It was the year 2000 and I had the itch to get a vintage car of some sort. I had actually considered doing so for a few years. I remember at one point thinking seriously about an original Mini. I purchased a book about restoring them and was suitably discouraged when almost the entire book was dedicated to teaching the reader welding.
Whatever car I decided on I’d have to convince my wife, Debbie. She has always been willing to play along when I sought to rationalize my car purchases and this would once more be the case. I had always liked the concept of the Porsche 912 (a 911 with less power!) and had particularly admired the soft-window Targas. I’d been driving last week’s Jaguar XJS for a couple of years and our boys Josh and Peter were growing so naturally we needed a car with more room in the backseat. Being a rear-engine 2+2, the 912 actually has enough room in the back for two mid-sized adults as long as they’re not whiners. As well, Debbie and I missed the open air days of our Fiat 124 Spider. Yes, the 912 fit the bill nicely. When I explained all this to Debbie she immediately endorsed the idea as if it actually made sense.
My search for the right 912 was the first car search I conducted online. The internet had now developed to the point that it was possible to search nationwide beyond what one might find in print in Hemmings and such. I eventually found a 1968 Soft Window Targa in Irish Green at a vintage car dealer in Newport Beach, California. The five speed manual had covered about 98,000 miles. I located a California mechanic and had him perform a pre-purchase inspection. It checked out okay so I cashed in some airline miles and early on a Saturday morning caught a flight from Washington Dulles to Los Angeles. I went to the dealer, drove the car, made the deal (the cost was a little over $7,000) and flew the red eye home that same night. The 912 was shipped the following week. I was out of town when it arrived so I had it delivered to my Audi mechanic, David at AutoWerke. My wife drove it home from there and the following Saturday morning my son Josh joined me for my first official drive in what was now our Porsche. About a mile from the house it promptly died at a stop sign. Sigh. It turned out to be only a bad battery.
Most of us are familiar with the history of the Porsche 911. It was designed to replace the 356 and was initially sold in 1964. The 911 was both more sophisticated than the 356 and more powerful. The 356 had used a boxer four-cylinder air-cooled engine displacing 1.6 liters and making around 90 horsepower. The new 911 used a larger six-cylinder boxer engine, again air cooled, that originally displaced 2.0 liters and made 128 horsepower. Porsche sold the 911 and the 356 side by side in 1964 and 1965. At $6,500 the 911 was priced considerably higher than the 356 it replaced. As the plan was to phase out the 356 (the last ones were produced in the 1965) Porsche recognized that it needed a more modestly priced entry level model. The 912 was this model. It merged the 911 body with the four-cylinder 356 engine, a sheep in wolf’s clothing. The combination of the smaller engine and slightly down market content allowed Porsche to meet their price point. Its original cost was $4,700. Production of the 912 would continue through 1969 when it was replaced with the 914 which was itself produced through 1975. The 912 was resurrected once more for a single year in 1976 as the 912E. Like the earlier 912’s this one used a four-cylinder boxer engine in a 911 chassis, but it was a different engine, the fuel injected VW engine that had also been used in the 914. The 912E once more filled that entry-level need in the transition year between the 914 and the 924 which went on sale in 1977.
While the 356 had been available in cabriolet form, Porsche developed the Targa in anticipation of proposed safety regulations that would ban true convertibles. The Targa integrated a safety hoop to help protect occupants in a rollover incident. A removable roof spanned the distance from the safety hoop to the windshield frame. It was a folding vinyl-covered unit with a collapsing steel frame that could be stored in the Porsche’s front trunk. The Targa version of the 911 and 912 was first sold in 1967. While most Targas have a fixed glass rear window early Targas like mine have a zippered folding plastic window. These are the soft-window Targas and were the only type available in 1967. In 1968 the fixed glass hard-window Targa became available and was sold alongside the soft-window. While about twenty 1969 soft-windows are known to exist, they were the last and henceforth all Targas were hard-windows. Of the 30,000 912’s produced from 1965 to 1969 only 2,500 were Targas. This makes my soft-window 912 a rare beast indeed.
I am the third owner of the car which came to me with California blue plates. The second owner had purchased the car in 1971. On the positive side it came with twenty-nine years of service records and, being a “California Car” was fairly solid. The negatives? I don’t think the mechanics who had serviced the vehicle over the year were Porsche specialists. The car showed its age. It had been resprayed in the 1980’s but it was now faded and there was one large spot on the passenger door where the paint had peeled off. As well, there was bubbling paint covering rust at the tail end of the front fenders, common in these cars.
My goal in having a collectible car was always to have a solid dependable car that could be driven any time for entertainment whether that meant using it for weekend errands, motoring to an outdoor café on a sunny day or attending car events. So, beginning in 2002, a bare metal restoration was begun to make sure the 912 would be around for a long time.
I asked around for recommendations for a shop to do this work. Eventually I was referred to one and, as if often the case, when I visited and met the owner not only was I evaluating him, he was evaluating me. While most of the shop’s restoration work was post war American cars, on the day I first visited they were finishing up a sweet little Renault Alpine A110. The shop’s owner and I bonded discussing the diminutive French sports car before us. As I was not in any hurry the owner and I agreed that my car would be worked on as time permitted between other projects with more pressing deadlines. The hope was that this might save me some money. While this made sense at the time it would ultimately prove a poor decision for both of us.
Like many restoration projects mine was one of creeping commitment. It turns out, of course, that California cars have plenty of rust. They just hide it better. Here’s a partial listing body repairs:
- Both doors re-skinned
- Front fenders repaired
- Headlight buckets repaired
- Floor panels replaced
- Rear deck lid and rear panel replaced after accident damage uncovered
I was also responsible for a portion of the commitment creep. The 1968’s were the only year of these early cars with side marker lights and I didn’t like them so more metal work and they were gone. The seats and carpet were redone. Bumpers, wheels and other trim were re-chromed. The correct deck lid grille was acquired. The door panels were a little ratty and, it turned out, unique to 1968 models and difficult to find. I finally located another set and we combined the best parts from each set for a good result. The rarest thing of all seemed to be the dash padding. I found and purchased two. I acquired the correct Blaupunkt radio with FM, AM and shortwave band from Germany. I spent way too many hours on ebay making Meg Whitman wealthier than she already was. New shocks and period correct tires? Yes, please. Brake calibers were rebuilt and zinc-coated to match the day the 912 left Zuffenhausen.
A garage was built for the day the 912 would be returned to me.
In the middle of the project Tony, who had been doing the bulk of the metal work, left the body shop. Fortunately, his replacement, Joe, quickly got up to speed and carried the project through to a sympathetic completion.
When it came time to put the engine back in the guy who had taken it out, and whom I had engaged to rebuild the twin Solex carburetors, was forced to admit he had somehow lost them. I acquired another set and had them rebuilt by a gruff but knowledgeable Solex guru in the Pacific Northwest. They came back to me looking like clockwork mechanisms from the Victorian age.
The shop would bill me monthly and over time the monthly amounts seemed to increase. The owner and I recognized that part of the reason for the escalating costs was the very fact that the car was being done between other projects. With apologies to lawyers and CPAs (and I am a CPA who long ago worked in public accounting) here’s how that works. It’s tax season and you have thirty or so tax returns in various stages of completion. You open the file for one of these. It takes a few minutes to wrap your head around where you are in the project. You can do a little work, but you’re still waiting for information from the client. You close the file and bill a little time to the client. Rinse and repeat.
The shop owner was a reasonable guy and took his share of write downs, but at the end of the project in 2004 I added everything up and stared at the total – the number that shall never be spoken. The good news? If medical science continues to advance there’s an outside chance I may live long enough to break even, the time value of money notwithstanding. More importantly, the car is lovely.
Driving a 912 brings a smile to one’s face. Despite its modest power it doesn’t feel particularly slow. The rear engine means the unassisted steering is light but with good tactile feedback. Weighing less and being less powerful than the 911’s of the same era the 912 is nimbler. It’s difficult but probably not impossible to evoke snap oversteer. It cruises comfortably at highway speeds and is entertaining on twisty back roads. In the early Spring the roof comes off and the rear window is lowered. Debbie and I keep it that way until late Fall. We don’t drive it a lot during colder months, but when we do we dress warmly as the only heat is that passively channeled to the interior from the heater boxes that surround and capture the hotness of the exhaust manifolds.
In the years since the body restoration I’ve continued to make small improvements. This Spring I will tackle the only major item left – the engine. While everything attached to the engine has been rebuilt or replaced the original engine, now with 105,000 miles on it, has never had a full rebuild. The Other Michael and I are dropping it in April after ski season ends. What could possibly go wrong?
Next Week – My first new car ever!
My brother-in-law had one of these and sold it before asking if I might want to buy it. Arizona car all its life with no rust i could see anywhere. The paint and upholstery had taken an ultraviolet beating, but aside from a few small dents, it was a true survivor. Sigh… the things that slip through our fingers.
That’s grounds for disowning a brother-in-law. And sister, if necessary.
What a great car ! I appreciate your story right now and it makes me nervous…I am just starting an exterior restoration on my 1965 Galaxie. I am going to start stripping the car this weekend and I am sure to find some surprises along the way.
Be glad you bought it when you did. $7000.00? Nowadays, try $35,000.00 for the same car in the same condition as yours when you bought it. I long ago realized that the only Porsches I would ever own would be front engine, due to market costs. Fortunately, I love the breed.
As to the restoration schedule: I’m currently in the process of having a 1983 Yamaha Venture Royale being rebuilt for me. The bike was given (free! – famous last words) to me as a consolation from having lost my ’95 Triumph Trident due to T-boning a deer. It’s a completely original bike, in very good condition when it was put into storage. Without any specific preparations to store the bike (draining fluids, etc.) . . . . . twenty years ago. My mechanic (a good friend with long experience in vintage bikes who I helped set up in his own business two years ago) took it on with the understanding that it was a long term project “to be done in between more immediate jobs”.
A year and a half later, the carbs are cleaned, we’ve found that the engine is solid, and I’m working on sourcing a brake system as the originals completely corroded up internally. My end, the bodywork, has been cleaned and in storage for the past year. We’re starting to hope that the bike will be on the road by mid-summer.
If we’re not being too optimistic. Because his business has taken off very well. And he’s swamped with regular jobs.
Syke, I think maybe a better qualifier would now be “water-cooled” as opposed to “front-engined”. Boxsters are available for less than equivalent condition front-engined Porsche’s (at least the more commonly desired and/or more powerful ones) and early 996’s are probably (hopefully!) close to the bottom of their depreciation curve as well. And as much as everyone loves Cayman’s or at least talks them up, they also are starting to seem fairly reasonably priced. Swap the IMS bearing and either should be a great addition to a garage.
I was really hoping the number never spoken was the killing you made on the car as the value went up. When you used the term bare metal restoration, that gave away the truth.
Some people think today’s Cayman is more elemental than the heavier, larger 911. It sounds like the same was true for your 912. I wonder how a head to head with a late 356 would go. Would the advancements of the 912 chassis overcome the weight gain from the older car.
An interesting question. Some called the 912 a 356D. Depending on trim level they can have a vibe closer to the 356 than the 911.
It is possible that he 912 weighed no more than a 356 SC. Porsche listed the 912 at 2,127 lbs, while the last of the 356s weighed as much as 2,296 lbs. That figure may be for either a cabriolet or a Carrera 2 though. A 356 B Super 90 coupe that Car and Driver tested in 1963 weighed 2,060 lbs while a heavily optioned 5-speed 912 tested in 1969 weighed 2,220 lbs, but the 912 was considerably quicker and faster than the 356 B Super 90.
Great story about a great car, too bad they have become so commodified.
I’m slightly in the same boat as you with my VW project, however it’s been more time than money. Eight years. The body and paint was done as in between work but the critical difference was that it was a fixed price contract. It worked out well for me but I don’t think they made any money on it.
As I hesitate at the finish line of my project I wonder about your original goal of having a dependable car. I’ve owned an old car of some sort or other for 30 years but rarely had one on the road, Is the experience worth the grief?
Yes. It has mostly met my criteria as a car I could drive when I wanted. As well, I’m still learning new things about cars. Among the reasons I went for a car such as this were mechanical simplicity and parts availability. I like that I can find virtually any mechanical part online and most are reasonably priced. I’ve thought allowed about what it will be like when the cars of today become collectible classics. Will they be restorable or will they be obsolete like a computer with an old operating system.
Unfortunately, whatever the number, you’re left with what you started – a 912. I cannot understand why anyone would spend mid five figures on any four cylinder car not made by Colin Chapman. I know the orthodoxy is against me on this, but why compromise? I imagine as he was dying, even James Dean thought “if I had more power…..”
Probably because as opposed to any of Colin Chapman’s creations (as wonderful and revered as they may be), this one can reasonably be expected to start every time, whether it be daily or just occasionally, deliver a joy-filled drive and then return to the garage under its own power. Sure, there will be maintenance but not constant outright repair.
Many say that the 912 is a much-better balanced car than an early 911, driving a (relatively speaking) slow car fast is a joy, and I would estimate that this is really no less powerful than many Lotuses of its day (although I am not looking anything up, that statement is my very possibly wrong opinion.) with the ability to carry 4 people in acceptable comfort.
Dean’s 550 Spyder was 4-cylinder as well, what racer didn’t wish for more power but then again, lighter weight and better handling characteristics due to that count for a lot as well. On a straight more power is always nice, introduce a bend and the natural characteristics of the car as well as skill level of the driver start to make a big difference.
At the end of the day, any early 911/912 back in the year 2000 or whenever Michael acquired this was easily outpaced by cheaper and newer machinery. I suspect it was the right car at the right time and probably exactly what he was looking for.
Forgot to take your meds this morning? And how’s your 911? Or is it a Lotus?
Frankly, your comment doesn’t deserve a reply, since there’s four cylinder cars (other than Lotus) that are faster than an early 911. There’s more to cars than just the number of cylinders.
God forbid someone would spend money on something he loves rather than a blue-chip commodity that some thankless heir would gladly sell when he’s still warm in the grave.
Moreover, not everybody cares that much about horsepower. I think it’s silly when someone spends 50 grand or more to make a car run 10s in the quarter, but if that makes the owner happy, so be it. This is a beautiful car, and if it can keep up with traffic and makes you smile, it’s all good.
It’s not the number of cylinders, its what you can do with them. Chapman knew this as well as anyone. The reason that early Porsches were successful was the handling not the speed.
I think the fact that tin Ford sedans with Lotus badges are worth a few times as much as actual Lotus designs says something about the desirability of Colin Chapman’s cars. You can buy a Europa, an Esprit, an Eclat, an Excel, and an Elan Plus 2 with money left for fire extinguishers for what a nice 356 goes for these days.
James Dean was driving a 550 when he died, which had a 4-cam engine that made about twice as much power as the Lotus sports cars of the day while weighing less than 50% more. The Porsche’s top speed in standard form was the same as the later Lotus 11 with a bubble fairing set up for a class land speed record attempt. Any bets which one accelerated better? Colin Chapman hadn’t figured out that he should copy everything from Jim Hall yet, so his cars were still about as innovative as wheelbarrows in 1953.
Your car came out great! Been there, done that on restorations. If it cheers you up just know that on both of my major ones I never thought in a million years that I’d get my money out of them but did due to escalating values. When that happened I immediately sold one before any kind of bubble could burst but the other is a Til Death Do Us Part keeper.
Still I did not learn my lesson because for a while there I was thinking of making an unsolicited offer on this 912, they are the original owners and getting up in years. But stories like yours have cured me of that idea.
Incidentally the soft window in the Porsche world is a really big deal as I’m sure you know. There was a thread on BaT a few months ago where the seller was being accused of offering a counterfeit 911 soft window and it got pretty ugly.
http://bringatrailer.com/listing/1969-porsche-911-e-targa/
I don’t know how I missed that on BaT. I’ve also heard that the hard-windows are less desirable than a regular hard top coupe. I don’t know if this is true of the early ones, though.
I assume you plan to keep the car indefinitely?
Everyone if the family has been trained. In the event of a house fire roll the 912 out of the garage and let the house burn.
That’s a beautiful car, Michael, I hope you get to enjoy it for many more years! I’m looking forward to seeing what your first new car was, so far I’ve loved everything you’ve had (or have) and seen quite a few parallels to my own tastes and desires.
Thanks, Jim.
My uncle bought one new in ’68 when he was serving in West Germany. He died soon after, and my Grandpa drove it until the early ’90s, when my folks were unable to buy it. Anyhow, he solved the power problem by doing a dual-Weber, 1835cc hop-up job. Presto!
I’m assuming I’ll get some pick-up with the engine rebuild. Most folks pick up a tenth of a liter or so in displacement and it seems that a jump from 90 (or whatever amount of that I have left) to 110 or so can be expected while keeping things mild. Regarding the Webers, the problem with the Solex’s was mainly that they needed to be rebuilt and tuned correctly. The guy who rebuilt them even designed a proprietary tool for better tuning.
Thanks for an inside look at what it means to take on a car like this. My own story about the number that shall never be spoken is about a house, not a car. After the 1989 Loma Prieta earthquake, in which our 1866 Greek/Italianate Revival house was damaged, we decided on a complete…rebuild, from the foundation up, an an addition. The number the contractor tossed out (it was a cost plus deal, because of endless changes) as a rough estimate ended up half of what we spent in the end. A mid-boggling number….
And then I lost my job just as it was 95% done. We had to sell, at a considerable loss, due to the CA real estate down turn in 1991-1993.
It probably explains why I haven’t spent a penny more on my ’66 F100 than I’ve had to, which is almost nothing in 29 years. Maybe one of these years….
You have a beautiful and rare car; needless to say, I love these early 912/911s. It’s a genuine car of a lifetime. All your money and effort were well spent in the end. Enjoy!
My rule of thumb on major projects (business, home, car, whatever) is 50% over the original estimate and twice the time, or vice versa.
Good formula! I took a group of Australian bankers on a trade mission to China a few years back – they all wanted to set up offices, joint ventures or other projects there. We arranged for them to be addressed by any executive of an international bank who had been in the China market for 10 years. He told them to double whatever they had budgeted for costs and to halve their return expectations. I recently ran into one if those bankers at an airport and we recalled the advice – the banker replied that it was accurate almost to the dollar!
It’s like estimating the trade in value of a car – here is a formula that works for many people as so many have an inflated view of their cars worth: Think of the absolute lowest offer you would even consider accepting. Now halve it. Anything more is a bonus!
I love Porsches (and Mercedes-Benzes, for that matter) of this vintage, back before the luxury Sports GT ethos really took root and they were relatively simple cars, albeit with an extremely high level of engineering and high quality materials.
Yes, the simplicity is an attraction for me as well. And the engineering – Germans love to over engineer. Some of their ‘solutions’ are dripping with ‘overthink’. I didn’t mention in the article but one more thing that became clear was the amount of hand finishing done at the factory to make things fit properly. For example, the round covers that cover the jack receiver tubes were probably hand cut out of each body and no two seem to be exactly the same.
You still have it! What a beautiful car, I always liked these. You should receive an award for no Fuchs, whale tail, 935 front end, aftermarket sound system with X number of speakers hacked into the doors, etc. I would love to have a 912 but I will have to admire your car from afar. Nice job.
I was going to install all that this weekend, but I’ll hold off now for your benefit!
Nice car! And frankly, I would rather have a 912 over a 356 myself.
I was considering buying a ’69 911 coupe in 2003 for around $7600. It seemed to be in very good condition. Knowing what they are going for today, I wish I had gone for it.
Your 912 looks great. Hope you keep it in the family for years to come. If the prices on these cars continue to rise, your unspeakable restoration bill may some day still prove to be a good investment.
A friend bought a 1967 912 coupe in 1972 and paid the $2000 loan off by using overdraft protection on his checking account. When he maxed out the line, he sold the car for $2,500. Driving it was very elemental, the steering and brakes felt like literal connections to the road. One interesting thing, the seats were removable, great at a picnic!
This is a beautiful car, Michael. I’m not sure I have ever seen a 912 with the soft window.
I have probably told this story here before, but what the heck. Around 1976, I decided to buy a nice, higher-line sports car than the MGs/Triumphs, etc. that I drove. I narrowed it down to an E-Type Jag roadster and a 912, both 1969s. Both very nice cars in comparable shape; both the same price, $5000. I bought the Jag, kept it a couple years, and sold it for a small profit. My friend’s cousin bought the Porsche, and last I knew he still had it.
Had I gone with the 912, it might have been “the” keeper. I will never know, but the E was a blast.
Yes, I’m sure the E was worth the experience. I used to think about some of the Ferrari’s from the 1970’s and 1980’s with the idea of get one, enjoy for a short while, and get out fast before you have to pay for a major repair. Probably a doable fantasy when the cost of admission might have been $25,000, out of my league these days.
Beautiful car. Sorry about the cost. In the end its always worth it though.
Oddly in the Midwest costs are usually less on cars that are “fill in” or “spare time” jobs. Unless I read that wrong.
Beautiful car. And extra points for it not being red. 🙂
I got to spend a little passenger time in an 80s 911 and since then have been able to grasp the appeal. I admire someone who is able to pick “the car” and stick with it.
Very nice (the car and the write-up). I’m not a 911 fan, but I do like the Targa – the thick B-pillar/rollbar gives it a distinct look, different to the seemingly-never-changing coupe. And having just got back my Magnificent Ford Sierra after 18 months, I can relate to and sympathise with “the number that shall never be spoken”… I too hope to live long enough to break even…
Fantastic COAL Michael, thank you!
Another great read, but one that had me run to the garage to see if my 1976 914 really existed. Yes, they did make them one more year, using up excess engines I suppose for the 912E. While reading you had me thinking about the bare metal restoration I’m considering on the 1958 Isetta. Heck, that couldn’t cost too much, could it? Such a little car?
I had a 68 912 soft window in the mid 70s – yellow. Best car I every owned unfortunately it was stolen in Va. Beach and never seen again. After much negotiation got $4000 for it. Always wanted to find another but money and availability never lined up. I am envious.
Of all the early Porsches, this is the one I want–though by now, their appreciation curve has outstripped my income curve to the point that they’re further out of reach than ever. Maybe a nice 944 would be more my speed…
Nice car. I love the green color.
Are there “go faster” engine goodies for the 912? i would imagine somebody could swap the 4 cylinder for an engine from a wrecked 911 of the same era and and it would bolt up well enough? Or am i way out in left field on this.
Before prices on early Porsches got so high it was not uncommon to swap in a 911 engine and even, heaven forbid, rebadge the car as a 911.
” As I was not in any hurry the owner and I agreed that my car would be worked on as time permitted between other projects with more pressing deadlines.”
LOL ! I’ve been warning folks against this foolishness for 50 years , few listen .
What the Shop man hears is ‘ I don’t care if I ever see this pile of junk again ‘ .
I owned both 356 and ’67 912 , the 912 out handled the 356 easily and was far more comfy to boot , I sold it when the rust became structural .
I was young when 356’s were in production and got to drive the older , 1950’s versions in my teens so I was firmly convinced a 356 in good shape would be better ~ I was wrong although I still think they look prettier .
I gave my two owner ’63 356B Coupe to my Son who’s done little with it…..=8-( .
Oh well .
-Nate
I bought and sold a 1965 912 5 speed coupe, last year. This was probably the rustiest car I have ever seen but I bought it because it was PORSCHE. I thought about a restoration and quickly put it out of my mind. It sold on eBay for far more than I thought I would get. Fortunately I still have a 1974 911 Targa and 2 1983 928s.
Good story it reminds me of Stephan Wilkinson’s book, ‘The Gold-Plated Porsche: How I Sank a Small Fortune into a Used Car, and Other Misadventures’. If you have not read it iI highly recommed it.
Wow. Gorgeous car–I love the early 911 and 912 models, before heavy bumpers and aerodynamics started robbing it of the great details. While the final bill was unspeakably high, you now have a lifetime keeper of a classic–kudos on doing a proper restoration.
Does The Number That Shall Never Be Spoken include the cost of the garage? 🙂
Garage sold separately. Other restrictions apply. Void where prohibited.