1969 912 Value

Instrument 41 · 09-02-2012, 02:42 PM

Just got back from looking at a 69 912. Car is very complete and the only issues that I see is the paint is bad(peeling clear coat around the back end) and rust issues on both front fenders. Passenger side fender has rust at very bottom behind the tire and the drive side has bubbled rust almost in a vertical line running downward in the same area as the passenger side. The carpets had been changed a while back. No underside rust and i pulled up the carpet and no rust/moisture. Under the hood no rust and very dry. Drove nice, very tight no rattles or unusual noises. So...what would the Pelican brain trust value this car at?

techweenie · techweenie's Garage

We have a marketplace discussion area for cars like this. the gaps look a bit wonky to me, and by the position of the driver's door, the stop is broken, meaning the front edge of the door is likely flared. You're looking at a total repaint... 2 fenders (running up to $700 each, used, if you can find them) and you didn't mention if it was matching numbers. So it's gotta be a WAG. Let's say $5-8K

Instrument 41 · 09-02-2012, 03:23 PM

Numbers are matching, according to seller. ODO shows 55K, not sure if thats correct

tcar · 09-02-2012, 05:04 PM

Look for rear damage... wreck, collision.

Check for bondo.

That car never had clearcoat from the factory, so it's had a part repaint if it's peeling.

Instrument 41 · 09-02-2012, 05:06 PM

HMMMM thanks a lot for the info. Think I'll move on.

1990C4S · 09-02-2012, 05:07 PM

Asking price?

Instrument 41 · 09-02-2012, 05:30 PM

His final price is 7800

1990C4S · 09-02-2012, 05:38 PM

It won't go down in value....if you like the way it drives buy it.

Baz · Baz's Garage

Based on your description and the pics I would buy it in a heartbeat.

Excellent driving car and collectable.

They are not far removed from the 356 which is the most collectable street Porsche you can get right now (and has been for quite some time).

If you are in doubt you could always give a refundable deposit to hold it until a shop can run a PPI on the engine and/or anything else you want to have checked out.

Those early cars....mmmmmm........good stuff there!

1990C4S · 09-02-2012, 06:34 PM

I will go out on a limb. You will regret it if you don't buy this car now.

Zeke · 09-02-2012, 06:38 PM

The lower section of long hood fenders is available to weld in. However, if there is rust in that usual spot, there is more rust in the other usual spots, namely the rockers, door latch panels, front suspension pan and around the rear suspension torque tube. Another likely spot on those is the package tray at both lower glass corners. Techweenie taught me that one and how to look for it. The rest is a little easier to find especially if the car is on a lift.

I'm going to take my own WAG and say that car is very tired.

Shuie · 06:51 PM

Check the front pan, front longitudinals around the gas tank, and the front suspension points. Check the lower corner of the door jambs. $7800 is very reasonable if its as solid as you say, IMHO. I'd buy it if I were looking (I am not) and found a car like that locally. You wont see many of the old ones around here. I'd bet there is more rust, tho. I'm local and have done some rust repair in a few early 911s. Let me know if you want a second set of eyes on it.

1990C4S · 09-02-2012, 06:43 PM

Zeke is right about the torque tube. I've done that repair. Not fun.

He might be right....it's a $7,800 Porsche. It has to need work....

Instrument 41 · 09-02-2012, 07:01 PM

I do like it but I have my eye on 2 other "potential" toys. One German and the other British

1990C4S · 09-02-2012, 07:28 PM

This should be interesting....show us the British car...

Laneco · 09-03-2012, 08:01 AM

Every 911 or 912 of that vintage we have ever touched had rotted out suspension points, floor boards, etc. The suspension often looks good from the top but it's just the factory coating that you're looking at. Lift the car and poke around a bit especially at the forward points of the arms.

What I'm seeing with this car is some less than gracious repair work. The choice of base/clear is wrong for the car and shouts REPAINT. Nothing wrong with a good windows out repaint, but on a 912, alot of repaints are done cheaply, especially color changes. Hopefully this one was done properly and the clear is just dying back though it seems a little unlikely as there are panel gap issues present in one of these two pics. The other is a pretty bad pic and I can't really be sure of what it is showing other than a probably broken door stop. Need to check the door, both for flaring at the front edge and for break/tear where the door stop should be.

The engine bay has quite a bit of unworkmanlike wiring though obviously it runs, so it can be a look bad/work just fine scenario.

I think this car may have enough issues that you should really take a closer look. Any old car will have some issues, they are expected. But the goal is to know the issues BEFORE you pull the buy-it-today trigger. Not to find them out afterwards.

If it truly is largely free of rust, and does run, probably in the $6 to $7 range given the visible issues. So the price, if nothing (rust weevils) else notable are present, is reasonable in my humble opinion. Diggin' the fuchs.

angela

LakeCleElum · 09-03-2012, 08:14 AM

All good discussion and points made above. My 912 experience:

I bought one the late '80's for $1,800 The seller told me, "Don't drive it over 50 on the way home. The whole front pan is rusted out and the suspension could come apart with a good bump."

I had a new front pan welded in. Repaired a big hole in the floorboards and painted it my self.

I sold it as soon as I was done. Reasons: I wanted more power and the ability to take the top off.....I bought my '73.5 in Sept of 1990 and had it ever since. Y.M.M.V.

Zeke · 09-03-2012, 08:19 AM

A rust free 912 would fetch more than 6-7K in my estimation simply because there aren't many. And that is accommodating the overall poor appearance of this example. The reason to justify my statement is that the typical rust repair required on a car in that stage of its life will run anywhere from 3 to 10K, professionally done. And not many escape at the low figure. Then 5K for paint. One cannot get that buried in a 912.

It's a great platform for a hobby builder who places no value on time.

Instrument 41 · 09-03-2012, 01:15 PM

Here are a few more pics. The one to notice is the close side view of driver side fender (regarding rust) Thanks for the comments...can't seem to get this car out of my mind. The only thing I can say is that the test drive was hot and sweaty and we were only gone for few minutes on an open road.

techweenie · techweenie's Garage

At $7800 you can do this. Before you do take the plunge, get under the car with an icepick (with the seller's permission, of course. Probe the front pan, rocker around the jack point and under the rear suspension/adjacent to torsion tube as Angela pointed out.

Good luck! I hope this works out for you. (And it should, if you "enjoy the journey")