Barn find....well, kinda

[Drdogface]

I've known about this for years but never saw it. Good friend has had this 912 in his garage, covered and under layers of old clothes, for nearly 25 years. I had tried to buy it from him several times but he never would sell. Would need some motor work as he never drained oil or gas. Still, damn nice looking ride....79000 original miles.





Still not for sale either... Guy is about 78 years old....back in the garage it goes... He needs to DRIVE it !!

[steely]

Beautiful 912!!
Breaks your heart, doesn't it?

I just found out from an acquaintance in my township (we were doing volunteer work) that he has at least 4 exotics in his garage (XKE, Benz, etc). As I talked to him more, I found out that none of them are working - he just bought them over the years and parked them!

[Rich Lambert]

You just want to thump people sometimes. Within 10 miles of my house there's a 356B that's been sitting outside for 5-6 months, a '68 Camaro out in a horse pasture, a CJ-6 with no top that gets moved around this guy's yard every 6 months, and a nice looking CJ-5 that's been in the same uncovered place for 2 years. With our weather all these vehicles are now full of moisture & mold and are slowly rotting away.

[88911coupe]

I saw a 912 for sale here in Dallas about a year ago for what seemed like a steal at about $5,000, maybe less. Ignoring the historical aspects, how easy is it to convert a 912 to a "911" by sticking an flat six in back? Are the frames and things the same or would this just be a money pit?

[JMatta]

An original 912 has value...why diminish by converting to something it is not?

Original 912's are a blast to drive; a true momentum car.

[Drdogface]

Originally Posted by JMatta

An original 912 has value...why diminish by converting to something it is not?

Original 912's are a blast to drive; a true momentum car.

I had one back in the early 70's and LOVED it.

[Deschodt]

To answer the question, though, it's not "that" hard.. you weld 911 engine mount in the corners, replace the tranny, find a motor, the right gauges, bigger torsion bars, and remove the 912 badge ;-) If you have to buy all that stuff though, it'll cost you and you end up with a car of questionable resale value - some have been known to fix this with more welding around the VIN area ;-) I don't recommend that either. But it's essentially the same shell ! It kinda makes sense if you are building a really nice rat-rod and happen to already have lots of the parts you will need, and never plan on selling...

Personally, I'd leave it as is. I've had early and late 911s, and I really love my 912 for what it is, light, nimble, comfortable, balanced, easy to service... it's faster than you think ! Its only true shortcoming is the high RPM at crusing speed. (even with a 5th)

[Drdogface]

He's talking again about selling it...even though I have hammered him to keep it and drive it. If he does sell, I'm tempted to buy it even though I have too damn many cars as it is. I just love those 912's.