I bought my 74 911s, one owner, numbers matching car in April for $65k.it had 15k miles on a rebuild engine and trans. I thought I paid on the high side until I saw what others were selling for. I was able to source a newly built Euro RS MFI 2.7 and a set of period correct sport seats and will convert to my all time favorite - a narrow body 2.7 MFI , essentially a 74 version of the current GT3 RS Touring. I’ll crate and store the original engine and seats.
Unless the engine has been rebuilt or converted to a 3 liter, I’d look for a 74 911s. They are low production - less made than the revered Carerra model. Narrow body and Euro bumpers look clean. Fewer of the issues that plagued the 75-77 engines, as the 74 cars had none of the thermal reactors or 5 blade fans that enabled the heat these engines are faulted for, and which resulted in warped cases, pulled head studs, and leaks, all of which cost $$ to fix when rebuilding. The later 75-77s make less power too, as does the bass 74 911 with its lower compression engine. If you have to have an early G body, the 74 is the sweet spot.
Also, if you do decide to hot rod or tweak the engine, you won’t have the smog certification requirements in CA with a 74, which makes your investment a bit better long term. Just know the 2.7 can’t be cheaply modded to make more power. You need a new cam, RS pistons, and a carb setup to achieve more power, and that’s assuming you don’t have a big amount of machine work.
I’ve had a 2.7 from a 76 911 that I had rebuilt as a twin plug for my 914 - the engine case required lots of machine shop work to correct. I’d be realistic about your rebuild costs if you get an unrestored 2.7 that suffered heat issues - many did. A 2.7 costs as much and a tad more to rebuild and make power as does a 3.0 or 3.2. My twin plug build was easily $25k when all done, though the twin plug option added about $5k.
The CIS systems of the 2.7 are nice but can be fiddly if not addressed - vacuum leaks are a pain. Mine runs like a Swiss clock and returns 24-26mpg on the highway. A proper rebuilt 2.7 CIS runs great but won’t win any stoplight races. Quicker but not fast. But they are excellent everyday engines.
Many will push you to the later SC models, especially the 3.2. Great cars but not at all the same - heavier and less lively. I recently swapped with a friend’s 3.2 SC and both of us found my 74 to be the more entertaining and fun to drive car, even as it was slower and less planted. I have a 3.2 in my hot rod 914 and for the 911, I’ll take a hotrodded 2.7 or MFI version every day - it sound magnificent and revs higher than the 3.2.
Go for it but be prepared to wait for a good one and expect $55-70k for a well sorted example. Look for history and no rust, and a sunroof delete car. They are out there.
