One of the most sure-fire ways to drive interest in a vintage Porsche is to find a car with a healthy original options list. Although this 912 has some serious rust issues to sort out, the long-term ownership history and options list make it a compelling project despite the bodywork needed. It’s listed for sale by Porsche specialist Unobtanium Inc., which regularly scores some of the more interesting vintage Porsches for sale on the market today. There’s no reserve and bidding is just over $10K here on eBay.
The 912 left the factory with an excellent paint combination, featuring a Tangerine exterior over black upholstery. The car retains its matching numbers engine and transmission, which in and of itself makes the 912 a rare find. The options list included auxiliary fog lamps, Fuchs alloy wheels, tinted glass, Koni shocks, rubber bumpers and a woodgrain steering wheel. The original owner spec’d this car almost exactly how I would have, with the exception of adding in sport bucket seats with the healthy side bolsters.
Unfortunately, the Fuchs and original steering wheel are gone, but those at least are items you can source on the vast Porsche spares market to set the car back to OEM condition. The interior remains in good health overall, with nothing too concerning in the photos provided. That said, the seller is still quite clear that the 912 will need complete restoration, and from what we can discern in the photos, much of the rust is contained to the floors and the chassis. The original bill of sale indicates the first owner lived in Winchester, Mass., and the underside likely confirms the 912 was driven in all sorts of weather.
Which, to be fair, is what you were supposed to do with a new car! This 912 bears the hallmarks of a life well lived, as indicated by the numerous stickers that still grace its windows and panels, from the “Hobie Hawk” Glider Club and Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association to the Cousteau Society and even a sticker indicating attendance at the 1977 running of LeMans! Hopefully, the next owner will preserve all of these even if the 912 is completely restored. Excellent options, matching numbers and an interesting history – this 912 checks a lot of boxes.
There is SOME rust issues to take care of here on the undercarridge!
That’s a bit of an understatement!
I wish I could drag some rusty uppity Bug out of the woods and sell it to some fool for big bucks….but then again, how could I sleep at night?
Billy, I can help you there, I can draw you many maps to bugs that are in forests, swamps, and random ditches. I’ve been on a lot of wild goose chases because someone saw a Porch in the woods, only to have it be a bug. Now when there is a real Porsche in the woods, that’s a fun day!
That’s gotta be a mint low mile tree Porsche probably owned by James Dean worth at least 60 k 😏
You should drag that out and rent a barn for an hour to get pictures so someone with deep pockets can get it!💰🤠
We dragged this one out of the swamp last year, it sold to Europe for over $100,000. It was accessible by ATV only.
Look if you don’t like the wheels don’t swear In the write up description or on missing interior items 😜
“Unfortunately, the Fuchs and original steering wheel are gone” 😜😏. Okay lil corny humor ..
I do like the colors on this Porsche!
What a lost cause! By the time you were done restoring this body there would be very little original sheet metal. There would be very little left of your wallet too. The only way I see this as a viable project is if your a DIY guy and your looking for a challenge. This is a rotisserie resto for someone with advanced skills. Personally I’d just crush it and be done with it.
Flinstones, meet the Flinstones …
Surely the link takes you to a different car!!!
This is my favorite crappy Porsche. I’ve heard he wants $100,000
If you can get the 912 for a reasonable price, do it; the car will provide much joy and happiness. I
I’ve had a Stroke so I can’t wrench anymore so I’ll call it around $40,000.00 to stand this one up, and its worth it. Never mind Market values. Fix it and keep it.
I bought a 912 new. I don’t know if this one has a 4 speed or 5 speed. Seems to me 5 speed must have been an option. The option I would have liked was a sunroof. Mine had chrome wheels and hubcaps. No radio. I added a radio, I added foglights and I added Talbot mirrors. Here’s a photo of mine with my ex at the wheel. I just don’t remember a huge options list???
Do you think if you had bought a different car she would not be your “X”?
Enough with the Porsches BF! Grr. Is there no end to these exorbitantly-priced “scarce” finds?
My wife had a ’69 912 Targa, one of just over 500 built that last year of production. The only problem: It had been totally restored to perfection so it was too perfect to drive. The first rock chip brought tears. After spending too much time in the garage, it was sold to a collector’s showroom. Lesson? Buy a driver, not a museum piece.
I can’t do it, but I think when you get a car, the first thing you should do is key it.
Then you’ve got that out of your system, and you can drive it.
Having had a 911, two 928’s and two 914s, my opinion of the 912 is that it is like a 911 body but with an underpowered 4 cylinder motor. a poor man’s 911. Just too slow for me and the rust issues are among one of the many nails in its coffin. not saying this would not be a nice car, but for all the money you are going to have to spend for it, why not look for a nice 911? Or a 914-6? the 912’s motor may easier and cheaper to fix and maintain, but it is a complete dog in the get up and go department. but then again, my grey-market 65 911 needed new spark plugs after only a few hundred miles as the unfixed stock carb was a disaster. but it did have 130+ horses and boy, that car would fly (while it could)! Throw the dice on this one, but it may be that it may be cheaper to just find a body for it that has a LOT less rust rather than “restore” the body on this one. Just my opinion, not saying I am right.