amuck? Not in the minds of those with the Carter administration or over at Joan Claybrook’s NHTSA. OK, let’s not dwell on the past as this 911 actually made do with the situation pretty well. That’s one of the things that I like about this Porsche – no monstrously fat quarters and no whale tail spoiler – it’s just a nice-looking 911 in a rather uncharacteristic Porsche hue. Located in Harrisonburg, Virginia, this German speedster is available, here on eBay for a current bid of $25,108 with the reserve not yet met.

The listing for this 911S is rather lengthy so I’ll condense it down. The seller has owned it for six years (he’s the sixth owner) and he, and the previous owner, always kept it garaged. The finish is original, other than some touchups. The seller adds, “Continental Orange is a 4/5 on the rarity scale. Rarely do cars come to market in this shade and almost never are they still original paint. This means that the car is still wearing the paint it left the factory with in late 1976 and was not resprayed“. He further adds that this is a “galvanized car”(?) so rot is usually not a problem. The seller notes that the “cookie cutter” wheels are OEM, and for all of you winter sports enthusiasts, the skis and ski rack are not included in the sale.

Now for the elephant in the room, this Porsche’s U.S. spec 157 net HP, 2.7-liter flat-six engine has experienced 290K KM or about 180K miles of usage. It is believed that the engine is original and has not been apart. The seller states, “Engine certainly doesn’t need to be rebuilt now and has no signs of weakness“. This item, alone, should be something for the next owner to consider carefully. The transaxle is a manual, and while not stated, I imagine it’s a four-speed. The research source that I used indicates that the five-speeds were reserved for non-U.S. spec cars.

Little is said about the interior other than the fact that the dashpad is not cracked. I will say this, it looks great, especially considering how much use this 911S has endured. The upholstery shows little sign of wear as do the door cards and what can be seen of the carpet. The gauges are all clear and an aftermarket radio has been installed – it would have been nice to find the original Becker unit. No doubt about it, it’s very original and gives off the perfect Germanic vibe.

Summary? Looks great, sounds as if everything works and there are no issues with running and driving. The Continental Orange may not be everyone’s cup of tea but I have to admit that I like it. Concerns? Yeah, that mileage and what attention an expensive Porsche 2.7 engine may require in the near future. That’s my assessment, what’s yours?