912 project

[Paul Fix]

I'm looking at a 67 912 project car. the engine has been out of the car since about 74 and placed in a 55 gallon drum, with what looks like all the parts, but who knows? The car has 47,000 original miles.

what should I know about having the transmission exposed (covered with plastic) from having the engine out.

what should I know about this engine sitting out for so long

The body has been modified with wide flare fenders and seem to be rust free including the front pan. and floors. Do these flares change the value of the car?

There is some rust under the car where the rear suspension meets the body(near the jack hole). Is this repairable? or concerning?

Any comments on value in unrestored state and what will it be worth in running condition?

I guess what I'm asking is, how do I know if this is a good car to start with? If I put time, $ and effort into this project, I want to end up with more than just a better looking piece of junk.

[WFBowen]

Paul:
Project cars like this are almost impossible to put a price on. The true value of the car lies somewhere between it's potential for restoration vs. a parts car ready to be cannibalized for useable parts. If this helps, here's a "similar" car I sold a while back:

66 for Parts or Project

I've seen lots of sports cars in this state of limbo and I've learned to treat them strictly as parts cars, unless they're highly desirable (i.e. early 911S, etc.) and are worth restoring. The flares you mention definitely take the value down. Also, anytime you see a car sitting (especially with the motor out) for long periods of time, you can assume that something went very wrong and the owner didn't have the money/inclination to fix it. Bottom line: the money involved in restoring a car like this will at least double the value of its restored value. If you do make an offer on the car, make sure you're covered with the value of sellable parts in case you need to bail out of the project.
Hope this helps,
Bill.
p.s. If I sound emotionally detached from these cars, I'm not....I recently went with a friend (another Porsche head) to look at a totally rusted/stripped/ butchered 356 coupe. When he saw the car he just laughed and started to walk away. I, on the other hand, was thinking of making an offer. That's why I always take objective friends with me to see these cars!

[karmenbutzi912]

Paul: I also own a 912 with flared fenders was wondering if they are fiberglass of steel.

[Kevin Taylor]

Paul If you can post some pictures for us to see how bad the rust
is that might help us determine what kind of repair you will need in
that area. Most rust can be cut out and replaced by an experienced
body repair man or yourself if you are on a low budget and have some
mechanical ability. The 912's are much less to maintain than the 911's.
More than likely you are going to have to go completely through the engine and transmission due to the length of time they have been sitting. They will need to be sealed up. You might see if the pedal cluster moves at all.
If that's froze up it's going to need to be rebuilt too.
Also check the condition of the gas tank. All rubber gas hoses should
be replaced. You are looking at a complete brake job w/ new master cylinder, rebuilt calipers and new rotors. Look on the insides of the fenders (you might have to do some scraping)
and see if the flares are butt welded or riveted on.
Are the flares steel or glass?
It sounds like a neat project. My brother has one that sounds similar and we are in the middle of his complete new brake job this summer.
How much are they asking for it? See if you can find out how many owners there were and check the numbers on the trans and engine.
The repairable 912's are getting harder to find.
If you deside to take on the project keep us up to date on it.
Good Luck.

Are you a new Pelican member? If so welcome aboard.

K.T.
1973 911 E 2.4 MFI
1983 911 SC
1965 Devin "D" - 1967 912 Power Plant