This Porsche 912 listed here on craigslist in Syosset, NY was originally a California car and appears to quite rust free. It’s a 5 speed car and the engine was rebuilt by a well known shop. It’s said to be running very well after being parked for “many years”. The asking price of $34,900 seems like a lot of money to ask for this 912, but after some of the rusted hulks we’ve seen lately, perhaps the price isn’t so high. It is priced above the average value for these cars, so it would have to be really nice to make the price reasonable. As always, I wonder why someone quit driving this 912. When it was parked, it probably wasn’t worth much and repairs, even a new clutch, would have been rather expensive.
It looks like the interior might be usable with just a good cleaning. They don’t say what further work it needs, but it might be best to assume the worst and hope for the best. And you never know, perhaps it could be just cleaned up and driven! The pictures they provided don’t show any rust. Can this car really be as nice as it’s presented? What would you Porsche fans do with this?
Tune up. Thorough cleaning. Drive the crap out of it.
That would be a “KO”! These cars don’t have much “crap” in them, you could slowly drive the crap out of it!
Maybe some brake work, but as KO says, drive it!
This car is ready to the “Singer” process!
This looks like a nice original car!
Beautiful 912… Would be an excellent car… Take from one who comes from a historic line of Porsches. – jbdp
I just passed on a super nice, black 912 with no rust. A “barn find”, actually. It had been sitting in a guy’s pole barn for years and years but was in fantastic condition. It hadn’t been started in a couple of decades and the interior was a little musty / moldy, so both of those worried me a bit, but body-wise, it was a jewel box; black on black and in perfect condition. The pole barn had a heated floor so I’m not sure what the mold was about. He was asking $25,000, sigh.. I should have jumped on that one if this white one is $35,000; dang.
It’s sad but I’m surprised it’s not worth more to be honest. A little elbow grease a very few bucks could wring out more with no doubt.
A glorified VW bug……..
That’s such a low brow response it’s worthy of an eye roll.
Keith,
Exactly!
You know this Porsche bubble works both ways. I bought a nice driver five or so years ago as my next project/fun car. Cars are my hobby, I have bought and sold several of my toys through the years. But with the Porsche I’m sort of stuck with it now, though “stuck” is not the right word. It’s if I sell the Porsche, It’s highly likely I won’t be able to afford the price of re-admission, even for rust examples.
Piling on, a 912 is definitely not a “glorified VW Bug” as $35k will attest.
What’s wrong with being “Glorified?” In my church, that’s a good thing.
It’s a fair price given how the market has spoken.
Once sorted this will be a nice ride.
I’m not convinced. I see some issues and let’s have a look at the floor pans, spare tire area and suspension point tie ins.
That steering wheel is hideous. Better have a well versed person do an eye’s on.
Who is so lazy they won’t clean it up to make it look it’s best. Dust/dirt on an old car is the uneducated buyers Jesus.
Isn’t a 912 an updated chassis with a 356 engine and tranny? The one I drove back in the late 60’s was a nice car, even though it was no hot rod. Not knowing these cars, did Porsche ever put a 5 speed in the 912?
Yes. My ’67 (gone many years ago, unfortunately) had a dogleg 5-speed. Boy, I wish I could have that car back!
I think the Porsche bubble will burst, but not so for the really high priced stuff like the million dollar plus Ferraris, Bugattis and Duesenbergs etc. for this reason:
Porsches are now being bought by speculators hoping to make money. At first hint of a market down turn more than a few will panic and sell cheap to sell quick. This will pull the entire market down.
The multi-million dollar cars however are owned by people so rich that they will never have to sell, hence there is no reason for them to ever drop the prices from current levels.
Its just like fine art – the Picasso’s, Rembrandt’s and Monet’s never depreciate either because they’re all owned by people who will never need to sell them.
I think you are right, Brake.
The stock market is at or near a top, China isn’t growing anymore and that’s spooking markets worldwide, oil is in a glut, and on top of that there’s a growing shift to sustainable energy and other changes in the economy, the Fed just raised interest rates, etc, etc.
SCM magazine had an auction report recently where even Ferrari Lusso auction prices have started to pull back. Then there is the fact that the high prices paid for Porsche rustbuckets have brought lots of vintage 356s and 911s out of hiding or neglect, and resto shops are turning them into collectible versions of those cars, all of which increases the supply and reduces their exclusivity.
To me all those things suggest the vintage “affordable” (under $300-$400K) Porsche market might be near or at a top. Will it just keep rising, or drop? It will be interesting to watch developments—-from the sidelines.
The last thing I would do right now is buy a pricey regular production vintage Porsche like a non-Speedster 356 or 911 that needs rare and expensive parts and an expensive restoration.
Wrong bumpers, wrong headlights, yes all 912’s were 5 speed I believe, but today’s craziness in the 911-912 market may make this one worthwhile. Sorry I sold my 69 Tangerine/Black 912, perfect and original in 1980…sigh.
Long time reader here…
Not trying to steal this thread…but you could buy my father-in-laws much much much nicer and original 1967 912 for a bit less.
Let me know if you want pics and info.
Please send them along;
imjasonDOTbobsmyuncleATgmailDOTcom
Thanks
I paid just a bit more six months ago for my 912, but it is a rust free freshly painted driver with a motor and tranny rebuild in its recent mileage past. They did build 5 speeds-in fact the majority were this way.
Taking it to “the next level” is not cheap. A PFU ( Porsche financial unit) is $1000, and every project is at least one PFU.
The possibility of rust exists in this one unless properly inspected, and I wouldn’t buy one I couldn’t run and drive. The liability of a bad motor would put this underwater for a long time. I see used motors at $7-8k and hear stories of rebuilds at double that.
Anyone in the market for a 912 (and they are great cars for touring) should be getting in touch with “achman” above immediately!
looks a nice solid car .. but price is much too high as you can find ready to go ones for that price
All 912s were not 5 sp, 4sp cars are common
The new book dedicated to 912s says that 5 speeds were more common than 4 speeds. It surprised Porsche that so many people wanted to pay to upgrade.
A 4 speed was standard in USA versions 65-68.
5 speed was standard everywhere but USA/Canada 65-68
Middle of 69, standard changed from 4sp to 5sp in USA
My father-in-law’s ’67 has a correct 4sp
Both transmissions are “correct”, depending on how the car was ordered.
Mine is a mid year ’69 with a “correct” 4 speed. It is the transmission the car was born with.
I just got Jurgen Lewandowski’s new book on the 912. His point is that Porsche management was surprised at how many people paid to upgrade to a 5 speed. He also says that the 912 was not initially available in the US, and was a 4 speed-optional 5 speed-for Europe.
Totally correct
Euro delivery in 1965 only I believe
Yeah the 5sp was the hot setup, way before most manufacturers were moving that way.
I’m definitely not debating you about any of this, just sharing info…I think we are onto the same things here
So just for perspective….. a friend of mine just sold his three owner mostly original, never left California….. blue plate ’70 911T with factory sunroof and dealer installed Coolaire…S Deco package….for fifty thousand dollars. While an unbelievable amount of money, given the overheated market, the value of original/mostly original cars can’t be overstated. So in my humble opinion….a 912 even with a five speed and 5 gauge dash at 35,000 is a bit rich….
My friend sold his car to a fellow Californian with not a little bit of angst. Original cars are hard to find and while I agree with the view that the market is overheated I highly doubt that good original early longhoods are ever going to go down substantially.
On a similar topic there is something sublime about the shape of the early cars say from 65-71..unburdened by the gigantism of the modern cars and freed from the pollution control power robbing setups of the mid seventies to mid eighties P cars, they will always sit in the sweet spot of P car desire.
Oh well…….
Oh one other thing…the bumpers seem to have the S deco strip setups and overriders of my friend’s 1970. The early cars had smaller bumpers and very narrow rubber deco strips and as far as I know no overriders. The headlights buckets also look exactly like his 1970 down to the Lt Ivory paint inserts. So while not a bad thing , certainly not original.
In 2016 that’s a very fair price, cheap even. The ‘seems like a lot if money for a 912’ kind of thinking disappeared among people paying attention at least three years ago. As for ‘a glorified VW’, that too is so uninformed and laughable. The car is identical to the 911 except for two cylinders, and they only get you another 20hp or so. Furthermore, it is widely know in Porsche circles that the light 4 c actually handles better than the heavier 6 c. Watch as the 912 follows the 911 into the stratosphere — bc it already has. I’ve seen many near, at, and beyond $100k. If you don’t believe me, search European Collectibles online, a reputed Porsche seller for a long time. Then look again at this barn find…
Exactly!
@Bobs Did you get the info I sent?
It’s back with a $10,000 price drop! https://newyork.craigslist.org/lgi/cto/5447770911.html