10k Flash: 1966 Porsche 912; Cheap Entry for Air Cooled
The Porsche 912 (1965-1969) was an entry level version of the iconic 911; using an aircooled flat-four (similar to the 356) it delivered better fuel economy in exchange for a cacophonous exhaust note and mild performance. The 912 was unloved for many years, the red-headed step child of the Porsche family, cheap examples were parted out for interior/panel/misc parts to keep 911s running and looking good, but recently the 912 has come into its own, and like an ugly duckling turning into a swan, its spawned its own enthusiast sites and prices for nice examples have appreciated to nearly that of the flat-6 powered 911. Therefore, it is surprising to see this numbers matching 1966 Porsche 912, located in Phoenix, AZ bidding on ebay for as little as $12,200 with 11 hours to go.
Overall this 912 looks in decent shape – its even in a nice color, which unfortunately doesn’t look to be one of the 9 colors offered on a 912 in 1966. No word from the seller on the originality of the paint, but judging from some signs of filler in the hood it is likely a respray.
The engine is the original 1.6 liter flat-4 bored out to 1.8 liters with a ‘big-bore kit’, probably putting some above the 90 stock horsepower – 110ish? At least the 912 is a light car, at just under 2200 lbs it doesn’t need much power to get moving.
The interior looks in ok shape for a daily driver – not sure why such a large and conspicuous fire extinguisher would be needed, perhaps a full replacement of all flexible fuel lines would be in order.
Bottom line: This isn’t a bad way to step into the classic Porsche 911/912 short wheel base chassis.
See a better poor man’s 911? email us here: tips@dailyturismo.com
~ fair condition, a bit better than 912 i most recently bought. – and already 3-4 times the $$$$$s !
~ Winning bid: US $13,980.00
Judging from the photos, this "Arizona car" was delivered directly from Stuttgart after seasoning for about 20 years of winters in the Northeast.
+1 Brent. There are others out there, for sure. For less and better buys.
It's impolite to speculate about fire extinguishers in other people's cars… The fuel line condition probably has nothing to do with it. had to deal with a suspicious buyer wondering about the Halon job in my MB…, as I said' "It's there because the previous owner believed in fire safety and because I don't believe in welding up holes in the floor and replacing the carpet just to clean up after him…"