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Porsche 912 interest

post #1 of 25
6/22/10 at 5:10am
Thread Starter 
Long time VW driver thinking about getting an older car for a local driver, getting bored with my 2001 Passat, though I might keep it anyway as it only has 111K miles and no problems. Have experience working on old cars but not engine work.

Saw a really nice Porsche 912 in Albuquerque this weekend and thinking about picking one up. The only thing I worry about is not having any known Porsche mechanics nearby, but otherwise don't mind driving something that is 40 years old.

Thinking about a mid/late '60's 912. Anyone have any experience with these? Seems like a decent entry-level Porsche. Not interested in doing too much in terms of restoration, but could something like this be picked up for say $15K and be decent? What am I going to be looking for in terms of warning signs, other than the typical rust/tranny/compression issues? Don't need a show car but don't want any big projects either.
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post #2 of 25
6/22/10 at 12:45pm
Sounds to me like a potentially really big project. Due diligence is essential for a purchase like this, especially given the lack of Porsche mechanics in your area and your own admitted lack of engine repair skills.
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post #3 of 25
6/22/10 at 12:52pm
There should be a Porsche mechanic in or near Albuquerque; my (ex) uncle's brother has lived out there for many years and has always had a number of Porsches at any given time.
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post #4 of 25
6/22/10 at 12:58pm
if you're willing to spend $15 look at a 928.
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post #5 of 25
6/22/10 at 1:09pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by matadorpoeta View Post
if you're willing to spend $15 look at a 928.

When I was 16 I almost picked up a 928 for literally that. I am glad I didn't though.
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post #6 of 25
6/22/10 at 1:25pm
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Quote:
Originally Posted by matadorpoeta View Post
if you're willing to spend $15 look at a 928.

I don't like the looks of the 928, the late '60's 912's seem nice, possibly simpler to deal with? Maybe more rust issues given the age.
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post #7 of 25
6/22/10 at 1:33pm
15 years ago I was interested in getting one of these in Australia - back then there were still a lot of original Beetles on the road, cheap parts and a surplus of skilled VW mechanics.

If the body is good, it's probably still a reasonable buy - but doesn't trump the older 911s like it used to.

Personally, Id get a good 924.
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post #8 of 25
6/22/10 at 1:37pm
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Quote:
Originally Posted by JustinW View Post
Personally, Id get a good 924.
Is that because you like the looks or because it is more reliable? Isn't that one front-wheel drive?
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post #9 of 25
6/22/10 at 1:49pm
Never was partial to the 924s, 944s, or 928s. OP, I'd look around. To me, $15K seems high for a 912. Unless of course it's been in storage for a number of years.
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post #10 of 25
6/22/10 at 1:53pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by borderline View Post
Is that because you like the looks or because it is more reliable? Isn't that one front-wheel drive?

I like the looks and it is under-valued still imo - because Porsche purists don't like it. The S's, GTs and turbo models are appreciating quickly, though.

Front engine, RWD.
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post #11 of 25
6/22/10 at 3:20pm
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Mauby View Post
Never was partial to the 924s, 944s, or 928s. OP, I'd look around. To me, $15K seems high for a 912. Unless of course it's been in storage for a number of years.

Well, I'm not saying I would have to buy the car for $15K. Possibly $8-12K and have something left for repairs, maintenance, etc. Seems like whenever you get something, you need to put some money into it initially, then think about longer term improvements (upholstery?).

With many classic cars, the people who have them and put money into them rarely get back their investment. So, instead of buying a $5K car, putting in $10K, and selling it at $12K for a loss, just find one that already has the $15K invested and buy it for $12K.

I don't know what this one sold for:
https://vintageexcellence.com/1967_P...Irish_Gree.php


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post #12 of 25
6/22/10 at 3:46pm
You sound like you are trying to be level headed about it so thats good. You will absolutely need a really good porsche mechanic. If they work on other cars find someone else. NY and CA have tons of them. Rest of the US it's slim pickings but they do exist. But a truck and a flat bed can really come in handy. I live near NYC and I take my porsche to my mechanic 2 hours from me.

I am really not sure how expensive 912 parts are. I just had to get my 915 transmission rebuilt and it cost 7 grand. If you are prepared to spend 3-4 grand a year on repairs you will be fine.

I just threw an engine code in my solstice gxp saturday. Had this been my only car I would be pulling my hair out trying to get it fixed. Instead I put it in the garage and threw the cover on. Get to it when I feel like it. My honda accord might be the gayest car ever but man is it handy when I have broken all the other cars. SO yeah keep the passat.
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post #13 of 25
6/22/10 at 4:11pm
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Quote:
Originally Posted by turboman808 View Post
You sound like you are trying to be level headed about it so thats good. You will absolutely need a really good porsche mechanic. I just had to get my 915 transmission rebuilt and it cost 7 grand. If you are prepared to spend 3-4 grand a year on repairs you will be fine. SO yeah keep the passat.

Agreed that the big ticket items will be painful, but with due diligence that might be avoided. The 3-4K/year estimate seems high, but I guess it depends on how many miles I am driving. If it is my 2nd car, then probably not going to be putting more than 5K miles/year on it.
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post #14 of 25
6/22/10 at 4:16pm
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post #15 of 25
6/22/10 at 4:48pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by borderline View Post
Agreed that the big ticket items will be painful, but with due diligence that might be avoided. The 3-4K/year estimate seems high, but I guess it depends on how many miles I am driving. If it is my 2nd car, then probably not going to be putting more than 5K miles/year on it.
Actually is was rebuilt right before I bought it. I know who did it. They did a hack job. It was really bad, missing parts and parts were damaged. Yep missing parts. So 4000 miles later I got it rebuilt right. Once again you need a good mechanic. LOL Yeah if you put less then 5k a year on it then it should be pretty cheap to drive. I only put about 2000 miles a year on mine. I'm actually hunting down an early 80s XJ6 right now. No hurry thought. But the closer to original it is the less you got to fix
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