There’s a phrase used in certain situations, usually intended as a sarcastic retort to patterns many of us wish would self-correct: “The world is healing” is one of personal go-tos, and it may be one of the best ways to describe how some pockets of the air-cooled Porsche market are finally coming back down to Earth. This 1975 Porsche 911 cabriolet was converted to a widebody slantnose many years ago, and certainly looks a bit worse for the wear as a result. Find it here on eBay with an opening bid of $19,000 and a Buy-It-Now of $24,700.
Some experts will tell you that’s a fair ask simply because of the price for engine cases and transmissions in the air-cooled world, and they’re not wrong. It seems based on recent auction data that the price of entry for a run-of-the-mill air-cooled flat-six is around $5,000 and only goes up from there, with $30,000-$40,000 not uncommon for the right specs and quality. This 911 also has desirable sport seats which are in rough shape but certainly worth taking to an upholstery guy you don’t like very much to let him deal with the mold and fungus.
As it stands, I suspect this engine is worth around $6,000 or so, as the seller has confirmed it does spin freely. But chances are you’re still looking at a complete teardown no matter what. It’s clear this 911 was sitting outside for years, and you really don’t know what that means for internal damage until you begin tearing it apart. Assuming it’s bolted to the 915 transmission, that’s about another $1,500 – $3,000 in untested condition. So, let’s call the engine and transmission $10,000 in value – what does the rest of the car have to offer?
Well, you have the seats, but they need about $3,000 in work to be worth anything. The seller points out that it rides on Bonspeed Intense wheels, which are far better suited for a Chevy dually pickup or an Impala SS sedan. They’re pricey wheels, sure, but they add little to no value here. The bodywork is a question mark in terms of how well the widebody conversion was done, and most Porsche purists want an unmodified project. Still, someone out there sees potential – is it you?
I see potential but not at that price.
People did a lot of ugly things to these cars in the 80’s, back when they weren’t worth much. Now the dreamers of the 2020’s think they can sell them for silly money. This Porsche is pathetic.
That opening bid has to be the seller. Price is ridiculous for a hunk of junk.