As a car enthusiast, it’s not uncommon to have big dreams. We all have that vision of a project we’d love to complete if we ever found the time, or if the right example ever came along; sadly, reality can stunt those dreams and leave you with a car that will never be completed. The seller of this 1972 Porsche 914 here on eBay envisioned creating his own version of a desirable 914-6, a car that often commands six figures when it does come up for sale. This car will not get the six cylinder swap the seller envisioned, which is why it’s now for sale with a Buy-It-Now of $5,000.

On a side note, I love garages like these. It’s somewhere between being a garage, a library, and a TV room, with a little bit of dusty museum thrown in for fun. The seller clearly has a comfortable space, albeit it one that’s packed to the gills with spare parts and shop manuals. I could care less about a spotless garage with the latest cabinets and tools; give me a space I can just as easily sit down in a recliner and read a book in. The 914 that the seller grabbed was appealing as a swap candidate because of its largely rust-free body, and the seller notes that aside from a dent in the driver’s door and some surface rust in places, it’s a very solid car.

The carpet has been removed from the floors to give a sense of just how solid it is; suffice to say, I tend to agree with the seller that this 914 has clearly benefited from being a California car since new. However, it is a project, and most likely was simply left outside or otherwise neglected once these became throwaway cars (which was probably within about 10 years after rolling out of the showroom.) The seller doesn’t mention whether he has saved any of the parts removed from this 914, or whether it came with the optional gauge kit in the center console.

He does mention that the targa top is gone, so you’ll need to find one of those if you plan on returning this 914 to the road. As a 1972 model, this 914 likely had the 1.7L engine installed, but a 2.0L four-cylinder was also available and quite popular for swapping into cars without the extra displacement. The seller doesn’t say much about the engine, but it clearly wasn’t a concern given this was a swap candidate. Overall, the market for 914s has begun to improve in recent years, but it’s still possible to get a decent one for reasonable money – so be sure to keep your budget in check when pursuing a project-grade car like this one.