Genuine barn find Porche 912= "original"

[john rice]

Folks,
Lots of interesting thoughts on what original means. Of course it is different to each of us.

Now here is an ORIGINAL "barn find" Porche and I doubt anyone would dispute it being .. original. Tho this is what you gotta do if you want GENUINE real thing original. All the big money spenders can talk a good original but there is only one way to get it. And it won't last long in its present form.

[You should have seen the 930 in the barn stall across from it... and the spare 930 engine that I almost tripped over. I thought it was some farm equipment until I really looked.]

Another way of putting it: So. Now I got original. How do I preserve it?

:->

[pwd72s]

Wow! A '66? My first P-car was a '66 912. Rubber floor mats, 3 dial gauges, AM only radio, a real stripper. And I loved it. A great car to learn about trailing throttle oversteer in. John, is this for real? You have this? It would never be worth the $ spent to fully repair, but Gawd, what a neat car. Fast isn't everything....

[Rick Cabell]

John,
Nothin like a bard find! What is the condition rust wise? How long had it been sitting?
Attached is a picture of this summers barn find. One owner 66 911 with all the books. Even the original bill of sale from the dealer! Original paint!
No rust!

[john rice]

Actually, under the heavy layer it is in good to exceptional condition. Bought from long time friend, paid WAY too much, but it will probably clean up beautifully. He included a spare excellent transaxle that he bought as a spare- from ME- in 1984! He was going to keep it forever. Interior is really nice except for the two side carpet pieces [remember the 356 style original carpet] which are torn up from getting in/out while driving in the rain. Cannot locate this carpeting -may fashion kick plates. I remember that being a period thing to resolve it. The carpets fell apart in the rain.

The problem? I really like it as it is! I was trying to figure out how to do the needed work without touching any of the "lovely patina". It is hard. The short drive eliminated the heavy cobwebs on the wheels and all. They looked cool. Needs brake work [stuck] and clean out the fuel system [of course] but it otherwise runs and drives. Touch the brakes and it locks solid. Engine seems good and tight [like he said it was] but fuel system is full of goop from the barn. It has virtually NO rust. Except for 2-3 small dings while in the barn the body is perfect and I THINK the paint will shine up nicely.

Wanted to fix it just enough to drive it up to PCA Escape last August. Never happened. Still sits but I still have "too many Porsches" [to quote my wife]. Unfortunately, she is right.

OK- now the other point. NOT one of you said anythging about my spelling PORCHE. Were we all being polite or what? Only flaw outside of the dings is the rear emblem is missing the S. So I was waiting for someone-anyone to point out that I don't know how to spell Por_che. But this one claims itself as a POR_CHE and I will probably leave it that way. I MAY clean up 1/2 of the car and show it. I used to race a SSA Cosworth Vega and was invited to display it in a car show. I put a dotted line down the center and put 1/2 in race trim and the other 1/2 in street trim. It worked very well. I picture this done the same if I can just keep enough dirt and grime on 1/2 of it. It already got some rain on it which wiped almost half of it away.....

Last- he used to be Commander of the Homicide Unit and I keep digging up bits. I found a bunch of 38 rounds and a lot of notebooks with homicide details and suspects and who knows who and did what to whom and when and it all adds flavor to it. The particular cases are from when he was an active Investigator so they are really old but I felt it only prudent to destroy them. Still have the pile of bullets tho. Think of it as kinda like the 356 in Bullitt.

Maybe I will start calling it the "Bullitt barn Por_che"? I am still wondering if I can really live with a 912- even a neat original and unique 912.....

[pwd72s]

Hey John, the missing letter fits. After all, it's NOT an "S", right? What I first spotted was the original period correct black/gold plate. Would Cali DMV let you still run it? Next up, I noticed the rubber on the rear bumpers. My old 912 was just shiny stuff there. I could live with a 912...easily! Like I posted earlier, being among the fastest isn't everything. Besides, you have cars that run fast. This one should be for pure fun? I have slides taken @ the 1971 Pea-Raid. The 4 cylinder set back then, I mean even cars entered in the concours, was really big on sending off engine compartment bits to be chromed. The filter can, coil strap, the list goes on. They liked "bling" back then, original was for the poor folks who couldn't afford to have things chromed. Times & tastes change...but if she were mine? I'd try to "upgrade" her...all the way to 1970 or so. Bursch exhaust with optional stinger for track days, etc. The hunt for period correct aftermarket bits would begin. Some of them were pretty funky, I'll admit.

[Rick Cabell]

John,
This is incredible!!!
Do NOT restore the car. Do what I did with the 66. Take it apart and CLEAN it. It wil take some time. All the brake fluid needs to come out. All four calipers need to be sent out for rebuild. About $89 each, and that includes new pads. New master cylinder, and rubber hoses. The carbs need to come off and be rebuilt. Fuel tank removed, and relined. About $220.
Tires. A little more and she should fire up. If the engine is not seized, it should fire up. All the oil seals will need to be dealt with. For a couple grand and your time, this baby could be on the road! Don't let this legend die!!! And the NOTES!! It's a peice of history!!!

[real550A]

Nice find John!
I just finished parting a '66, so if there are missing "bits" you need, let me know. The rear PORSCHE script is already gone, but I have lots of interior goodies.

[john rice]

THANK YOU all for appreciating my POR_CHE. Here is the deal. I was told it "really DOES run. Just fine. If it weren't for the brakes and fuel lines that kept clogging with this fine dirt I would have driven it home. As it was I decided to get it going and...see what happens. It was like I ALWAYS used to do in the old days. Almost fun. Went over it and did this and that. It started. It ran. It drove. Hit the brakes. Did you know you can unfreeze a stuck brake by backing off the 19mm nut on the caliper? [don't recc for driving but useful if trying to move a car like this] It was fronts locking. So, I forget and hit the brakes.. It starts locking and I pull over and quickly loosen a 1/4 turn and retighten and I am back off. Then I get to the highway and after about 1 mile the fuel lines get reclogged and it starts slowing down. I call CSAA and tell them my car stopped running. I explained to the driver that it was a unusual "show car" and I deliberately kept it looking like that so people can see what they used to look like. He tows it the 50 miles home. [He DID really roll his eyes while I was trying to look really sincere.] I thank myself for getting some use out of my extended tow service and slap my wrist for not being totally honest [of course it would have cost me abut $200 bucks for the same tow!].

Rick, I appreciate your feedback. I may come back later with some questions. I have a set of S brakes with the rare adapters if I want but I like the idea of repairing the stock brakes. In fact, I still have the original chromies and am considering putting them back on. The Fuchs look great and give it some attitude but I never see the chromies anymore.

Paul, yes. It still has the original black plates and I already have it registered. I THINK the rear bumperettes are original. At some point I will include images of some interior. It is red/black. I cannot believe that the original seats still have that nice crisp shape to them. Never see that anymore. If it were a 911 I would be in heaven. Still..... :->

[pwd72s]

You see John, that's the beauty of a car like this...Rick & I already each have different ideas on how it should be treated. But it's your car. I trust you to do the right thing for you. I'm with you on the chrome wheels. You can't go home again, but this is pretty darned close.

[MarkP]

Nice find John!

I was on a very similar path with my 67S - three owners, hadn't been driven in may years, compression and leak down were suprisingly good, ran well but the carbs needed a rebuild. Then... we found metal flakes in the oil! As this photo shows, corrosion in the bearings. I'm glad we caught it before I drove it too much...