Need Advice on a 69 911E Sportomatic

[Marine Blue]

Sorry for the long post but I wanted to convey as much as I can to get some advice from the experts! I usually hang out on Rennlist but all the air cooled guys directed me here for advice.

I was visiting a friend in Iowa last weekend and went with him to get his car out of storage. At the storage facility I see a 1969 911E Sportomatic Targa for sale. Price was within a range I could afford which I never thought possible.

So being a curious Porsche enthusiast I inquire about the car and learn the following:

- The car was imported into the USA from Germany about a year ago. Apparently the current owner got the car after a divorce and decided to bring it into the states. This being the case I would assume that any decent records are not available and history is unknown. With these old cars I'm not sure how that affects value if at all. The VIN Number sticker was located at the front passenger side of the frunk and not the usual drivers door. Not sure if that is normal for euro models?

- The speedo is still in KM and shows 16,XXX km on it which means it must have rolled past 99,999. The turn signals have been changed from red to amber to meet US requirements but the car has never been titled or driven in the US and still has a European Title. The car still has the red lenses in the frunk.

- We were able to get the car started and the engine idled nicely and RPM's climbed very freely. It did start leaking fuel at the front after running several minutes so we shut her down before any major issues occurred. Not sure if the transmission works but I do know the lockout worked since the car wouldn't turn over until it was in a certain gear or park. I'm not really familiar with how the Sportomatic works.

We left and I spent the rest of the day doing research on the old long hoods and learning as much as I could. I have always loved the look and I know I would appreciate the driving experience. I researched the problem areas and talked to some knowledgeable air cooled friends about the car. I was curious enough that the next day I decided to go back and really look at and inspect it. I noted the following:

Drivers side door/fender must have had some bodywork done and poorly. Door doesn't align at the bottom and is sticking out 1/4" Bondo marks are visible through the paint on the fender near the lights. The entire car had been repainted silver at some point. The paint was peeling in the door sill and the paint underneath was a slightly lighter shade of silver. The interior, frunk and engine bay were all black (not sure if that's normal?)

The undercarriage looks excellent. The undercoating was peeling off but only surface rust was present and not a single rust hole to be seen anywhere! Only surface rust under the battery and some surface rust in the drivers side footwell. Everything looked, felt and sounded solid. It didn't look like it had seen winters but it did look driven and commensurate of a old car. There are two small bubbles forming on the lower passenger fender but nothing around the rear windows, doors or other areas of the car. Overall the body was excellent considering age.

The interior was ok although the carpeting was loose and needed to be reattached. The drivers seat padding was completely shot and while the houndstooth cloth was ok the vinyl had a rip. Passenger seat and rears looked good. The door cards were missing the lower storage area and I didn't see any door pulls that would let me close the doors. The targa top exterior vinyl was ok but the interior cloth had come loose and was hanging down. It didn't smell musty or damp inside which was surprising. It was very dirty though and looked like it has sat for some time.

So I'm seriously thinking about buying the car and pulling the trigger this week. I never make spur of the moment purchases so this is definitely unusual but it seems like an opportunity to get something I have always coveted at a price I can afford.

I'm not new to Porsches, I have owned 928's in the past and I currently own a Boxster Spyder. I know my way around cars but I limit my efforts to the basics like brakes, plugs, wires etc. Most of the mechanical work this car will need will be done by a local mechanic so again I don't want to go overboard on the purchase price. If I love the car I will need to convince my wife that I need to keep it, otherwise I'll enjoy it for a couple of years and sell it.

I would appreciate any guidance on what I should be watching out for and also what kind of value this may have in its current unrestored state. I don't want to overspend knowing it will need at least $5,000 in mechanical work and another $1,000 in cosmetic work to make it presentable.

Thanks!

[Marine Blue]

Some pictures I took, more to come.....

[Marine Blue]

Slight change in plans. I just receive more details on the car and I have decided to keep and restore it with my son.

Looks like the lack of response means my post is either too long or you all think I'm trolling to find a buyer and flip this thing. Not gonna happen.

I will however be hanging around here regularly from here on out as I'll need some help and guidance on the restoration. This will be a first for me.

[Mtbkracr]

I met a guy at the Phoenix club swap a few weeks ago who is quite the Sportomatic guru. has a ton of parts specific to sportomatics and is eager to help others with theirs. He lives in AZ but commutes to Cali to work as a fireman. He's a super nice guy and has his sporto dialed in really well. There's only one problem. I have no idea what his name was or how to get ahold of him

[The cap'n]

Lemme think on his name. I sold him all my remaining Sporto parts when I retired. I may have a # or an e-mail somewhere. The NUMBER ONE issue with cars imported from Europe is RUST. Look long and hard for it! Places to look are around the reat torsion bar tube, the bottoms of the doors and fenders, rocker panels, longitudinal structures, hoods, bumpers.

[Matt Monson]

Great car. Been lots of Sporto parts in the classifieds recently. Do not 5 spd swap that car. Original Sportos are getting rare. And an E is a great vehicle.

[M.D. Holloway]

Matt,
I am sorry I didn't see this earlier. I think you have a real gem and look forward to hear about your adventures restoring her.

[Marine Blue]

So I learned a few additional details today about the car. Apparently the information I received from the third party person storing the car was not correct. The car has quite the history.

The car was originally a ROW Mexico car which was purchased by a doctor in Mexico City. Later the car was purchased by a couple in Arizona and that is where it stayed until the current owner purchased it. The car was shipped to Germany in 2007 and at that time it passed TUV and driven in Germany. The owner is forwarding this documentation to me. It was brought back into the US a few years ago and has been in storage since.

So that explains why the car has very little surface rust. It really is amazing that there are no holes in the body or panels and fortunate for me since I can't weld.

Sooo I should mention that I'm still trying to negotiate the price, it's not a done deal yet. I am waiting on some maintenance records to help establish how much more I'll need to spend to get her running safely.

[Marine Blue]

If you guys find the name of the guys with the Sporto parts please definitely let me know as I'm sure I will need something. Supposedly the transmission was rebuilt a few years ago but who knows, it's leaking too much fuel to drive it safely so I'm going to have to risk buying without knowing if it works unfortunately.

[Eli W]

The Vin is right where it should be, I had a 69 E myself but I let it go. It was just too much for me to restore. E is are getting up to S in price these days, crazy as it is.

[pors1968]

Keep it like it is 911E sporto are rare and valuable not many on market .Nice find enjoy.