[155MPH]

A month ago I was out for a walk and saw a 1966 912 parked at the curb with a for sale sign on it. It was Red with Black interior. I quickly walked around it and the body looked in good condition. The 912 for those not old enough to remember is a 911 with a smaller engine and sold for $4,700 when new. The guy was asking $7000. I am wondering if it was a mistake to not take down the telephone number and check this out. Could this be a good investment car?

[epbrown]

Originally Posted by 155MPH

Could this be a good investment car?

No. A vintage 912 would be a fun classic to own, and I've often thought of buying one and swapping in one of those hopped-up VW motors (the 912's 356-style engine makes this a breeze), but mostly a nice 912 is seen as a source of parts for an early 911 resto - despite being identical in almost every way. In the Porsche world everything begins and ends with the 911, and great cars like the 912 (which handles better than a same year 911 because the engine gives it better weight distribution), 914, 944/968, etc. all fall by the wayside. One day the wonderful Cayman S will join the pantheon of also-ran "nota911s."

If you see the car again, check the interior - the 5-gauge instrument cluster is preferable, as is the 5-speed manual trans instead of the 4-speed or Sportomatic, and a complete interior is a must, especially the door pockets. I suspect the 912 you saw had none of these.

Personally, if I had space for TWO toy cars, I'd have a Z4 and a black/black 1966 912 coupe with factory sunroof with steel wheels and hubcaps instead of Fuchs alloys.

[155MPH]

Wow, you know your 912s. This one was either a 4 or 5 speed manual, not automatic. It was a coupe, but no sunroof. The interior looked good but not sure about the 5-gauge instrument cluster and the door pockets. Now you have given me something to think about. Hopefully I will see the car again. For the price it would be a nice toy to tinker with. Why the steel wheels instead of the alloys?

[epbrown]

Originally Posted by 155MPH

Wow, you know your 912s. This one was either a 4 or 5 speed manual, not automatic. It was a coupe, but no sunroof. The interior looked good but not sure about the 5-gauge instrument cluster and the door pockets. Now you have given me something to think about. Hopefully I will see the car again. For the price it would be a nice toy to tinker with. Why the steel wheels instead of the alloys?

I'm no 912 expert, but I've owned a few older Porsches and have been checking out 912s for years; I've also got some books on the subject. For 912 experts, you can try http://www.912registry.org/.

The Sportomatic would be hard to spot - it used a gearshift just like the manuals; the only way to tell is count the pedals.

I'd go with steel wheels for aesthetics - I just like the look of them. Fuchs are the CSL and M3 replicas of he early Porsche world - everyone gets them; doesn't mean they don't look good, too.

[155MPH]

I checked the streets around where I saw this 912 over the past couple of weekends and I have not seen it again. I did meet another Z4 owner (Black 3.0si) who lives on that corner. He said he also saw the car and if he sees it again he will let me know. This one may have gotten away.

[epbrown]

Originally Posted by epbrown

Personally, if I had space for TWO toy cars, I'd have a Z4 and a black/black 1966 912 coupe with factory sunroof with steel wheels and hubcaps instead of Fuchs alloys.

Speak of the devil and he appears, almost : http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/ws/eB...1188418&rd=1,1

You can see how incomplete the 3-gauge dash looks due to all the extra space on the side.

[155MPH]

Originally Posted by epbrown

Speak of the devil and he appears, almost : http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/ws/eB...1188418&rd=1,1

You can see how incomplete the 3-gauge dash looks due to all the extra space on the side.

Missing the factory sun roof and 5 gauge dash...and it seems a bit higher priced then what I read they are selling for in good condition. Guess you are not bidding?