1968 Porsche 912

Need some help from the Porsche Guru's/
What is the value on a 1968 912?
One owner California car. Rebuilt motor 30k miles ago.
Racing green original paint, looks great.
Interior needs a little love, but not bad.

I see huge price ranges on the net. 4500-20k.

How many one owner 912 can there be?

 

You might post on rennlist, but I think $20K would be for a 99-point showcar 912.

Maybe $8K-$10K if the floorpans are solid.

Compare to: http://www.europeancollectibles.com/inventory_detail.aspx?@page_inv_id=Po1745

 

I saw a thread stating "why don't 68 912's get any love?"
Do they have the 348 syndrom?

If they do, I will be more than happy...

 

They are kindof the step child of porsches right after the 914. The old school early 912s have an engine basically out of a 365. The later ones have a vw transporter engine, iirc. So the early ones are almost as expensive to maintain as a 911 with a lot less performance. The later ones lack the panache of a real porsche engine.

but here lately they are coming up in value so that a nice one is about the same money as a comparable condition 911...go figure.

The previously unloved 914 is becoming more valuable for the first time too. Basically I think i read because so many have rusted away or otherwise been used up.

I am not a porsche expert but I read my SIL porsche club newsletters when at their house.

Tom W

 

Not sure the 912 four banger would cost as much as a 911 in maintenance -- it's a simple pushrood unit, IIRC.

But you're right about the lacklustre performance.

356 and 912 engines are interchangeable in that they swap easily between those chassis, but they aren't the same. Before 356s became collectible, it seems like a lot of them got 912 engines just because the newer engines were more available, and now matching numbers 356s are prized.

The 914 analogy isn't a bad one. Now that early 911s are getting pricier in show condition, the 912s may get a little more respect.

 

"almost as expensive as a 911"

"basically like a 365"

...but we split hairs.

Tom W

 

So....Should I buy it?

 

Depends...what are you going to use it for???

Personally, the car would have to be in DAMN good shape for me to give 10k for it.

I would recommend posting on Rennlist...

 

Decent 914's (not 2.0's) are fetching $7000 plus. I have had 2 offers on mine, a 73 1.7 3 owner car, 115,000 miles, of $8000 and $9000. I believe both offers to be sincere (from neighbors). The car is in really nice shape, PO replaced tons of stuff, minimal hell hole corrosion.

Most of the 914's I see for $5000 or less, look horrible, and need immediate attention. Hell, a paint job is thousands.

A 912 is worth more, if its in nice shape. A 912 that was a good driver, is probably $10,000+... Early 911 prices have doubled over the last 7 years or so.

A 912 is a cool car if you appreciate it for what it is: a cheap, slow, icon.

As a side note, even a 1.7 motor easily keeps up with traffic, and will hum along at high way speeds with no problems. You get to shift A LOT, which is part of the fun. The cars are a ton of fun!

Very different from the testarossa...which isn't nearly as much fun to drive around town...where 1st gear is pretty much all you need. Any obligatory shifting is just to drop the revs...

 

If I remember this correctly, I paid $8,300 list for my 1969 911T Targa. A 912 coupe was around $4,500 at the time. Or, about 54% of the 911 cost. Or, about 100% of the cost of a small block Vette. But, it was a real Porsche.

Would it be too far off the mark to measure a comparable 911 (which are not too hard to find even now) and multiply the 54% factor?

One other point, maybe forgotton now, is that many of the 356 faithful just took a long long time to accept the 911. A lot of them seemed to gravitate to the 912 out of tradition - the 912 never really had the "cheap not quite a Porsche" label that somehow fell onto the 914. And, it was certainly made to exactly the same quality standards as the early 911.

The later 914 (even the 914/6) and the somewhat phony 74/75 912E just did not seem to have the "real Porsche" thing going for the, at the time.

I think a well restored 912 would be a great special interest car to drive or show. Especially if it had an unusual color or option package...

 

I think an original paint/original owner 68 912 with books, documentation, and tools could probably fetch 15K with the minor needs you listed. I would not pay that but someone would. If you could get that car for 8-10K it would be a sweet deal. The 68 is also the first year for emissions which gives you heads that are prone to cracking, an air pump, and the less desirable carburetors. Additionally, 1968 is a 1 year only interior so be sure all of the little bits are present. Most of these things have probably been dealt with in it's 40 years of life but you never know until you dive into the details. Also check everywhere for rust! I have a 1967 912 with black plates and it still had a some minor rust to deal with(2K to fix), currently working on a deal for a 68 black plate car as well!

 

You also did not mention if it was a coupe or targa. Soft window targa's tend to bring a premium. A poorly restored example sold in the low 20's at RM this year.

 

This is apparently what a (asking) $3900 car looks like.
http://eugene.craigslist.org/car/355506593.html

 

It is a coupe

If that is what $3900 would buy.........

Im all over the one I looked at. It is really nice, just dont know what to do with it.

 

Chris, given the numbers you mentioned to me, I think you'd be getting a timelessly cool car with not much downside risk.

In fact, redoing the interior would add immense resale appeal, and given the mileage you could use it as a daily driver without any concerns about depreciating some museum piece. These really are simple, reliable cars. (Gutless, but for less than a Honda Civic what do you want...)

It's your money, but if I had the garage space I would buy it, get the interior done immediately, change the oil and drive it a bit.

 

Such a beatiful classic. I was looking for a 912 months ago on a car selling page, there are a lot of them and they're quite cheap. You can find a lot of them in Germany.

 

I am simply amazed that this thread is getting far more serious play right here on a Ferrari site than I have seen on any of the Porsche dedicated addresses.

If only I had the space...

 

FerrariChat is a great site! You get immediate responses (as long as it's car related) from many known users.

Garage space is the only thing holding me back

 

Although not the dreaded Kit car it looks like a Car Kit!

Tom W

 

$10K is HUGE money for a '68 912. Reality is you can buy a fair '70 - '73 911T for the same money and for only a little more you can get' a pretty good 911T. The 6 cylinder Porsche engine is second only to the Chevy SB 350 in hot rod potential.

The 912 is a very neat car and I like them a good deal. But they just dont bring much money.

I have actually been giving some consideration to trying to get a an early 912 or early 911 without engine. I am thinking of building an electric car for use around town and a 912 or early 911 would be a great base car. Batteries in front.... engine in mid/rear and overall very lightweight.



Terry

 

Not sure Chris posted the price anywhere, but it's well south of $10K and from his description the car is very solid.

 

So when are you picking it up Chris? Let's see some pictures!

 

I rescued a 1969 Porsche 912 from a co-worker who had it stored at a "mom and pop" storage place. While it was stored outside, punk kids broke out all the glass. I bought it for $400 along with a P1800 Volvo for the same price. They don't seem to be worth big money. Most Porsche buffs want a 911 with the 6 cylinder.

 

Probably tomorrow if I get the time...

 

Well, Terry - at least you seem to have a solution for a couple of the well-known 912 problems...this should sure take care of the weight distribution issues, and also prevent the well-known "whiplash" effect of that powerful little flat four when you accelerate.