Trade my '66 912 for an 80's 911?

[mr.woolery]

Some of you know the story about the 1966 Porsche 912 garage find I bought last year. I've been restoring the car as well as having fun driving it. Well, it seems that I've done good enough work on the car, since I've been getting some pretty enthusiastic offers to buy it nearly every time I take it out for a drive.

I do like this car, and am finding that I'm enjoying it even more each time I improve on it...but I also wonder if my 912 would also act as a good jumping point/trading opportunity to get into an 80's Porsche 911. My Porsche memories mostly stem from seeing the late 70's-80's 911 models, and one of those seem to be calling to me.

What are your thoughts about the possibility of trading my 912 for an 80's era 911?

[SilberUrS6]

I don't think you can go wrong trading up to a '84-'89 car. No worries about rust, more "go", lots of choices. The downside is that the "cool" factor isn't there - and longhoods are "cool" right now. But from just about any other standpoint, the 3.2s are better cars.

Maybe now is the time to capitalize on your hard work?

[sm70911]

I haven't seen the 912 but as a trade depending on the 3.2 you want, (Coupe / Targa / Cab) as prices are high for turnkey cars with history right now, and the 912 is not yet tat 911 T prices I think you might end up having to add some $ to your side of the deal.

If the 912 has some desirable options / color etc it will make the trade better.
I would start the process on the Samba and see where that leads.

[Matt Monson]

I made the opposite trade last year. I own a pristine '86 and came across a good deal on a mechanical good cosmetically rough '85. I bought it and was going to track rat it.

Ironically, the way I had acquired my '86 was a straight trade for the '68 Euro 911t I had at the time. The same gentleman I made that trade with had a '67 912 he had fairly recently liberated from Wyoming and had been doing some work on. I was craving the SWB driving experience again and the rough 3.2 just seemed redundant. So we did another trade.

Unless you car is really nice I wouldn't expect it to be worth a pristine Carrera. I put both my 912 and the Carrera I traded in the below average driver range in need of cosmetic attention. Cash value of both cars I would put in the $10-12k range.

But I am having fun with the 912. Doing the carpets. Putting in a TRE roll bar and some nice seats and harnesses. I will eventually find the time to give it a built 5 spd. If these sorts of projects are something you enjoy then you can probably find a 3.2 Carrera or SC to meet your needs. They drive very differently and are far far more modern.

[mr.woolery]

Here's some more info about my 912 so you folks can make a better assessment...

My 912 is a 1966 model, Karmann factory build, 3-gauge cluster, 5-speed, numbers matching, solid (no rust) car that was purchased and spent its entire life in southern California. It runs perfectly fine with no leaks, shifts well, and is reliable. It was originally aga blue, but was repainted slate gray in the early 80's. I buffed out the paint to make it smooth and present well, but does currently have a patina to it. The interior is in amazing shape and presents extremely well with no tears or significant wear to the seats or dash.

This car used to be the daily driver of the matriach of the Pauter family (of Pauter Machine Shop fame). She parked it in a garage in the 90's after buying another daily driver, and it sat there until I bought it last year. I had the car gone through by a Porsche specialist, replacing the fuel system, rebuilding the carbs, brakes, and various other driveline bits to make the car daily driver reliable again. Since getting the car running, I've also been incrementally restoring the car on a smaller scale (restored the wheels, buffed the paint, replacing body gaskets, windshield wipers, polishing the chrome, etc). My current project is restoring the front turn signals as they've lost their amber color with age.

This 912 pretty much fell into my lap due to serendipity. As a car car guy, I think it has found a nice place in my little collection of sports cars, and am finding myself increasingly enjoying the Porsche ownership experience through this car over time. I do love this 912 and enjoy driving it. I’m only really pondering the question of a trade because I feel like I identify more with the 911’s of the 80’s decade. If the right one doesn’t present itself, though, I’ll continue to restore/drive/enjoy my 912 for what it is. I am loathe to sell it outright…I’ve received boatloads of offers from enthusiastic collectors who want to buy it, but I’m not much of a car selling kind of guy (I still have my first car, and have only ever sold one car that has come to be in my possession). I hate the idea of flipping this car, which prevents me from doing anything but a trade for another P-car.

Here's some pics of the car:

As found when rescued from storage:


After getting her running again:



After buffing out the paint:



Interior…This is how the interior presented when first taking delivery. I’ve since re-installed the original steering wheel.




I kind of figure that my 912 currently doesn’t have enough value for a straight up trade for a G50 3.2 Carrera, and would be willing to throw in some cash on top to make an even trade for one. I figured I'd be able to do a straight trade for a nice SC. I'm only interested in manual transmission coupes, though. Mileage and color are of no importance to me. Condition is important though, as I don't want to trade a good solid driver for a clapped out project car. I'm looking for a decent driver in return.

I am open to any advice or suggestions you folks might have. Thank you very much for taking the time to consider my situation.

[christiandk]

I would too......