I was a bit taken back by this 1966 Porsche 911, primarily by what’s revealed underneath. I encounter a lot of 911 series cars off of our tip list but there has to be something really notable for me to want to dig further. Well, this one has the diggin’ notables, and as the seller correctly states, “is a major project” but I’ll hold off on the particulars until later. Discovered in Lakeville, Connecticut, this 911 is available, here on eBay for a BIN price of $24,750. There is a make an offer option too.

I’ll apologize upfront for the quality of the images, they’re all off-kilter and not very helpful in trying to market such a collectible automobile. A 911 from this era is, in my narrow estimation, among the purest form. I think it’s the simplicity and completely clean styling that makes it an attractive acquisition. And they certainly have a strong following. The seller suggests, “1966 911 slate gray red interior very rare and one of the best color combinations…” Some stats to back up the rarity claim would be appreciated – maybe it is and maybe it isn’t. I suppose a lot depends upon whether a potential buyer likes it as is. That said, the slate gray looks more like gray primer and it’s hard to imagine that the needed restoration wouldn’t involve a repaint. It would be unlikely that an acquirer would leave this Porsche as is, but they’re only original once – and it’s that originality that secures the rarity – sounds like a Catch-22. Rare or not, there’s some pretty notable rot-through going on here, a phenomenon that, unfortunately, is not rare with this vintage Porsche.

And that rot extends to the underside, note the damage in the above image. I can’t tell with certainty but it appears that there is some structural failure occurring here. Further notes include, “The floor is screwed in for shipping purposes. It’s a project car that needs major rust repair front pans floors inner-outer rockers, etc.“.

Under the bonnet is what’s left of a 2.0 liter Boxer 6 engine. The seller claims, “The engine is period Correct aluminum block with the all the internals crank, etc. not complete“. So, I guess what you see is what you get and there’s a bunch missing.

Here’s where I’m confused, the listing notes, “The transmission is a 5-speed core” but I’m not certain the context in which the word “core” is meant. What throws me really off is this image of what looks like a sheared-off half-shaft so does that mean the transaxle is damaged and a collection of broken parts (core) or does it contain nothing, or exactly what… (how do you twist off a half shaft on one of these?)

The rare red interior is more like just rare red seats. The rest of it is gutted, including the instrument panel – there’s very little here with which to work. The seller advises, “The interior comes with many red parts seats interior handles, etc.” Well, that’s good to know but the next owner is going to need a heck of a lot more than just “handles” to put this Porsche into any kind of usable condition.

Finally, it is suggested that “This project might be right for somebody“. And while that’s true, the challenge is going to be finding that somebody, right?