My $1800 '69 911 T

LeeH · 08:31 PM

Out of habit I checked the car ads Sunday morning. An new ad said "1969 911T $2400", and not much else. I called and it hadn't sold yet. The owner said it needed a total restoration and it ran when parked 10 or more years ago. Still... only $2400. I drop what I'm doing and race across town. Yes, it needs a total restoration.

The story is that the previous owner left it outside in Arizona, but covered. It wouldn't pass emissions. Unfortunately he left the front end on his lawn... near the sprinklers. So, most of this car is very solid. But it needs front suspension pan due to rust. The top of the front bumpers has rust and there's one visible rust through spot under the rocker deco. There's light surface rust here and there, but no rust under the doors, in the door jamb, around the windows - all the usual rusty spots look great. He says he'll take $2100. Decisions, decisions. I decide to pass. Drive home and begin kicking myself for not taking it. I call back the next day and he says none of the many people who called showed up on Sunday and he'll sell it for $1800 AND deliver it to my house. SOLD!

I think I may run it on ebay. It's really tempting to start taking it apart but I just don't know if I have the time or skill required for this sort of project. Sitting in the garage going VRRMMM has done nothing but fuel my desire for a nice early car. The car is very complete. I can't see that anything is missing except the tools from the tool kit. It even has the original engine. Here's a few pics:

Az911 · 08:16 PM

Seems like a fun project. Maybe we can meet up sometime and check out each others cars.

If you do decide to sell let me know I could easily pick it up.

Rodney Nelson · Rodney Nelson's Garage

Lee,

I would have bought it too! Thank God I wasn't in Phoenix visiting my friends last Sunday reading the paper.

Well, now you have to do what any respectible Porsche Freak would do. Turn it into a bad ass Carrera Rs replica!!!!!!!!!

Drop a twin plug 2.7 in it with all of the goodies. New interior, paint, flares, duck it, front spoiler, short shift, adjustable konis, big reds, polished Fuchs, and top it off with Carrera graphics.

Then when you are all done you can sell it to me for a profit at $3,000.

What do you say

dtw · 04-07-2004, 08:23 PM

Please do not part it out. This deserves to be restored - if not you, there's someone out there who will. If I had space for it, I'd put in line with my other two!

-dtw

caliber60 · 04-07-2004, 08:59 PM

It looked like a fine car. If the engine is seized, have it rebuild for $6,000. Repaint the body for $3,000. Interior carpet redone for $750. New set of tire $600. Plus the $1,800 purchase price, you are looking at $13,000. Add another $5,000 for additional parts and labor, you are looking at $18,000 to bring the car in very good condition. Is it worth it? Can you get your $$$ back? It's your call.

Evans, Marv · 04-07-2004, 09:37 PM

Looks like you have a garage. Those cars are very easy to take apart & put together again. I would make a project out of it. Put it up on stands & do it. There are fewer and fewer of them around, so if you redo it you'll have a really nice early car. I have a '69 911E I'm going to do that to. I'll put my nice 2.7L in it & enjoy driving it.

GeorgeK · 04-07-2004, 09:40 PM

You'll kick yourself for selling it just as you kicked yourself that first evening for not taking it. Except this time you won't have another chance.

jim72911t · 04-07-2004, 10:36 PM

It's your call on what to do with the car, but my vote is to not part it out. I bought my '72T in '99 for the same price, and was even able to drive it home! It needed a suspension pan (not that hard to do, but I work in a machine shop with full fabrication capabilities), but other than that, it was complete and relatively rust free.

I look at it this way: I've always been a car guy, and at the time could not have afforded to get into a 911, but wanted one. I figured for the initial price of $1800 I could build, at the least, a decent track rat/occasional driver, and not be into it for too much money. Four years later, I've got about $5-6K into the (upgraded and rebuilt) engine, a few bucks into the interior, some tires, etc, and it still needs paint. I might be into it $15k when it's done (like it'll ever be "done"

), but it's provided me with some fun, a re-found hobby, and some new friends.

Keep it, restore it over time, and enjoy it. I'm thinking that in the next year or so I'll buy a nice SC or Carrera for a 2nd car (3rd, actually, but the van doesn't count), but wouldn't consider selling my first 911, a '72T.

Have fun with it!

-Jim

LeeH · 04-07-2004, 10:56 PM

When I said "take it apart" I meant for restoration - not for parting it out. It came with brand new in the box batteries. I'm tempted to charge them up and see what happens when I turn the key. I'd have to use a fuel bottle - the gas tank stinks.

This car had an intersting option from the factory. Hydropneumatic suspension. I only know this because the records show that in 1983 it was replaced with Konis. There are quite a few records. Sadly many are blank! The ink faded to nothing over time. The owner's manual pouch had a very complete packet of info on the original Blaupunkt. Somewhere there's somebody with a concours '69 911 that would love to have this little packet!

H.G.P. · 04-07-2004, 11:01 PM

I see it still has the map pocket, the interior from the picture looks good. Any cracks in any of the lenses?

H.G.P. · 04-07-2004, 11:04 PM

What's the odometer read?

LeeH · 04-07-2004, 11:23 PM

The lenses all look good except for cracking around the screw holes on the driver's side front. Odo says 73800. It's at least 173K and maybe even 273K. I need to go through the records and see if I can nail that down.

Like most cars it looks better in pictures than in person. The interior is in fair condition. The back seats look good. Fronts are OK, with a few splits on the bottoms. The dash is cracked and has a dash cap - which is cracked! All the glass is good. Other than the front end this car looks better underneath than my '84 did. The carpets are worn, but if it weren't for a little rodent damage wouldn't really be terrible. 5 speed seems a little floppy, but hey - it's a 901.

LeeH · 04-07-2004, 11:36 PM

No rust here:

Wait a minute. You painted your RED Porsche blue?!?

Jadams1 · Jadams1's Garage

I wish it was in my driveway for $1,800.

cassidyp · cassidyp's Garage

Restore it like mentioned previously not too many around in original state. Think of it as sweat equity and enjoy it. Misery loves company

Eric Mckenna · 04-08-2004, 04:33 AM

I'd make an R replica..
but hey I love the R's....

bigchillcar · bigchillcar's Garage

thief...

tkrefeld · 04-08-2004, 04:49 AM

I restored one in MUCH worse shape than that.

lparker · 04-08-2004, 04:52 AM

I think you better start thinking ahead and beg Wayne for a volume discount

competentone · 04-08-2004, 05:14 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by LeeH
There are quite a few records. Sadly many are blank! The ink faded to nothing over time.

Have you tried looking at the ink-faded records under a black light?

If it was running when originally "parked" it will probably be worth looking into just getting it running before trying to sell.

Does the motor turn-over by hand? If nothing is "frozen" you're looking good. You'll need to remove and clean the carbs--any fuel in them has turned to varnish.

There are threads on the forums here about starting a motor that has been sitting for a while.

As I'm sure you know, a driving car that needs restoration will bring a whole lot more than one that hasn't been run for years. (I'm just reminding you because it sounds like you're planning on just re-selling it as is.)