The best time to get into a vintage Porsche was ten years ago. The next best time is now. Not only are prices skyrocketing for well-worn examples, can still be had for a little bit of cash and a little bit of elbow grease. Ok, a-lotta bit of elbow grease.

was the more affordable four-banger sister car to the now-unobtainable Porsche 911 with its boxer six-cylinder engine. Although the 912 was never known for its straight line performance (read: slightly fast than a city bus with a flat tire) the chassis was similar enough to the 911 that it’s just as collectible as its high-dollar sibling. This car, on the face of it, looks to be in pretty decent shape, especially for a car that’s existed for six freaking decades. The engine unfortunately had a terminal case of broken crankshaft, but it’s not anything a machine shop and a call to Wayne Carini can’t fix.

At the current four figure bid price, it’s the cheapest vintage Porsche you can get today in any sort of rolling state, much less with one color on its body and four wheels that aren’t off an ‘87 Cavalier.

While the car may have its share of issues that need urgent fixing, the overall structure looks quite solid although I’m not sure how rusted out the floor pans may be, as the car’s from the New York Area where there tends to be quite a bit of snow, salt, and humidity. Here’s an excerpt from the description:

The only reason this was originally parked 30 yrs ago was due to a noise in the engine, ultimately found to be a broken crankshaft.

Solid car (except for floorboards) with complete, uncracked glass. Heater boxes are surprisingly and happily rust-free! Battery box is solid with some surface rust. Some surface rust exists on the fenders and driver door (see pics) as well as in the “water trap” in the trunk lip as seen in the VIN tag pic.

Originally Irish Green (code 6606), was painted this zippy red at some time in its life. Some areas were poorly masked (e.g., hood & trunk latches, body tag)

Comes with smooth shifting 5 spd and disassembled engine (have valve train ordered and numbered.)

Seats appear to be a recent re-furburish. Will need to be vacuumed/washed due to falling headliner material.

Oh, and a sun visor is autographed by 912 (and other Porsches) racer Vic Elford. :-) Met him at Lime Rock Historics one year...

Door and side panels are in good condition. Dash pad/surround and rear deck will need some restoration attention also...

The big items that need attention:

- Needs engine rebuilt or replaced (original one was disassembled to diagnose issue (broken crankshaft), have replacement used crankshaft. If interested, I can put you in touch with a friend in NW CT who’s selling a 912 long block.

- Needs floor pans replaced (suspected leaky windshield, have replacement windshield gasket). Center hump is OK.

- Needs carpeting and headliner replaced

- Needs paint refreshed

This car would be a spectacular candidate for a modern drivetrain swap or a restoration. Sure, the paint isn’t original, but with the underpinnings of the car resembling that of the Volkswagen Beetle, it’s one of the easiest cars to take apart and refurbish, even if the parts can be quite pricey.

According to the seller, all the required parts are included in the sale, so it would be up to you to replace or refurbish a few things and in theory, you could have yourself a tasty vintage Porsche that would certainly appreciate in the coming years. I’d certainly buy it if I didn’t spend all my money on “Tavarish For President 2016” coffee mugs. .

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