The time has come again, my friends, to delve into the world of Craigslist and the search term “project”. Every once in a while that search turns up a gem or two, and this one has been certified by this terrible car gemologist to be a real one. With the state of the enthusiast car market, it’s impossible to find something fun that is not a giant cash vacuum. I’m not sure yet that this 964 Cabriolet won’t be a cash vacuum, but when it’s done you can tell people you bought it for twelve grand and watch their jaws drop.

This particular Porsche hasn’t seen the light of day in a while, as it’s been tucked away in a garage getting ignored. It doesn’t have an engine or transmission, despite the listing calling this transmission-less car a “manual”. That doesn’t mean you need to be discouraged, however, as there are options. Obviously the most sane one is to find a used 964 engine and transmission and bolt them back into place. Or you could go hog-wild and build a big-turbo Volkswagen 1.8T, you could call Renegade Performance and swap in an LS engine, or you could brew up your own ridiculous swap. This 964 is your oyster.

My brain knows this is a bad idea, but my heart is already fully invested. My heart says “Okay, yeah, so it doesn’t have a title and it might have been involved in an accident but this is a great starting point for a fun and fresh sports car. You could definitely call yourself a ‘real’ Porsche owner if you bought this. I believe in you and your talents, you could definitely get this project running by next spring. Good 964s are like 60 grand now, this is a steal!”

Here’s the listing, for posterity:

1990 PORSCHE 911/964 CARRERA 2 CABRIOLET

MANUAL

BILL OF SALE

MISSING ENGINE ,TRANY ,

RACK & PINION AND SOME PARTS HERE AND THERE .

DRIVER QUARTER PANEL WAS INVOLVED IN ACCIDENT BACK IN THE DAYS

COMES WITH SOME PARTS

CONVERTIBLE TOP IN VERY GOOD CONDITION.

NO TIME TO FINISH IT SO ITS TOME TO GO

OPEN FOR TRADES (NOT A PROJECT )PLUS CASH FROM MY SIDE IF YOU GOT SOMETHING NICE ,LET ME KNOW WHAT YOU GOT .

You won’t suck me into project car hell this time, Craigslist. But keep trying, though. I can’t resist forever. This one almost got me...

For those who believe in their hearts much more than their brains, , and the car is located in Sacramento, California.