1976 912E - Pros and cons

[chris.817]

Folks,

I'm attempting to help a friend buy a car. He owned a 356 in the late 60's and still has a special place for the marque. He has talked to me quite a bit about the older cars as he is looking for a "vintage" sort of car to have some fun with and to possibly drive quite a bit. he is not a mechanic and is not looking for a project, so I think an early car that's restored is completely out of the picture due to cost. he has no interest in the SCs and beyond. He does, however, have the financial means to maintain a car as it should be and we have several good shops around here.

So.... I see a 76 912e for sale. Original owner and obviously very unique which is exactly what this guy is looking for. Supposedly one of only three original owners in the 912 registry. The ad says it needs to be restored since it has not been driver since 2000, but assuming that means mechanically and not cosmetically, I think it could be a good fit. $6000.

Would anyone care to chime in about your thoughts or experiences with these cars? Performance is not a huge issue. The fact that it is very similar to the SCs in body type is made up for in the unique model.

Is the motor as easy and cost effective as the type IV VW would suggest?

Thanks for your input.

[Steve F]

For what its worth, drop by this site.....

http://www.912bbs.org/



and this site.............


http://forums.aircooledtechnology.com/


and you will get plenty of info concerning the 912E

Cheers,Steve

[beasty]

i had one for about 6-7 months. bought it for 4500, got rid of some rust under the windsheild, replaced the carpet inside with a rear seat delete, replaced the door panels with rs door panels, replaced the front carpet and the rear sound pad, added a ducktail, repolished the fuchs, and had the motor rebuilt by a VW guy, took him about 4 days? he said it was easier than some of the VW bugs, he had done. so, i spent about 2-3000 on the 912e, and sold it for 10,500. it was awesome! 30-45 mpgs!! it took me one tank to drive out to San Diego from where i live, about 600 miles! its an awesome little car that turns heads, it was great to own and work on, just like a 911. BUY IT AND ENJOY IT, if you need some more info just pm and ill send you my number.

[petrolblue83911]

fun cars, just realize that engine parts are hard to come by. Given the market right now, some amazing deals are out there, personally, if your friend was not a 911 fan, I would also consider a nice clean 914. they are really a ton of fun, are cheap to run and easy to fix.

[the]

They are IMO not great cars, a 911 with a VW engine. The VW engine was ok in the 914, but a big bumpered 911 . . .

Underpowered, and they have lots of "one year only" fuel injection parts. For one that has not been driven in 8+ years, that could be a problem.

Like any car, they have their fans, but the 912E fan group is pretty small, it's just not a car that has a lot to offer.

If he's not a 912E freak, and wants something pre-SC, then I'd suggest he get either a midyear ('74-'77), maybe one with an upgraded engine already in it, or a pre-70 912. Or a 914, maybe one converted to a 6.

[SweetE]

The 912E is one of the best Porsches Porsche ever made. A great cruiser and a pretty good auto-x car also.

I've owned one since new - it is now carbed since the FI went away.

When it was new I could drive it 90mph and get 35mpg, at present it gets 25mpg.

With a 21 gal fuel tank, one needs to find a comfort station before needing a fillup.

Porsche only made 2099 912E's in 1976 and only 500 were built with a sunroof.

I've owned 3 and still own 2.

A great daily driver.

[BK911]

I think it has all the great looks of a 911, but without all that annoying power.

But seriously, if you are getting a 4 cylinder, don't get one that looks like a 911. Get a Ghia or a 914. Just my opinion of course.

[intheshop]

Think of it as a great mid-year 911, but without all those annoying 2.7l issues. If your friend is not interested in going fast, just crusing along, seems like a good fit... except that point about not being driven for 8 years. In my experience, that means expect spending a year sorting out the mechanical issues and probably a few thousand dollars to do it.

[KarlCarrera]

8-9 years of no driving?......probably gonna drop a few bucks to get it right. Sitting is not good for any car. $250, 500, 1,000....? Probably more to get it to look as good as "SweetE's" (Very nice by the way!). How many miles, and are there service records? Pic's? I am certainly no expert but you are on the right path by posting your questions here. Why not a 78-83 SC or a 84-89 Carrera? I still get 27mpg at 80 mph and my reliability has been excellent. Just a thought.

Karl
88 Targa

[chris.817]

Thanks for all of the replies. My bud talked to the owner this evening. The woman has kept the car for 8 years since her husband passed away. It was garaged for 5 years then under a carport for the last three years. From the pictures, it looks like a camper is occupying the car port.... The conversation was vague. She did not know many details nor was she sure about records. I do know the mechanic who would have rebuilt the motor though does not recall the car. I assume he would recall after seeing it.

There is rust in two very odd places. Middle of the drivers door close to the rear jamb and rear end of drivers front fender. Paint looks rough. Interior and general condition actually looks pretty good. Motor does not look great but picture is not the best.

Here is a link.

http://viewmorepics.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=viewImage&friendID=48827827&albumID=2083560&imageID=38720765#a=2083560&i=38720765

The main deal with the guy is he's an environmentalist of sorts and is looking for something cool yet economical. He doesn't need to be rippin around the countryside.

I think we will have a look in the next week. There is also a 77 911 in town for sale that is solid and has a well known history.

[kenikh]

The type 4 motors in the cars can be built to scare the skin off of a 911. I'd say buy the car, then build a 2.7 liter, 4 cylinder beast.

[chris.817]

Were there any differences in suspension, brakes or transmission?

[deathpunk dan]

Jake Raby now offers a 135 hp 2056cc motor that allows 912e owners to retain the stock fuel injection system. I bet that in conjunction with the 7:31 r&p makes it pretty strong. Nice flat torque curve, good fuel economy...and type IVs sound pretty evil with headers/performance muffler...unlike the stock 'sheet metal stamping factory' sound.

[jhynesrockmtn]

Why not a 912 if he's looking for something vintage and he's got 356 experience? Much better looking and simpler to work on than a 912E. IMHO. I've got a 69 912 non sunrool coupe in my shop waiting for a restoration. Longhood looks and better handling and weight balance out of the box. If he likes the 912E looks, might as well go mid year or SC.

[jeffrey2]

Had a 912E for many (10+) years, used it as a daily. Cheap (other than CA Smog parts) to maintain; it is a pig however; from only 4 or 5 qts of oil to easy access to all plugs on the motor.

I see it as the car you want to buy for your teenager, it looks cool, but it's a dog; don't anticipate doing anything daring, as it won't.

[dickepoohp]

I have one of each, a euro 911SC with nearly racing suspension which is thrilling, and never fails to plaster a grin on my face...and a '76 912E, sunroof, stock except for the ludicrous whale tail, and shiny Fuchs.

The 12 performs almost exactly like my 92 Saturn S2, same top, almost as good gas mileage, same speed thru the gears, and I suspect same 1/4 mile time.
The 12 cost just at ten times what the Saturn did, ($9,000 VS $900)repair costs have been about the same.

The 912 cost a bit less than the 911, both in better than good shape.
The SC flies, corners as if on rails, sounds great, gets a LOT of attention as no one seems to know what it is, all flashy in Ferrari FLy yellow.
People drool at it and circle it like a hungry mongoose.

The 12 is black, attracts no attention, reminds me of a prim libarian, loves to hmmmm 3000-4,500. Blows no doors from fellow hiway travelers. With the stock suspension pales in comparison to the 11.

BUT, I drive the E nearly every day. I make trips in it. My wife prefers the stock seats to the racing shells in the 11. It doesn't make me giggle, but I find I have respect for how well it does what it was designed to do.

The upshot is the yeller beast becomes a garage queen and the docile, prim happily hummming E is pushing for favorite car in a LONG time.

YA DON'T HAVE TO HAVE 6 CYLINDERS LOVE A P-CAR.

[chris.817]

Nice 912 dickepoohp! (I feel dirty)

Has anyone looked at the pictures? What's the deal with that rust on the door and front fender? Paint seem like it would clean up?

How do you negotiate a PPI that is 1.5 hours away from the car? It would need to come from the "country" to the city. Give a refundable deposit and have it towed?

Certainly can't start it after 8 years without significant work. I'd turn the motor by hand. Maybe try to roll the car in 4th gear to hear the transmission. Thorough under body look before doing PPI.

[hcariss]

Don't believe the bad press. I have a very stock original 912E with a sunroof, everything works, it has only 53k miles on Im the 5th owner. I just had the car tuned and it runs and handles like a Porsche should, yes a modern car can take a 912E on the straight, BUT see who can out corner you.
The car is light and handles & feels like a mid engined sports car. I get great gas mileage, and TBH once well serviced and setup there is very little that can go wrong with the car. EFI can be tricky but find a good VW mechanic or DIY, the 912bbs.org site has the manual to download in PDF form.
If you want to heart stopping performance then get a 911, but if you want a GT thats reliable economic and fun the 912E is a great choice. The folks at the 912registry are super helpful and really good people. I would find a mechanic who can come out to the car, or perhaps better still would be to ask someone from the 912 registry if they would mind looking over the car for you so that you could get an idea of what its going to need beyond the obvious

[deathpunk dan]

Dear HCariss

Please let me know if you ever decide to sell that beautiful brown E. I would be seriously interested.

-Dan

[carlosR]

The thing I'm learning here, being a new Porsche owner and all, is that everyone has their favorite and it just might happen to be someone else's dog. Like's been said, drive it and enjoy it. You can always get another if this one isn't the cup of tea.