196? 912 Coupe

[WFBowen]

Some of you who know me have seen this car in various states of completion over the last year, & it's just about ready for the street. Over the years, I've collected some parts and ideas with the intention of building a custom, "just what I want" 912. I've been the concourse route in the past with a really nice (94point) 60 Drauz Roadster & began payments on a new 69S coupe while still in VietNam in 68. I mention this, because I have nothing against absolutely original cars and I fully understand the "q-tip" show cars, but I also really like the idea of picking from the Porsche parts bin (which is what the factory often did for various models) and pretty much anything to do with toying around with these cars, including the various TypeIV conversions, the Subaru-powered 912 mentioned on this board and even an early, fully electric that was on Ebay last year or so.
So, with that in mind, I'll throw out some pictures and maybe get some guesses on the year of the car. Please keep in mind that this is all in good fun and certainly not meant to look for incorrect guesses. An old friend I recently hooked-up with at the German Auto Fest walked around this car for 15 minutes and guessed wrong....... and he used to work for the factory in Stuttgart in the 60's.
Have fun, Bill.

[avsarinana]

If this is mostly an original car, I'll say it's a 67.


Art

[dimps8]

Hmm.......

1) The glove box lid and script is 1967
2) The early dashes were painted in 1965 same colour as the body but Bill may have painted the dash?
3) Looks like the gauges are from 1966?
4) US spec 1/4 window vinyl coverd lock knob 1968
5)short wheel base horn grilles 1965-1968
6) the barless rear lid 1968-69
7)door handles are 1967 or earlier
8)engine mounts are late model 1967-69
9)rear script is 1967 onwards
10)vac advance on dizzy maybe 1968 onwards
11)rubber knobs on turn signals look like 1968 onwards
12)heater control knob beside handbrake on right 1968

The early door handles have thrown me a bit. But I will say it's an early 1968 swb model with a painted dash and early gauges.

Do I win Bill????

[Peter T.]

Gosh, this looks a lot like my smorgasbord '68. I'd have to agree with Damon - 1968

[914Ghost]

PLUS!
The horn button, black manifolds (and MOST of the engine) is late, hubcaps w/ early enamel style crests,....
Annd...is it me or is there NO hazard switch and why no radio hole at all?
It looks great, but odd.
I will also guess 68'.
fun Game!!
Bob O

[912s]

Very nice looking, great job!

[Enrique]

The interior rear-view mirror on '65-'67 cars is all chrome, like the mirror in the top picture. To me, it seems like it would be tricky to mount a '65-'67 interior mirror in a '68 car because the mirror mounting holes, which are part of the roof, are quite different.

Speaking of converting '68 cars to '65-'67 cars, another tricky item to change is the heater handle. The heater handle on '68-'69 cars is beside the parking brake whereas the heater handle on '65-'67 cars is forward of the gear shift. I cannot see this car's heater handle in any of the pictures.

-E.

[avsarinana]

I think everybody's right,it's a 65 thru 68 car.

life is good,Art

[Jeff Trask]

Nice car! Looks like a '65 car, but with a lot of other good parts thrown in. Love the painted dash, too!

[WFBowen]

Thanks to all who replied....hope you had some fun with it. The car is a 68 but most who see it guess 67 (which many of the parts are taken from.) I was sincerely impressed with the detailed reasoning and Porsche knowledge expressed in the answers. Bob O; Peter T; Enrique all got it, but Damon down under was the first to nail it - he even picked out a few things I hadn't even noticed! (Damon - do you work for ASIS down there, or have access to their satellites?) Unfortunately, the 1st place prize, a new, silver 2005 911 Turbo is LHD and not suitable for road use in Australia, so the second place prize (a verbal Well Done!) will be awarded instead!
I'll explain a few of the things on the car. First, the painted dash with no radio cutout (or antenna hole in the fender): I always liked the looks of some 356's with painted, plain dashes and the green gauges. I once was a "pit crew member" if you can call it that for a very serious CP 911 effort in the late 60's. (My job was to change brake pads and dump the very hot Castrol R from the engine/gearbox after every race.) The car, an early 66 911 was one of 6 "backdoor" factory cars called 911S Rallye with thin-gauge steel panels; light glass, undercoat/sound deadener delete, etc., and no radio cutout.
I don't want to open a can of worms here, but a while back on this board someone was trying to identify the year of their 912 and among the messages, someone asked "what's wrong with a 67?" I personally feel that the 67-back cars represent the last of the legendary Porsche craftsmanship - lots of beautiful cast brass parts, upholstered dash (not moulded); chrome plating instead of anodizing, etc. JMHO.
Enrique: The interior mirror was mounted after making an adapter plate (before the new headliner was cut.) A couple other details are also shown below.
Thanks again for all of the input.
Bill.

[dimps8]

Thanks bill, I don't like the silver ones anyway. Yes we do have our spy satelites on the USA because as you know we are now the 53rd state of America. Woops i've already said too much!

[TomPaycheck]

Were these door handles ever used beyond '67.
I have a '69 with these handles, which seem to have a
stronger plunger design than the round style.
The reason for this question is I would like to install the
correct doors on my car.
Also of the round style handles are these years interchangable,
and are any year better than others?