Early 70's Porsche Targas. Patina, Paint, Potato, Potato.

Rian,

Finally you have asked a question that I know a little about!

Pre or post 73?

One of my very good friends works at one of the top Porsche restoration shops,in the U.K. so give me a call and I am sure we can get you over to the dark side.....

In the car for 6 hours from around 9am if you want a chat.

P.

As input goes, this is useless, but get it done and get the report sorted

Love spending vast amounts of other people's money, me!

This is very true George.

So do I.


The biggest problem of course for me is that my day job is still just a contract, which could end any time, or not.......

With the split from Nicola I had to take in a lodger to balance the books on monthly mortgage repayments, but if I think like that all the time, I would just curl up and die.

I know that truck needs finishing, but it mostly needs labour, a lot of it, as most parts have been purchased and the engine and transmission have been done.

So if one can buy the Porsche within the safety of a resale at break even or profit "bubble" it should make the justification easier.

I have been looking at American wagons, trucks and even a U.K. Based Nissan Prairie as options as well as small vans like Berlingos etc to keep me busy but also offer a driveable alternative to my company car, which is just that, a company car while I am employed.


So there you go, we have money to spend, you and me, just need to play it sensibly.

I have liked them for quirkyness and practicality all at once for a long time.

So looking at that one, at the price. its kind of a no brainer really.

But lets see what more info comes from this one:





Yes, its a photo of a photo taken 10 years or more ago butlets see what comes from it.

I have one resto project, don't really need another.

grizz I owned a late 70's impact SC in the past so not like for like but I can give you my summary views.

I'm making some assumptions here but I'm giving you medium case so you can digest.

It's stood for at least 10 years so..

1. Engine Rebuild - 5K
2. As @retrowarwick states - Rust in kidney Bowls etc... - 5K
3. Interior pieces and glass/lights - 2K
4. Suspension items refresh - 1K
5. New tires - 0.5K
6. Targa roof seals and panel refresh - 1K
7. Shipping and importation - 1.5K

So if it were me I would expect to invest another 16K once landed on the above.

You could be very lucky and only have to spend 1/3 of that or you could be be the opposite and have to spend double and be in to a 30K restoration.

I don't know what price you are being offered this at but even if it's very low (like too good to turn down 10K levels)and you get very luck with the recommissioning you need to decide what you would want to do with it.

A roadworthy 15K early 70's 911 would be incredible but are you the type of person to run it knowing there is spreading rust and handling imperfections or do you need to get everything right?

I am the latter and when I pulled my recently restored SC down to the shell to investigate some rust I realized that it was too big a commitment for me. This process of purchase, enjoyment, discovery and realization took 3 years.

This may all sound a bit grim but I don't mean it to be. I wanted a 911 from the time I was 5 years old so I got one as soon as I could afford the purchase price. I don't regret buying it but if I was doing it all again I think I'd take a slightly different approach. I was 26 and already had another project car and a rally car that needed constant work in line with event participation.

A project 911 is a huge undertaking and really needs singular focus unless you are of the special breed. It's hard to compromise on things when you become immersed.

I hope you are not put off but I would say there are some questions you need to ask yourself.

A. Do you really want an early 70's 911?
B. Are you willing to invest a significant chunk of cash in it if required?
C. Do you want one enough that you are willing to sell other projects/assets to fund restoration?
D. Would you enjoy it more that your truck if it came to a decision over the two?

Hehehe, finally a thread I can offer some buyers remorse on! Having bought the 68 912 from a friend (who was storing it less than 2 blocks from my house at the time) that I then sold to bruce and laterly a 74 911 Targa project (bought from a professor who works at the same university as I do) that I sold back to the same professor I bought it from after I costed out the restoration...I'll bite.

Short answer is grizz they are expensive.

If this is a restore/then sell project it makes it tricky without seeing the car. To give some context, the 912 cost me little and I sold it to Bruce for relatively little 'profit' and very much at 'mates rates' but those types of prices are unheard of that we were dealing with. For better context, the basketcase Targa I picked up complete with rebuilt engine but missing the all important and expensive as gold targa roof, trunk and with much rust... $8K...a year later, I sold it back to him when I realised that the mrs wasn't going to be game for eloping to some nice hot beach to get married.

Once I had costed out doing even a relatively 'simple' build for the targa i.e. not doing an as built restoration with full original targa interior - please be aware that several of the harder to find panels are not available like they are for the hard tops, and if there is rot in the targa bar structure, you'll be making that from scratch, just refreshing the engine, rust repair and with no interior, I would have been into something like $18-22K before paint (so $30k...before paint..assuming no major issues of any kind) and thats before finding period correct wheels/rubber etc, and with no 'upgrades' of brakes, just refreshing things. Rubber seals, a roof, replacement panels that are priced in US dollars and engine bearings, chains, it adds up very, very quickly. In the UK with a more limited supplier base, I imagine it would be more than that!

Dry stored on these cars means little, there will be rot, I guarantee it, the 912 that bruce and I shipped back to the UK, well it was shipped back with a whole crate load of repair panels - floors, front pan, many other bits and pieces. To the untrained eye that looked clean on the outside but under the paint it needs work for the floors - need replacing where they have been badly replaced before, and the front pan where one of the control arms mounts is very much daylight - BUT it was convenient for him to buy the replacement panels here from restoration design which by sheer chance is 30 minutes from my place. Had some other 'wrong' things that needed putting right - seats were the wrong year, steering wheel was wrong for the year and a few other things. Interior is where these cars matter...very expensive to find/replace if it isn't there or doesn't come with the car.

Personally I think there are less stressful project cars that won't eat your wallet in the same way and still make you a return, my brief excursion into the Porsche world left me feeling relatively overwhelmed at how pricey it can be to restore one of these cars properly. Hell it made the Datsun look like a cheap project (seriously) after I sat down and costed out exactly what either the 912 or the Targa would need.

Bruce should reply, I know he's working until the small hours almost every night with the business and trying to get orders out before the Christmas break, likely easier to give him a call after hours to pick his brain. If you promise an exciting roadtrip, hot tea and some biscuits, he may even want to come with you to check the car out, lots of things to look for on these that even a well-read (but unfamiliar) eye can miss.

Thank you guys.

Looks like the graffitti is on the wall.

In big massive letters of doom.

I will give it some more thought but looks like another car/van/wagon/truck may be a better option as I am looking for a driver fix.

If its a 911 - unrestored complete T or E car needing full resto in the uk £15k+ Real basket cases can be had for less. RHD will attract a premium. If its an S its a different ball game. Cars do come up very occasionally under the radar for less but its rare.

A resto done in a reputable shop will be £60K upwards.

A Fully restored T or E to a high standard will set you back £65K upwards.


Mines now undergoing a full resto, I'm trying to do most of it myself but the metalwork i'm giving to an expert. Just to get a perpective on how much these thinks cost to restore - Panels have set me back £7K plus there will probably be another £2k to come. Metalwork £10K plus, Engine i'm looking at doing myself but parts alone are going to set me back £5k plus.
As they cost so much to restore if they're not done properly you'll have trouble selling it so its hard to do things like wheel resto etc on the cheap...another £1k to £2k. Even the little bits you don't really think about like rubbers and hardware - another £2k.

Back onto this old car.

I will link the thread into a new question.

Imagine I just want to clean up, drive and get the WTF looks........

Shiny bits of original paint with the scorched paint from too much of its original life out in the Nevada desert.

So what processes do I follow to retain the patina, but revive the original paint.

These pics as examples.






I know there will be hates and lovers.

That really is not important to me, if I am going to drive the thing then it could be on my terms.

I have looked at all sorts of automotive tomfoolery lately, even panel vans.