Buying My First Porsche and Everything After—Part II
The first night I tucked my new-to-me 1967 Porsche 912 into my garage (read part one of Lyn’s story here), two things happened. First, I pinched myself. It had always seemed that the odds of my getting a car like this settled on the “outlook not so good” answer from a Magic 8-Ball. Second, a wave of anxiety washed over me. This is my first project car, and I had no clue where to start—I didn’t know what I didn’t know.
I took a breath, recalling the joys found in my dad’s 356 Speedster. If I was going to make some fresh memories of my own, there was nothing to do but get cracking.
This effort should have been kicked off with a trip to California’s Department of Motor Vehicles, but that doesn’t exactly inspire the romance of classic car ownership—it’s more like a grade school visit to the principal’s office, especially given the implications of my 912’s non-operational status. I knew it’d be a while before the 912 would be on the road, so I did what any self-respecting scaredy-cat would do: I procrastinated.
In my defense, the first step in my delay-the-inevitable strategy was critical to the process: I sought out reference material.
I was desperate to know more about my car’s story. The person I’d purchased the 912 from had meant to get it running but never did, and ultimately never put the title in his name. So, I tracked down the guy whose name was on the title. As I left a message on his machine, he picked up. He—I’ll call him Sam—was thrilled to talk with me about the car. He’d bought it from a corrections officer in Santa Rosa who’d started the restoration—that’s where the brand-new floor pan and dashboard, among other things, made their way onto the car, but the project was eventually abandoned. Sam bought the car and a mountain of parts from the officer, but soon realized he wanted something further along in the restoration process. He sold the car and all the parts to a dealer, who then sold just the car to the owner before me. Then, the car languished.
This was a car that everyone, and then no one, wanted. As a result, it had been sitting outside for the better part of five years before making its way to me. It was as if all these previous owners were shepherding it along until I was ready. Serendipity, baby.
Now that I had a bit of my 912’s history, I set about understanding what resources there were within the 912 community. For the first time ever, I joined a discussion forum and even posted. For someone who traditionally doesn’t like asking questions for fear of looking stupid, I put myself out there. I was happy to embarrass myself and admit I had no clue what I was doing and would likely get lots of things wrong, but was excited to learn. I received a lovely welcoming response and even got some great advice about transmission rod boots among the encouragement.
I also picked up a couple of books to have with me in the garage. The 911 & 912 Porsche: A Restorer’s Guide to Authenticity by Dr. B. Johnson came highly recommended, as did the Porsche 912 Workshop Manual and Owner’s Manual. The latter includes some helpful mechanical advice but also imparts the wisdom of taking your car to a well-trained mechanic for detailed jobs.
With literature in hand, I started taking stock of the 912 and what it needed. The more I looked things over, the more I grew confident in my purchase, but there was still plenty of work ahead of me. With each turn of the page, I could see what was correct on my car and what wasn’t.
Somewhere along the line, a previous owner removed the correct 1967 sealed, glass H4 headlights that Ralph Nader deemed unsafe and replaced them with “sugar scoop” units from 1968. I prefer the original look, so I bought a refinished set off eBay before I’d even turned the 912’s key. Even a newbie like me knows that cosmetic fixes aren’t top priority, but I rationalized straightforward projects as a means of getting comfortable with wielding tools and bringing my 912 back to life.
![Porsche 912 project car interior steering wheel](https://hagerty-media-prod.imgix.net/2024/01/Lyn-Woodward-Buying-Porsche-Part-2-IMG_8693.jpg?auto=format%2Ccompress&fit=crop&h=480&ixlib=php-3.3.0&w=640)
Though it had a new dashboard, the rest of the interior was rough. Fortunately, I’d gotten the car around Thanksgiving and online Black Friday sales were in high gear. I went on a spree, purchasing an entire new interior, including carpets, an upholstery kit, and dash trim plate at a massive discount. I’m a sucker for oxblood, and it’s going to look great with the current patinated exterior, not to mention my future paint plans.
Was I getting ahead of myself? Maybe a little, but I wasn’t ignoring the steps to get this little 912 running. I knew the engine turned over manually, but before checking to see if it could run on its own, I needed to do something about the incredibly rusty gas tank. I ordered a new one as well as the requisite plugs, fitments, and sleeves that go with it. The old sending unit was virtually falling apart so I decided to replace that, too.
The new battery went in next, and to my delight every light except for one of the turn signals worked. Even the clock ran properly! No classic car I’ve ever owned had a clock that was accurate more than twice a day. This was the biggest win yet—the prospect of electrical work was not something I was looking forward to.
As my bank balance shrank, I knew I needed to tap the brakes on the purchases, but I’d do that after I bought new rotors (the pads were actually in good shape). And shocks. Okay, now I was done. Almost. There was a spot up front on the driver’s side directly under the battery that was notorious for rusting out. Mine was no different. I’d need a new front suspension pan and someone to do the welding work before it was safe to drive. If indeed the car actually started.
Once again, I took a breath.
![Porsche 912 project car disassembly](https://hagerty-media-prod.imgix.net/2024/01/Lyn-Woodward-Buying-Porsche-Part-2-IMG_8709.jpg?auto=format%2Ccompress&fit=crop&h=853&ixlib=php-3.3.0&w=640)
I considered the progress I’d made in mere weeks. There’s now a mile-long to-do list, but having that list and crossing things off it meant I was headed in the right direction. Emboldened, I decided it was time to sort the title.
I headed to the Auto Association of America, which in California can perform some DMV functions, including vehicle registration. Good fortune rained down. It turns out that Sam, the previous-titled owner, was wise enough to register it as non-operational, too—so there’d be no inspections or convoluted processes to worry about. The lovely woman asked for my $292, and there, without fuss or friction, I’d taken care of the legal paperwork. I was in and out in 15 minutes.
The momentum was building. My priority was to get this thing on the road. I had debated prepping the car for paint work, but a couple things stopped me. Almost every other 912 owner I’d come across suggested I just get out there and enjoy the car as-is. Closer to home, my friend and co-conspirator, Hagerty Driver’s Club editor-at-large Aaron Robinson, recently penned an argument for embracing imperfection in our cars, and that sealed it for me. I decided to press on with the mechanical improvements and enjoy the patina. I’d complete the interior because I wanted the cockpit to be a pleasant experience, but for now, it was time to focus on what was under all the sun-damaged sheet metal.
Not long after, with the new gas tank in and fresh gas coursing through its veins, the moment of truth for my 912 came. Robinson, ever helpful, stood by the engine with his can of starter fluid at the ready as I turned the key.
![Porsche 912 project car engine compartment vertical](https://hagerty-media-prod.imgix.net/2024/01/Lyn-Woodward-Buying-Porsche-Part-2-IMG_8679.jpeg?auto=format%2Ccompress&fit=crop&h=836&ixlib=php-3.3.0&w=640)
“More gas…More. Again. It’s starving—more,” he said between cranks. I pumped the throttle and the engine coughed. The exhaust blew out a cartoonish cloud of soot.
“More gas. Again.” Robinson sprayed starter fluid into the carbs and it shuddered to life. That simple four-cylinder settled into rhythm, making the same high-humming and happy sound of my father’s long-gone-but-not-forgotten 356 Speedster.
Let the adventures continue.
***
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Great start! It reminds me of my 1967 911 that I rebuilt (including a new clutch). I’ve had 17 Porsches and that one was the best one. If you ever do repaint it, keep it the same color, it really cuts into the value when you change the color. I repainted mine after I got it ready by chemically stripping all the pain and trailering it to the paint shop. It came back looking like a new car after I got the newly finished bright work on. Have a great time with it.
Judging by the paint in the open headlight bucket and along the door sill the original color of your 912 was most likely “burgundy red”; here’ a link to the “Rennbow” page > https://www.rennbow.org/porsche-colors/BurgundyRed
Nice car, Happy for you doing it right. The heating system on you engine is European style, which was not allowed in North America. It uses engine air passing over heat exchangers that contain the exhaust piping. If there is any sort of exhaust leaking, it ends up in the car and in your lungs and brain. Make sure your system is checked, including the pipes inside the heat exchangers, as that is where most leaking can occur. You can also disconnect the flex piping at the contol valves at the body area to be safe, so no engine heated air enters the car.
Great story Lynn! Suggest tho that you also get yourself a copy of “Porsche 912” by Horst E Goltz. I got mine from Amazon ? Sadly, I no longer have my 5 dial RHD 912 but do miss it. One of the best Porsches I have ever owned including a 2.7RS! Good luck in your continuing endeavours.
Ian. Auckland New Zealand
Good call on not painting the car just yet. Last thing you need to add to your “to do” list paint correction from bumps and bruises during rebuild.
The author’s story bears much similarity to my project car. It too had several false starts to be rehabilitated by a chain prior owners. My ‘78 Civic’s story will be a good one though. Just need to commit some serious hours to it. Looking forward to seeing future instalments on the story of this little 912.
I love the article and the car. I acquired a 912 during the pandemic- I’ve always had a soft spot for rear engined air cooled cars having been raised on them in Brazil – and the 912 seemed like a logical choice. Mine is pretty nice but I will say this: splurge on a good mechanic to get it tuned and sorted once you have installed the engine parts you need. The difference between a running 912 and a well tuned running 912 is night and day. It’s like driving a Big and discovering you have a PORSCHE. It’s amazing what balanced carbs and clean spark plugs can do.
I love your writing. You’ve got me totally hooked on this story. I’m SOOOO cheering for you and your 912!
Wow….this is bad ass….
I have been dreaming of one just like this for a long time.
If anyone out there wants to part with a ‘66 or ‘67 project with that same steering wheel and green gauges, hit me up! Had one a long time ago and have been dreaming of getting another one since!
Wow – I’m thrilled to hear your success with getting the Porsche running! Bring us more on this car and in the meantime enjoy it!
I really liked both 1&2 stories . It is neat to read about restorations as I have did several . My latest , 1965 corvette coupe , is going to be driven as I bought her .I did the same as you giving her all new interior . I did swap out the engine , it wasn’t original , to a 350 roller cam Vortec . Keep us updated with your enjoyable stories . Thank You
GREAT story so far!! Can’t wait for next installment!
Fascinating story and well written. I am enjoying it very much and am filled with admiration for what you’ve done so far and can’t wait for the next installment!
SO fun! Congrats on the start of a fantastic adventure! I love to see a fellow real life car girl doing her thing. Hope you continue to post your tales. Don’t be afraid of the inevitable bumps in the road – they are almost always fun in retrospect and are all part of the adventure. Cheers!
This car has found a good home! Now get it roadworthy and do the brakes… I like the patina and the current color. Don’t forget to change out the rubber before you drive it hard for installments. This is a great story, thank you. PS I’ve owned a few air cooled and they are awesome(lightweight and wonderful engine sound). your story is making me want to get another one!!!