911 R with 1968 912 roots..

[Fixer]

Hello everyone,

I'm a new member of this forum and owning an early car. I'm thrilled as I recently (2 days ago) found a MY '68 912 5-speed coupe (no sunroof) with 5 instrument dash only 2.4 miles from my house. It has had its paint / interior stripped long ago to be built into a racer but the owner never got around to completing this. He intent was to install a 911 power plant i've been told. Anyway finding this car as i have is really amazing as I've been losing sleep trying to track down an early car and just a few days prior was packing after work dog tired to race down to Alabama from Philly to buy an absolute basket case '67 w/o title.
As usual, i was a few hours late and the car was bought by a person from Florida who lived 700 miles closer to this car.

I've long wanted to make my own 911R from an early car that needed restoration and this 912 is perfect in every way except for it being a 912.

My question for the group here is how would this be regarded by the early 911 crowd? Not being here long I have no idea. I've read many times that during Porsches early efforts at 911 homologation (911R) , Porsche "shuffled" the serial numbers themselves. (looking for my own loop hole in building a 911R out of this swb 912) I know it's a reach.

I wouldn't do this to an original 912 but this one needs full restoration and is missing it's engine.

With early 911s being so difficult to find these days, i hoped this idea would be understood and well received.

Kindest regards,

Matthew Mariani

[Frank Beck]

Matthew,

Since Caitlyn Jenner has been celebrated so famously I would imagine your vision would be as well.

Best of luck with your project. Looks like your Pit bull mix(?) is eager to help.

[Christian Guthrie]

There was a long discussion a little while back about a 912 that was built into a 911R type clone that sold for big money because it was done right. I think if you're building it for you, who cares what anybody else thinks. Just be aware that you may or may not re-coupe the money you invested. With the prices in todays market, you can't afford to hotrod a nice car so the 912 option is the only way to go. Have fun and be sure to drive it like you stole it! Here is the thread to Bill Harris' 911R.
http://www.early911sregistry.org/for...highlight=911r

[RSTarga]

Go for it, have fun!
But why are you asking us for permission? It's not our money.

[Fixer]

Frank, Christian and David, thanks for the advice. I guess part of me is asking because I'm on the fence to a certain degree as I kind of like the early 912 motors.
I'm not entirely sure a "912R" build (I know there never was one) isn't a better way to go here.

I am sure though that i want to make this car as light and focused as possible and for it to have R touches everywhere because this is the Porsche hobby imo.

Thank you for posting Bill's 912-911R FS thread that is helpful. I wonder what it eventually sold for?

[RSTarga]

I think Keith from Classic 911 magazine has hotrod a 912, covered in the magazine. I think I saw one with a Polo engine too. Probably more expensive though.
The 912 is actually quite quick in tight curves, better balance.

[Frank Beck]

The Harris sale was an anomaly. Lots of hype created an inflated sales price.

Throw that one out of the mix.

If you're asking people in this community if it's financially wise to do a "911R" build on a 912 I would counsel you to think long and hard. It's always risky to invest a bunch of money into a car that has the wrong credentials; like building a luxury home in a bad neighborhood.

You may have to pay $10-15k extra for a 911 chassis but you will get every bit of that back plus some in the long run.

And you will probably never be tempted to feel foolish or guilty along the way. On the contrary, I think the market will always confirm that you made the right decision.