gr1275

It has a little over 100K on it. Sunroof and leather wrapped steering wheel appear to be the only options... with one exception. It is a paint to sample car. It's an "interesting" shade of green, supposedly taken from a VW of that ear! It looks like a 70's AMC color called "Blarney Green". The paint is tired but, looks like it would respond to a wet sanding. The body appears to be free of any repairs. No dents or dings. The tan interior is in excellent condition.
I didn’t want to drive it until I got a little better understanding of its value. The seller is asking $14.5 and states it is a rust free SO Cal car with a one family history. Assuming the PPI and rust inspection comes back clean, does anyone have thoughts on what these cars are worth now-a-days?

Gary

cali4sun

I usually request an annual value from PCA the last one I received dated December 2010 said that the lower range was $7K, average $11.4K, and high range was $15.7K based on their research. I'll be requested an update soon, however I would not expect much of a change.

Best of luck
Charles

'89 928S4 GP White/Black
'76 912E Silver/Black sunroof

gr1275

Thanks for the feedback. I'm going to take another look at it later this week.
Gary

Turb-OH Brad

I've never been real partial to the type 4 engine. It's a bit on the rough side, and doesn't like to rev. The fuel injection system on those is pretty good though, for 1976.

There are a few NLA pieces that make it difficult to live with if they are missing or broken or rotten. One of those is the heat exchangers. Make sure those are intact.

Jay Gratton

This thread is pointless without pictures. Have any? I personally like these cars very much and I would like to see the color and condition of the car.

gr1275

Jay,
I will take another look at it later this week. I'll get a couple of pictures then.

Gary

gr1275

Just a heads up on this... After further consideration, I have decided to pass on this one and continue my search. Now that I have a "feel" for what these are worth, I'm much better prepared. Thanks everyone for the advice.

Gary

DHC8FO

The "values" on these are all over the board. I bought one for less than 10K with all teh records for the last 30 + years. It had a crate motor replaced at 80k, and 112k original miles. the interior is a 9 (cracked seats), the exterior a 9 (some very minor paint damage on the edge of the hood). All original with factory sunroof (working). One of only 500 made. So, I thought I got an exceptional deal. A car I can get 30 MPG on the freeway for less than the price of a KIA that will be worth 1/2 what I paid the moment I drive it off the lot.
Yes you can find some for 5K, but you often get what you pay for. If you want a car you can enjoy and is fun to drive, the 912 is a good choice for an "inexpensive" car. Just do a real through pre-purchase. The transmission is one year only, there's often rust under the battery tray, and get a leak down as well as compression check. It just depends on how bad your seller wants to sell too. Wait until January, you may not really be able to drive it for awhile (at least where I live), but people tend to be more flexible after the holidays.

ron mcatee

The 912E is a great car if you get one that has been taken care of and the owner has complete documentation. I owned one for 14 years and had virtually carefree & inexpensive driving during that time. As mentioned, the heat exchanges are expensive, the rubber boot that connects the filter box to the throttle body is virtually non-available. However, the fuel injection is the same as a 1.8 liter 914, so parts for that may be plentiful. Most of the rest of the car uses the same parts as a 1976 911. As stated befrore, thorough PPI is needed to ensure the prospective car is in good condition.

Al Meredith

I have owned 3 912E's , have #265 now. I built a 2056 CC engine using Jake Raby parts and love that combo. 106HP at the wheels (stock is 78HP @wheels) The best thing is the torque : 125 at the wheels with over 120 from 3500 RPM to 4500 RPM . Over 100 FTLB rear wheel from 3000 to 5500 RPM. I have one more project to complete (complete resto of a real 1970 914-6) then I'm building a 2270 CC 912 . 170HP . Go to www.aircooledtechnology.com for info on their engines.

4Scargo

I've owned one since 1981 (really) Love that car.... I think...that the early numbers were not galvanized and I do believe that most had sunroofs. I had my type 4 rebuilt with slightly bigger jugs, a (very) mild cam and hydraulic lifters. I also took off the FI way back when. I have original paint and it is litterally falling off the galvanized body parts. The 912E is light and with a little massage, it produces as much hp as the 911 of that year. Also, talk to Jake Raby the Porsche guru. He has one that he is doing his darndest to blow up.....and it won't!

Fly911

Why would anyone pay 911 prices for a 912E? This is the least desireable year of all 911's, and the 912E is a stripped out 911 with a 4 cylinder Volkswagen type 4 engine in it (VW 411/412/Bus/914). $14k will give you a very good SC or a high mileage Carrera 3.2L, these cars are a million times better than any 912E.
(For the record, I have had several VW's (Beetle, 412 and 914) with Type 4 engines, nothing wrong with the engine, it's just that the 6 cylinder 911 engine is a million times better, more powerful and sounds so much better)

DHC8FO

I think there will be a market for the 912Es specifically. Not that they compare directly to the 911s. It's the scarcety of them. about 2100 made, 500 with electric sunroof. To have one that is in excellent shape with all documentation, would put you in the upper 20% (or higher) of the total produced.

So, as a collector, how much would you pay for something Porsche only made 500 of and yours is iin the top 100 (as far as condition) of these?

I didn't buy mine as an investment, but because it was such a nice car, and fun to drive. For less than the price of a new Kia.

Ultimately, the market will dictate pricing, but with this small number of cars produced, it will not take much demand to see prices move up.