Cost of upkeep & restoration: 308 Ferrari vs. Porsche 911/912

I have restored both/ had both. 1967 911s and a various older Ferraris.

Ferrari is MASSIVELY more expensive to restore/ keep alive. The parts are fewer and far between.

 

I have done a 3.0 930 which was a somewhat limited production car only a couple thousand examples. The labor was not to bad, 930 parts are a bit difficult to fine and had to have some parts rebuilt which keeps the originality. But my real question why a 912? The engine was basically a pumped up 356 engine. The value of a fully restored 912 will be much less than a similar 911 or 911S and labor, paint will be the same, parts a little more dear. But the fun of driving a 911 vs a 912 is not close. Never had a vintage F car but I would guess that those qualified to work on a F car are much more limited and parts a quantum amount more.

I am not into classic cars as an investment only fun of driving and pride of ownership. So my thought would be try a 60s or early 70s 911. My 73 911T.2 was a great car and kept up with my friends 911S up to about 90 and handled about the same. That might have been since it was a very late production car that it had a lot of S parts which Porsche used since they had them left at the model year run. I know it came from the factory that way as I purchased it new that way. Porsche I don't believe kept records very well back then but you can request a COA on the car you select. The late production run cars were more likely to have S upgrades.

That said I think a vintage F car would be more fun in several ways if cost is not the controlling factor. IMO

 

Nope, not correct.

While there are several versions of 911's that generally pull strong money the 912 has several notable versions as well. I have been present at multiple auctions were 912's have out-done many 911's at the gavel. Its surprising to the undereducated but yet it is happening without their knowledge.

912's are known to be exceptional handling cars, the true Porsche fateful are well aware of this and know the 912's and its many other virtues. While some may simply seem to focus on power ~ others admire the whole package. Think of the early Mondial 500 2 liter racecar. Four cylinder, but an amazing machine. Did you know of that car? Its adored by many, just like the 912.

The early Porsche brand was based on the wonderful flat four that many swore by. So much so that later in the development of the lineup Porsche saw fit to offer the great engine in the then new 911 shape. It (the 912) outsold the 911 for a period (mainly because of the great complete package) and then was ultimately superseded by the fantastic flat six. Thats progress, but that progress did not fault the wonderful flat four.

I own both an early 911 & a 912 (they are parked right next to each other). Is the 912 less fun to drive? Definitely not. It is only a different experience, quite like an early Healey, and a later Healey 3000. The 912 is a lot of fun in the corners, maybe more fun then my 210HP 911. Is the 911 faster? Sure is, but that does not diminish the fun of the 912.

You know back in 1967 the 912 was not that much less powerful than the base 911 (base 911T =110HP). I know, I was there with high interest & similar involvement in the brand as I have today.
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Well said Michael.
I too have a 912 (66 5 speed and a 68's) they are fantastic cars and do things differently than the other larger capacity/wbase cars ( puts a smile on my face ). My 12 has recently had a full engine build with higher spec's to standard and a more torque oriented cam, what a joy to drive. I think a lot of people don't get certain cars unless they get to spend plenty of time behind the wheel on their favourite bit of road, that's when you can make an informed comment on specific models.
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One of the great things about the air cooled 911 (and 912) is parts compatibility. Sure if it’s a 3-liter 930 Turbo air box, perhaps not so much but for the most part, they are incredibly diverse and easy to find parts for. For example, I was removing the shifter from my 1975 Turbo and noticed the shift linkage support bracket has a stripped screw thread. Should I panic since it’s a 3-liter Turbo and they only made 274 in 1975? Nah, the same linkage was used from 1969 to 1989 and you can buy the Porsche 911 OEM part for $30. Perhaps you could do this for the Ferrari 308 but I’ll bet the parts compatablity is much more limited.

 

A 67 912 is much cheaper to maintain in both parts and labor compared to a Ferrari Mondial , not even close.

 

I have an old 911 and a 308GTS and by far the Porsche is and always will be more reliable and cheaper to own, by a long shot.