HELP!!!! 911 or 912......That is the question??

[Highlander]

Hi guys
Im very new to the forum and feel a bit like the new recruit in the barracks , this is all very new to me so bear with me and promise not to laugh too hard if i say the wrong thing. I have been checking out the forum from time to time just to ...put my toe in the water so to speak and have now decided to jump in by becoming a member!!! Looks like there is a hell of a lot of expierience on here with oodles of technical advice on these classic porsches if needed, and everybody seems to know everyone (very friendly).

Pretty much from when i was 16 until leaving a full time Army job at the age of 35 (career change) i have been drooling over the early 911!! but unfortunately Sgts pay, together with the demanding girlfriend!! (now ex) Yippee!!!!!!) i have never been able to achieve my dream of owning a classic porsche. Personally i have never been the type to go Ga Ga over high performance modern cars, even if they do look nice or could out perform an early 911 so finally after years of putting up with a modern run of the mill car Im now in the market for a 911 or 912, the model year im after would be preferably a 1969 - 70 model for the 911 or a 67-69 912. To be honest i need some advice as im sort of stuck!! and need to be steered into the right direction.

My budget is £11,000 - £14,000 maximum and i would be looking to use this every other day to and from the station (about 8 miles) so i need somthing that would be reliable, solid and not full of rust, or need heaps of work doing. (Am i asking too much for this price?).
Im also no mechanic and do not know the first thing about engines as been around new cars way.....too long. I have viewed quite a few 911,s that appeared to be cheap and within the budget but on closer inspection would need thousands spent on bodywork/repairs ect.

All i need is to know is what is the chances of finding somthing that fits my criteria and what would you guys advise for a daily driver.........911 or 912.

I look forward to hearing from you!!

Mac

[bjmullan]

Welcome to the fold Mac. And you thought the girlfriend was demanding...just want until you have a 37 year old car to look after!

You should be able to pick up a decent 911T for the money you are talking about but I would make sure that you get it inspected by an expert before parting with your cash. For that money you will pick up a top of the line 912. If it is serviced and looked after these things will run for ever. So good luck with the hunt and I'm sure that other will have more advice for you to consider.

[richkaz]

Welcome Highlander !
Would you really park it at the station unattended for many hours ?
Must the car be right hand drive or is LHD acceptable ?
If you want a genuine early RHD 911 in good condition I'm afraid you will need to extend your budget to at least £ 20K. If its a matching numbers RHD 911T fully restored or a superb original it could set you back £ 25 -35K. A 911E or S will cost more but they all offer a similar experience.
If LHD is acceptable you might find a decent early pre impact bumper car at the top end of your budget but a real corker could still be
£20 - £30K for a 911T.
A 912 obviously won't offer the same performance but many prefer its character and handling. They look great and a very nice RHD car is within your budget. Might be worth looking at Revival cars who specialise in 912's but also currently have a nice looking LHD 911T well within your budget.
Best to try both models and Left and RHD.
Good luck and happy hunting!

[Highlander]

Welcome to the fold Mac. And you thought the girlfriend was demanding...just want until you have a 37 year old car to look after!

You should be able to pick up a decent 911T for the money you are talking about but I would make sure that you get it inspected by an expert before parting with your cash. For that money you will pick up a top of the line 912. If it is serviced and looked after these things will run for ever. So good luck with the hunt and I'm sure that other will have more advice for you to consider.

Hi Brendan

Thanks for the reply i appreciate it... I bet the 37yr old will be a EEEESAY! compared to my Ex!!! she never liked anything unless it was modern, had big oversize wheels and a drainpipe size exhaust you could hear from about 2 miles distant!!! Think maybe she saw Fast & Furious too many times lol!! Thank god that she was not partial to the neon under car lighting eh..

Well there are few 912's that i have my eye on one has been completely restored and is a 67, this is at the top end of my budget though. The other i have to view first and its a late model and has featured on ddk at some point. I am also viewing a silver 1970T next week in London, this has been advertised on another classic website but there is not much of a description in the ad, but it (Looks) ok in the pics. Im also concerned about the rust aspect of cars, certainly as most engine parts can be replaced fairly easily, the structural/body parts an be major expense!!. So i need to find out where i can get a fairly solid car and who is the best person/company to trust.

Cheers

[Highlander]

Welcome Highlander !
Would you really park it at the station unattended for many hours ?
Must the car be right hand drive or is LHD acceptable ?
If you want a genuine early RHD 911 in good condition I'm afraid you will need to extend your budget to at least £ 20K. If its a matching numbers RHD 911T fully restored or a superb original it could set you back £ 25 -35K. A 911E or S will cost more but they all offer a similar experience.
If LHD is acceptable you might find a decent early pre impact bumper car at the top end of your budget but a real corker could still be
£20 - £30K for a 911T.
A 912 obviously won't offer the same performance but many prefer its character and handling. They look great and a very nice RHD car is within your budget. Might be worth looking at Revival cars who specialise in 912's but also currently have a nice looking LHD 911T well within your budget.
Best to try both models and Left and RHD.
Good luck and happy hunting!

RichKaz!! Hi to you and thanks for your imput, I would prefer LHD but would be happy for RHD if it was a solid car, matching numbers is not too much of a priority, as long as the engine is good and the bodywork/floor is sound im not too fussed. Yep i would park it at the station as this particular station is completely covered with loads of CCT, also comes with pairs of Gaurds that watch the cars and patrol the carpark area around the clock. Though really i would only be leaving it at the station once maybe twice in the week, and never on the same days anyway. I have invested in Stop Lock,Pedal Lock, Gear lock,tracking & alarm systems ready to be installed in the car . Only thing i did not think of was maybe employing one of my ex snipers from the regiment to watch over it ...lol. I did look at some 911T's but i fear that they needed more work on them and that would of taken me well over my affordable budget, and i really need to be able to have a driver than somthing that will spend weeks in the garage undergoing resorations. The X2 912's im looking at seem more promising as one of them is owed by a DDK member who bought it from......yep another DDk member and is asking within my budget and the other is not far from where i live but is at the maximum end of my budget But this has been restored even though its got the wrong Fuch's on.

Cheers

Mac

[davidppp]

Hello, Mac.

Go for the 912 ..good ones are are still a bargain price..

911's are getting neareer the cost of pukka resto now..

Kind regards
David

[rmennell]

No offense to the 911 and 912 (my next porker is a 911) please consider a 914. The 914 is a great drive, very loveable and great value. For under 5k you can pick up a great porker that will retain its value when you want to upgrade.
Drop me a PM if you want to chat and a test drive (they are not for sale) but they are a great car and worth every penny.

[Hendrik Moulds]

Welcome Highlander!
If you must go for a 911 or 912, I would suggest a 912 as you can then have your pick of the cars as well as having a bit of money left over for those inevitable repairs!

[MartinP]

A nice early 911 was always going to be out of my budget so I bought a 912 instead and having driven it for a year now, I wouldn't change my choice at all. It copes with a mammoth commute (110 miles a day) and has given me less trouble than our family modern. Okay, so I've just had to shell out for an engine rebuild, but considering that I bought my car at auction for less than half of the lower end of your price bracket, you could well avoid that happening to you if you buy the right one in the first place.

There is the inevitable difference in performance, but as an everyday driver a sorted 912 will more than cope on A roads, in town and on motorways without feeling like a slouch, and if the engine does go, then you've got two less pistons to buy!

[58A - 71E]

Welcome Highlander!
If you must go for a 911 or 912, I would suggest a 912 as you can then have your pick of the cars as well as having a bit of money left over for those inevitable repairs!

Wise words indeed - you WILL need a budget over and above the purhase price, ask us how we know Definitley 912 for your budget and what you need it for, oh and welcome

[Helen]

Welcome Highlander!
If you must go for a 911 or 912, I would suggest a 912 as you can then have your pick of the cars as well as having a bit of money left over for those inevitable repairs!

Wise words indeed - you WILL need a budget over and above the purhase price, ask us how we know Definitley 912 for your budget and what you need it for, oh and welcome

agree with the above. the 912 is a superb car.they are very nimble and huge FUN to drive. they can keep up with early 911 on twisty roads no problem. and will cruise up a motorway at unlawful speeds for hours.

[Highlander]

Well what can i say....! Such a varied and honest opinion from everyone, i really appreciate it and thanks for the warm welcomes. Its prob not the most original question for a newbie to start off with ...lol but a important one none the less. I think my budget has really made the descision simply as i believe that getting an early 911 for my maximum budget of 14k will prob turn out to be 18-19k(if im lucky) in the end if repairs are needed... i guess it defeats the object of keeping within budgets.

I have seen some great 912's from 8-13k which in my understanding (and 912 registery) is about the going rate for a decent one that does not require to much work. So guys guess its gonna be a 912 then "who needs to drive past people at 100MPH when you can cruise past em" and let them admire your car . SOLD!!!!! one 912 to the scottish guy in the corner lol!!. Thanks guys if you know anyone selling a later version 912 then let me know, i would be interested in hearing from them. You can of course PM me as well.

Mac

[912uk]

Hi Mac

I have a few 912's and as much as I have wanted a 911 T my self I have found my self still with the 912. It does every thing I want it to do.. having driven some nice hot 912's there is a price to pay for a well sorted motor but what joy it brings..

the 911 T I agree it's a very good choice and If you can find one I would look at one for sure. But as pointed out I think the prices have been abit hit and miss for a while on 912's where as 911 have been more stable and almost all the same. So look though the rough 912's and find a gem they are out there.... and if you want more power later on then you could look for a 911 2.0tlr motor and pop it in..I am at that point I have done so much to the 912 that I wouldn't want to swap it for anything.. So if I do want a 911 I would have to look to convert my 912 to a 911. That way I don't have to do all the work all over again.. They handle very well more than I knew that's for sure..

http://www.912registry.org/images/racing/collins.jpg

For day to day running again a nice drive with enough power for todays traffic.. Great to get your kit in as well..

[Highlander]

Great, sounds good. Im really looking forward to finding the right one, preferably i would like to buy from a DDK member!! You guys seem to know each other and the cars. I think maybe less likely to pick a Dog from a known member than i would from Mr whoever down the road.

OOH.... I think any kit will definately stay in the 4 ton Bedford!!! and if i have to put anything heavier than my Bergan in the car.. it will definately have two legs, wear lipstick and have a love for classic porsches!! .... God i hope she's out there????? lol.

Cheers

Mac

[Helen]

.. it will definately have two legs, wear lipstick and have a love for classic porsches!! .... God i hope she's out there????? lol.

Cheers

Mac

well i've got the legs.

but i'm sorry i'm taken. besides i prefer to drive my own car