The Porsche 912 has long been considered the ugly sibling of the 911—even though it’s stylistically identical to its six-cylinder big brother. But with a low-powered four-cylinder rather than a stout six under the rear deck lid, the 912 never quite got the attention it might have otherwise deserved.
But fortunes have changed for the 912. Once thought of as a parts bin for the six-cylinder 911s, the model now has value in its own right. A restored 912 coupe sells for about $55k these days.
So it’s a good time to run into a 912 barn find, like this 1969 Porsche 912 project car recently offered on eBay. It’s just out of the barn where it slumbered for four decades.
It’s Definitely a Project
The ’69 Porsche 912 barn find appears complete and still wearing its original slate gray paint. However, the motor is out of the car. There is rust—old Porsches are corrosion magnets.
The worst of it, in this case, is the passenger-side rocker panel, front suspension pan, and the entire floor pan. The exterior panels appear good, though. Bodywork will be the main challenge, but not the only one.
Notably, the engine is out of the car. It’s not a big deal, as an engine removal on these early air-cooled Porsches is relatively straightforward. Maybe this 912 developed an engine problem decades ago, and the owner pulled the motor. Then, perhaps, the low value of the four-cylinder 912s at that time stalled the project until it could become a barn find.
The interior is in better condition than you might expect, given the rest of the car. The seats may even be usable as-is, although it’s hard to tell because there’s a lot of detritus on them. The instruments are in place, and the dash panel is there but cracked. A complete set of Fuchs 15-inch wheels are present.
The seller offers this understatement:
It obviously needs a complete restoration.
Get Ready To Get Your Hands Dirty
A restorer of this car will benefit from readily available parts on eBay. There is no shortage of parts specialists and the components necessary to revive faded beauty. While old German parts can be costly at times, not everything is so expensive.
To be sure, the 912 is not as fast as a 911. For example, zero to 60 is about 12 seconds. But it oozes period Porsche style.
This car could be a good starting point for a six-cylinder swap in the vein of the ever-popular restomods you’ll find everywhere on car-centric social media. On the other hand, if you’re going to the trouble of handling all of the metalwork to get this 912 right, it might make financial sense to add a bunch of power and gain some street cred.
But we’d also totally dig an honest restoration of the original four-cylinder boxer powerplant into this 912. There’s only so fast you can go on the street, and the lighter weight of the 912 makes it handle like a dream.
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This article is meant to provide general guidance only. Automotive maintenance, repair, upgrade, and installation may depend on vehicle-specifics such as make and model. Always consult your owner's manual, repair guide for specific information for your particular vehicle and consider a licensed auto-care professional's help as well, particularly for advance repairs.