Possible Future Owner w/ Questions

[JagerPorsche]

Hi,
I have always loved the shape of the early 911/912's, and soon I will possibly be looking into purchasing one. I do have a few questions though

-Can the later 70's models be retro fitted with the early style bumpers?
-Would it be possible to use one as a Daily Driver? (I'm going to be living on an Air Force Base, so I doubt I would be commuting in it alot.)
-Anything to look out for when purchasing one? (Rusting Battery boxes or something?)
-How hard are they to work on?


I have had a 924 for a few years. It is almost finished, most of the work being done by myself. I'd say I am a fairly good self taught mechanic. I'd just like to have a Porsche on the boxer side of the family

thanks,
Ryan

[Jaems]

The early Porsches come in two types. The 64-68 SWB and the 69-73 LWB some of the parts are interchangeable. The 74 0n are a different animal. A few parts will work on the earlier ones like the windshield, rear window and complete front suspension. The rear suspension are not depending if you have a SWB or LWB car. The SWB 912 are better handling than the SWB 911 due to less weight in the rear. The 64-73 911's will cost you twice as much, initially, than a 912, however, repairing or restoring them will be about the same.

The 911 and 912 can be very expensive to work on. They can have rust in all the usual places. Once sorted out they can be very reliable daily drivers. They are very easy to work on. The 912 is a lot easier than the 911 engine to work on. The electrical can be easy or hard depending on how many PO's have played a round with it in the past.

[JagerPorsche]

Thanks for the reply. I've learned my lesson about buying a cheap Porsche, so I am going to try and get one in better condition.

One last question- Can you drop the 912 engine out the bottom like you can in the old Beetles? If so, that would be nice. I hate sticking my hand down in the cramped engine bay of the 924.

[fbarrett]

Jager:

Yes, the engine and trans come out easily from below. You can possibly rebuild the engine yourself, but parts are getting very expensive.

Rust should be your major concern: front crossmember/suspension mounts, rocker panels and jack point areas, rear torsion bar tube, door jambs, taillight and headlight housings, lower doors, front fender closing panels, etc., etc. Rust is more expensive to fix (properly) than mechanical bits.

To help you learn more and judge cars for possible purchase, you should buy a copy of the Illustrated Porsche Buyers Guide, either from Pelican or other Porsche booksellers.

That said, a 912 is an absolute bargain compared to an early 911. A good 912 can kick 911 butt in an autocross, and a 912 is becoming a rare car at shows, etc.

Frank
'65 912 bought in 1968, now 1720 cc, 2,050 lb, 7" alloys, 22/28-mm torsion bars, 911 brakes, 170,000 mi, etc.

[JagerPorsche]

Frank,
Thanks for the input. I will definitely buy that book before purchasing a car. Nice to know the engine and trans drop out easily. I had a heck of a time getting those bits out of my 924.

It's a real shame that parts are getting rare. I guess I was born a bit too late for the classic 911/912 hay day.

[fbarrett]

Originally Posted by JagerPorsche

It's a real shame that parts are getting rare. I guess I was born a bit too late for the classic 911/912 hay day.

Jager:

Parts aren't really rare, but they can be expensive. It's actually easier to find some parts these days due to reproductions, the internet, etc. And there's far more interest in these early cars now than there was 10 or 20 years ago.

Frank

[micheloaks]

Hi to answer one of your first questions. later year model cars can be backdated. I guess and dependent on your choices, if that was your cup of tea then go for a 76 or later that was galvanised