Porsche's 912 is our favorite 1960s sports car. It's extremely well-built and reliable, and it looks just like its big brother, the super-expensive 911S. Sipping fuel at a rate of 28mpg makes it extra thrifty, and it has proven to be a very good investment, too, with values for superb, rust free examples--such as this one--appreciating at a steady pace.
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Values for decent 356 Coupes routinely exceed $40,000.00; it's only logical that the equally iconic 912 should follow in its predecessor's footsteps.
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Trouble is, where to buy a good 912, in the year 2011? Especially the long-wheel-base cars of 1969, the final year of 912 production, are hard to find, with only 4,679 manufactured for the entire planet. Most of the few pristine remaining examples have long since disappeared in overseas collectors' heated garages.
Thusly, we were all smiles when we recently unearthed an amazingly rust free California survivor, VIN *129021941*, right here in sunny San Buenaventura.
The car was sold new locally; amazingly, it still is registered to its original black-and-yellow license plate.
We've performed a sympathetic restoration during the past few months and hope you'll be as happy with the result as we are.
Let's take a look!
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Trunk is very clean and undisturbed. All it needed was new felt carpeting. Under-hood paint (as well as on door jambs) is factory original.
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Close-ups of date-coded spare wheel, original tire jack, working trunk light . . . and an undamaged, absolutely rust free "nose" section. Fabulous!
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A little bit of history: easily identified by its external torsion bar cover, the one-year-only, long wheelbase 912 of 1969 was exactly 57mm (2.2in) longer than its predecessor, benefitting weight distribution and high-speed handling, especially during cornering. You'll also notice the slightly flared rear wheel arches, enabling the factory to introduce wider wheel-and-tire combinations.
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Date-coded steel wheels with brand spankin' new GOODYEAR Eagle radial tires of the dimension 195/65-15 on all 4 corners. We also installed new brake hoses and pads, and had the front rotors machined.
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Delivered from the factory in the eye-popping period color of Tangerine (paint code 6809), the 912's exterior was all original but very weathered when we received it, so a re-finsh was in order. We went ahead and completely disassembled the car, had it stripped to the bare metal, then expertly re-shot in the original color, single-stage, just like it was done originally. After lovingly color-sanding and buffing the smooth coachwork to a high luster, we installed all new deco trim and weatherstripping.
Yes, it was expensive, but we hope you'll agree: the end result is nothing short of stunning!
On to the interior!
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While all the windows were out, we had a new, correct perforated headliner installed. Note excellent original sun visors and working interior lights!
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Since this is a well-preserved car, the door panels and all 4 map pockets--fragile and thus usually missing on the '69-'73 cars--are in very fine original condition.
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Dashboard looks excellent; there's not a single hairline crack. Even the speaker grille is still in decent shape. Amazing!
Speaking of speakers, the car has an antenna but no radio; there's a genuine "Porsche" radio block-off plate in its place. Note the superbly preserved, original steering wheel.
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After more than 40 years of service, the gauges in most old Porsches tend to accumulate a little dust between glass and dial. We removed all five instruments and had them expertly cleaned and serviced by Valdek at North Hollywood Speedometer. Then, we went the extra mile and had him install a Quartz movement in the clock. Tick-tock!
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Porsche's 1960s interiors were carefully orchestrated symphonies of functionality and good taste. There's no need to change a thing, and we are happy to report that this car was able to avoid "updates" by well-meaning but misguided owners. We installed a new, original-style carpet set.
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Factory front seats feature their original upholstery, in very nice condition. Note head rests, standard equipment for 1969.
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Rear compartment looks immaculate. We've had the parcel shelf re-upholstered. Car features its original 3-point safety belts.
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Ready for a test drive?
So are we, but let's take a good look at engine compartment and undercarriage first.
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Motorraum is toothbrush clean. Again, we went the extra mile, installing a brand new set of sound insulation. Unlike the 911, the 912 features insulation on the sides of the engine bay, too.
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Powerful heart of the 912, the 1600cc boxer motor had just been freshly rebuilt when we purchased the car. After the restoration work was finished, we took the 912 to Porsche-Meister Tony at TLG in North Hollywood last week to have him perform a tune-up and play with the Dellortos. This motor sings! TLG also replaced the pedal bushings and made sure that all the lights and gauges work.
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While we're this close to the ground, let's get down on all fours and check out the pan. Everything looks wunderbar here. A thin layer of road dust covers rust free floors, rocker panels, and sheetmetal. We've never seen a nicer undercarriage on any 912; even the delicate front suspension pan is 100% original and 100% rock solid! It's the proverbial California car; no excuses needed. Click on the image to the left for an XXL-sized view |
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There's nothing to hide: feel free to click on any of these detail shots to enlarge. What an amazing California Porsche!
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Monday, April 25, was a sunny and warm spring day here in Ventura, so we hopped in the 912 and went for a drive-and-photo-session.
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Piloting the 912 brings back memories of the 356SC. Sound and performance are very similar. Of course, the 912 offers vastly improved driver ergonomics and, via its longer wheelbase and lower center of gravity, transmits a feeling of utter safety. Weighing about 250 lbs. less than the early, 130hp 911 and possessing a fresh, strong, performance-tuned engine, this 912 compares very favorably.
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Equipped with 4-wheel disc brakes and the (optional) 5-speed manual transmission, the 912 is fully able to handle modern-day traffic, one of the main reasons it gets our vote as "favorite vintage sports car."
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Returning home, we once again realize what an exceptional Porsche this is. It's so easy to get dragged into buying a car with minor needs that all too often turn out to be big headaches. Even a straightforward restoration like this one presents its own set of challenges. Luckily, WE have taken care of everything and are proud to present this exciting 912, fully sorted and ready to be driven anywhere.
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Rust free, black license plates, rebuilt mechanically, restored cosmetically: it doesnt' get much better than this. Add to this list a very unique and desirable 1960s color, and you have a bona fide winner!
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If you are lusting to own a fine Porsche 912, please, consider this one. Once this exciting 912 has found an appreciative new caretaker, it will be gone forever, and you might not be able to find another one just like it for a long time to come, if ever.
Addendum:
We sold this stunning Porsche in 2011 to an enthusiast couple in Southern California.
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