#3616344 - 04/02/09 01:52 AM
Dan's Porsche 912 Project
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DanTSiAWD
Poster
Registered: 09/13/08
Posts: 221
Loc: Bay Area, CA
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I bought a '68 Porsche 912 last week. For those in the dark, a 912's a 911 but has the 4-cylinder from the last 356. You can put the flat-6 in but I'll probably just keep it O.G. I now own 3 cars but will probably sell the Tal0wn soon to make space for this one.
Cliff notes: Picked it up cheap, original paint and motor, all interior and accessories intact. Rusty floorpans but not terrible, some rust on fenders but overall not in bad shape for a 40 year old car.
It wasn't running and the only other guy that looked at it chickened out at the sight of rust, but it apparently had only been leaking for a couple years, as it was parked outside and had bad seals. I had it started in about 20 minutes after bringing it back to the shop, but it wasn't driveable yet. It clearly needs a lot of work but I've got time and access to lots of Porsche parts and references... 
Huge pic from the manual which reads:
Judging by the car you have chosen,
you are a motorist of a special caste.
Although you probably are no freshman
when it comes to automobiles, we
have compiled much useful information
in the section entitled Operating
Instructions with which you should
become familiar before driving your
Porsche.
Additionally, the remainder of this
manual is equally important and we ask
of you to devote your attention to it
at your hour of leisure.
We wish you many miles of pleasure
and accomplishments in your Porsche
Dr.-Ing. h. c. F. Porsche KG
Stuttgart-Zuffenhausen
West Germany
The ad says "Doesn't run". Gee...
I removed every ounce of carpet, extra interior, and most of the insulation/sound deadener from the car already. It was all soaking wet from a recent rain. I'll be restoring an inch or two at a time at this rate but haven't decided on a game plan. For now I just want to drive it...
Hood was repainted at some point and looks really bad compared to the rest of the paint...
Ugliest part of the whole car:
Surgery begins...
First order... new brakes and caliper rebuild kits
Last weekend I tried to drive it, but noticed the gas pedal was sticking. I spent a few hours removing this monstrosity:
Throttle arm was completely stuck.
I had to drill a hole between the bushings and inject penetrating spray. Then torched it for a bit and eventually freed it up. The gas pedal flopped around though because it's just a big rubber pad on these cars that pushes a rod, so I had to replace it.
Fuel pump was acting up so I threw in a cheap electric for now.
This oil line was also leaking:
So I removed the distributor and replaced it:
Oil leak was fixed, but I noticed it's leaking a bit of gas, too. I ordered the rebuild kits for the aftermarket Weber Redline carbs today. I should have it tomorrow but probably can't get to it until Monday.
Current state is that it runs excellent and drives fine except the gas leak that scares me enough to let it stay parked and drive my Honda until I fix it... The wet interior's out and it's all dry, so the car smells a lot nicer now. I don't have much into it yet (<$5000) and won't go crazy, but I thought it'd be a fun car to kick around and maybe make a few bucks on if I sell it down the road.
I've even got some black plates for it but can't put them on until July when the new law takes effect. 
PS - One thing that amazes me is the quality put into Porsches. Of ~150 nuts/bolts/screws removed, not a single one has stripped or broken yet -- not even the rusty ones. The windows roll up great, the doors thud shut and feel extremely solid.
Edited by DanTSiAWD (08/01/09 06:47 PM)
_________________________
2001 MR2 Spyder silver needs to go to tracks 1968 Porsche 912 (carbd and shit) 2001 Honda Insight 5-sp stealthy silver DD. 1850 lbs S2K seats and stuff swapped in SOLD AP1 S2000 GPW/red, 1992 Talon TSI AWD (12.9@105), 1984/1986/1999 Mustang 5/5/4.6
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#3616458 - 04/02/09 06:28 AM
Re: I don't drink milk but...
[Re: pumpkin escobar]
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GrizzleHorn
Jr Member
Registered: 01/05/07
Posts: 648
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Very cool.. can't wait to see more pics as you work on it.
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#3616680 - 04/02/09 08:56 AM
Re: I don't drink milk but...
[Re: ewraven]
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Z24 lol
and Fuck you for the new name lol
Post Master Supreme
Registered: 06/08/00
Posts: 43359
Loc: Lovely CONROE, TX! YEE-HA!
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Congrats, great looking car. That car looks like a massively fun project! What is the difference with the 912 SE edition?
I saw one the other day and was surprised when it wasn't a 911; I'd never heard of a 912, except this one had "SE" after the 912 on the rear end.
There was never a 912 SE, there was a 912E though
In 1975, the world had been pitched into an energy crisis, with oil moguls OPEC having raised the price of crude oil by almost 400%. This made a huge impact upon the automotive industry, chiefly due to the rise in fuel prices warding off buyers from thirsty, uneconomical sports cars. This created a situation for Porsche - its model range was soley sports cars, and its biggest market was the USA, where the ripples from the oil price had the largest effect. To overcome the economy barrier, a new model was unveiled - the 912E.
The 912E was based upon old engineering. The car was essentially a Porsche 911 bodyshell, complete with the impact-absorbing bumpers, with the four-cylinder engine previously used in late-model versions of the Porsche 914/4 (based on the Volkswagen type IV engine). The car was only offered to the USA, where it proved a spectacular sales success. It wasn't fast, especially compared with the contemporary 911, but it was economical and looked identical to the 911. A year into production, the oil price had settled down enough to encourage Porsche to discontinue the model, and change its focus back to high performance cars. It responded by creating the 930 Turbo.
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#3617120 - 04/02/09 11:22 AM
Re: I don't drink milk but...
[Re: Impulsive]
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Serendipitous
Post Master Supreme
Registered: 04/30/01
Posts: 15299
Loc: Northern California
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Best thread here in a long time. Congratulations on your purchase and keep the progress pics coming!
_________________________
2023 Model 3 / 2005 S2000 / 2012 A3
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#3617138 - 04/02/09 11:29 AM
Re: I don't drink milk but...
[Re: pumpkin escobar]
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Agent Orange
Post Master Sr
Registered: 07/20/01
Posts: 6849
Loc: Suburbs of Colorado
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Seriously that is fucking badass. Very cool man.
Glad to see the progress pics of the resto, great work!
_________________________
"When I let go of what I am, I become what I might be." - Lao Tzu
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#3617232 - 04/02/09 12:09 PM
Re: I don't drink milk but...
[Re: Agent Orange]
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DanTSiAWD
Poster
Registered: 09/13/08
Posts: 221
Loc: Bay Area, CA
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Thanks guys, I wasn't sure what to expect but I'm glad you all think it's so cool. I've been lurking/posting here for ~10 years (under 2LiterTurboTimmy's account, or my friend Dyre (Dyre13T?) who had a FC Turbo II)... this is the second project I think I've documented on this site (last was an LS1 fox body that I ended up canning :)).
I will take many pics as I continue the work and I'll try to use a real camera next time instead of my phone. I'll get some video of it running after I rebuild the carbs. It sounds pretty cool and definitely authentically German.
_________________________
2001 MR2 Spyder silver needs to go to tracks 1968 Porsche 912 (carbd and shit) 2001 Honda Insight 5-sp stealthy silver DD. 1850 lbs S2K seats and stuff swapped in SOLD AP1 S2000 GPW/red, 1992 Talon TSI AWD (12.9@105), 1984/1986/1999 Mustang 5/5/4.6
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#3617289 - 04/02/09 12:27 PM
Re: I don't drink milk but...
[Re: DanTSiAWD]
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CommonGutterTrash
This user is more useless than a half-baked compost pile.
Post Master Sr
Registered: 09/16/02
Posts: 6437
Loc: Boston MA
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It Does look pretty nice. Definitely a project worth having!
I love the color, actually. My first volvo was a similar color.
good luck!
_________________________
Craig R. 2000 9-5 Gary Fisher Wagon 1995 850 T-5R 1996 Galant  AIM = gclipse96
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#3617367 - 04/02/09 12:54 PM
Re: I don't drink milk but...
[Re: SiAdam]
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DanTSiAWD
Poster
Registered: 09/13/08
Posts: 221
Loc: Bay Area, CA
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Very cool, indeed.
I normally don't say this, but I'd paint that before I did any motor work..lol.
Thanks, it actually looks pretty cool in person, like a flat tan from a military/desert vehicle or something. The color's growing on me more and more, and I think I can work with the paint (except on the hood) so it'd be a shame to just strip it off and re-shoot it. That's one thing I really dig about it... there's not some half-assed Maaco job on it.
_________________________
2001 MR2 Spyder silver needs to go to tracks 1968 Porsche 912 (carbd and shit) 2001 Honda Insight 5-sp stealthy silver DD. 1850 lbs S2K seats and stuff swapped in SOLD AP1 S2000 GPW/red, 1992 Talon TSI AWD (12.9@105), 1984/1986/1999 Mustang 5/5/4.6
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#3619381 - 04/02/09 11:58 PM
Re: I don't drink milk but...
[Re: DanTSiAWD]
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progressi
Post Master Sr
Registered: 06/01/01
Posts: 9133
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This car deserves more than a "milk" post! 
I love all your cars,except maybe the insight,but LOL maybe with volatile gas prices may be a necessary evil.
Do you have any regrets?
My current purchase was one idea of 4:
Evo X MR
C5 (dur)
911 SC
E36 M3 w/Euro ITB swap.
The one I think about the most is the Porsche. 
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#3620377 - 04/03/09 11:29 AM
Re: I don't drink milk but...
[Re: progressi]
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DanTSiAWD
Poster
Registered: 09/13/08
Posts: 221
Loc: Bay Area, CA
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The Insight's such a good car, but a lot of people dislike them. They're fun to drive though and get 60-70 MPG. Mine's got some bigger tires and it's a real kick in the pants to fling around town.
I put S2000 seats in it, too. Was thinking about building a turbo setup for it.. maybe some day.
There are 3 people at my shop and all three own an Insight in addition to 1+ Porsches.
But no regrets here, maybe selling my 99 GT a while back..
I'll miss the Talon (huge image) but its time has come and gone.
Evo X MR
C5 (dur)
911 SC
E36 M3 w/Euro ITB swap
The late-70s/early-80s 911s are so cheap now (seen many under ~$9k). They're pretty hot looking, but I hate smog (California) and they're a bit heavier than the older ones. Mid 80s are a bit better for power/features too. The 964s are much better but get up there in price.
I've almost bought a C5 many times but never pulled the trigger. I would like an Evo but don't like the image/attention that goes with it. Plus they're kind of pricey still.
_________________________
2001 MR2 Spyder silver needs to go to tracks 1968 Porsche 912 (carbd and shit) 2001 Honda Insight 5-sp stealthy silver DD. 1850 lbs S2K seats and stuff swapped in SOLD AP1 S2000 GPW/red, 1992 Talon TSI AWD (12.9@105), 1984/1986/1999 Mustang 5/5/4.6
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#3620474 - 04/03/09 12:07 PM
Re: I don't drink milk but...
[Re: DanTSiAWD]
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CommonGutterTrash
This user is more useless than a half-baked compost pile.
Post Master Sr
Registered: 09/16/02
Posts: 6437
Loc: Boston MA
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teal talon!
*w00t*
_________________________
Craig R. 2000 9-5 Gary Fisher Wagon 1995 850 T-5R 1996 Galant AIM = gclipse96
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#3620769 - 04/03/09 01:33 PM
Re: I don't drink milk but...
[Re: CommonGutterTrash]
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DanTSiAWD
Poster
Registered: 09/13/08
Posts: 221
Loc: Bay Area, CA
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It's for sale, cheap!
_________________________
2001 MR2 Spyder silver needs to go to tracks 1968 Porsche 912 (carbd and shit) 2001 Honda Insight 5-sp stealthy silver DD. 1850 lbs S2K seats and stuff swapped in SOLD AP1 S2000 GPW/red, 1992 Talon TSI AWD (12.9@105), 1984/1986/1999 Mustang 5/5/4.6
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#3620952 - 04/03/09 02:19 PM
Re: I don't drink milk but...
[Re: DanTSiAWD]
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CommonGutterTrash
This user is more useless than a half-baked compost pile.
Post Master Sr
Registered: 09/16/02
Posts: 6437
Loc: Boston MA
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hah... I have a DSM.
there's one locally... I always chuckle when I drive by it.
it's such a hard color to "take seriously".
but I do love the color.
_________________________
Craig R. 2000 9-5 Gary Fisher Wagon 1995 850 T-5R 1996 Galant AIM = gclipse96
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#3623382 - 04/04/09 03:51 PM
Re: I don't drink milk but...
[Re: vwkaferman]
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AMGSiR
Post Master Sr
Registered: 08/23/04
Posts: 7730
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KERMIT!
You work for sharkwerks??
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#3628095 - 04/06/09 07:05 PM
Re: I don't drink milk but...
[Re: vwkaferman]
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DanTSiAWD
Poster
Registered: 09/13/08
Posts: 221
Loc: Bay Area, CA
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You asshole. You make me realize the hole in my garage is more than enough room to get a project car into, and I need a new project
!!! Yes you definitely do need a new project.
i can't wait to see that car cleaned up... damn
I'll be sure to post up when I do work on it.
 Awesome! Good kill man, I've thrown this idea around as well. Either getting an old 912 or even a 914. Love 'em. Great post with pics, keep 'em coming! James
Thanks James,
Yeah I used to want a 914, too. The only reason I went for the 912 was because the 914s are almost too cheap and I see a lot of them for sale. I figured if I dumped a bunch of time and money into it, I might actually recover some of it with a 911 or 912. But I'll try a 914 some day for sure. My roommate has an ultra clean 914-6, orange with GT widebody flares etc. Maybe I have pics of it here somewhere... hmm
KERMIT!
You work for sharkwerks??
Yep! There's Alex (most people know him) and James (the mad mechanic). I'm the other guy.
_________________________
2001 MR2 Spyder silver needs to go to tracks 1968 Porsche 912 (carbd and shit) 2001 Honda Insight 5-sp stealthy silver DD. 1850 lbs S2K seats and stuff swapped in SOLD AP1 S2000 GPW/red, 1992 Talon TSI AWD (12.9@105), 1984/1986/1999 Mustang 5/5/4.6
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#3630045 - 04/07/09 01:17 PM
Re: I don't drink milk but...
[Re: DanTSiAWD]
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AMGSiR
Post Master Sr
Registered: 08/23/04
Posts: 7730
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Very cool! You guys do come cool stuff. I've got 3 GT700 kits locally from EVO which it looks like you guys have a lot of experience with.
Damn these cars make power.
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#3643816 - 04/12/09 08:53 PM
Re: I don't drink milk but...
[Re: hustler]
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DanTSiAWD
Poster
Registered: 09/13/08
Posts: 221
Loc: Bay Area, CA
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Hey guys I figured I might as well post an update here. Since I was sick for a few days I got behind, but today I had a few hours so I pulled both carburetors from the motor. Those inner nuts were kind of a bitch, mainly because one of the studs was way too long.
Overall though, easy-peasy and I had the carbs out in about a half hour.
I took apart just one today. Both are actually leaking in the same place (the accelerator pump diaphragm was ripped).
Here's my "Carburetor Rebuild Workshop" (sponsored by Brembo and HRE):
Taking it apart into layers, it was clear that it was really nasty inside anyway:
Here's what was causing the gas to leak into the engine bay:
I spent a couple hours with carburetor cleaner and Scotch-brite pads scrubbing and cleaning up the exterior of the main housing, then cleaned all the gasket surfaces, blew everything out, and replaced the float valve. Finally I replaced the torn diaphragm and reassembled everything with new gaskets:
The rebuild kit actually did not include the top gasket, so I will need to cut a couple myself. It just connects the carb to the air cleaner housing. I also did not spend a whole lot of time on the "Redline" air cleaner lid yet that's heavily corroded. I'll either sand it down and paint it, then sand off the stuff that sticks up (making the Redline logo etc. chrome and the rest black) or just polish the whole thing.
_________________________
2001 MR2 Spyder silver needs to go to tracks 1968 Porsche 912 (carbd and shit) 2001 Honda Insight 5-sp stealthy silver DD. 1850 lbs S2K seats and stuff swapped in SOLD AP1 S2000 GPW/red, 1992 Talon TSI AWD (12.9@105), 1984/1986/1999 Mustang 5/5/4.6
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#3644136 - 04/12/09 11:13 PM
Re: I don't drink milk but...
[Re: DanTSiAWD]
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00Formula
00Formula
Unregistered
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I'd try to polish up the whole redline cover first since it's all aluminum.
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#3644190 - 04/12/09 11:37 PM
Re: I don't drink milk but...
[Re: ]
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silentfurymm
Post Master Sr
Registered: 03/03/02
Posts: 7549
Loc: SoCal....again
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So other than the massive amount of surface rust in the floor pan, that looks like a pretty sweet project. I hope its surface rust anyway, otherwise that would suck.
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#3660812 - 04/17/09 10:51 PM
Re: I don't drink milk but...
[Re: silentfurymm]
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DanTSiAWD
Poster
Registered: 09/13/08
Posts: 221
Loc: Bay Area, CA
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I don't have any pictures handy but here's the gist of what's new on the 912...
I finished rebuilding the second carburetor and it looks pretty good, too. I didn't spend a whole lot of time polishing up the air cleaners, but they look decent. I re-installed the carbs after replacing the fuel line that runs behind the fan (this line is notorious for leaking and causing fires on these cars).
The car runs about the same, maybe even a bit harder to start than before, but I haven't tried tuning the carbs yet. However, the fuel leaks are all fixed!
I also replaced the deck lid strut because the lid was falling on my head while working on the car. Now it springs up with authority.
I spent the last couple of days replacing all the lights around the car so I can begin driving it. When I started, 1/4 turn signals worked, 2/4 parking lights worked, 0/2 brake lights worked, 0/2 license plate light lights worked. I replaced all 12 of these bulbs (about $20) which fixed about half of them... but I had to clean every connector and ground with a razor blade/pick/sandpaper to get most of them working. Now I'm happy to say 4/4 turn signals, 4/4 parking lights, 1/2 brake lights, and 2/2 license plate lights work perfect. I haven't traced down that second brake light but the wire looks fine so I'll look into it this weekend (there's one wire that runs from one brake light to the other, through the outside of the car and again through the deck lid area). I also couldn't figure out why the reverse lights don't work, but I'm pretty sure it's the switch. Anyway, the car has *most* lights and I don't feel unsafe driving it now.
Since the driver's seat was installed, I installed the seat belt for it, and because I just added it to my insurance ($9/month!) I took it for a spin around the block. It was pretty fun to drive, so I ran inside and grabbed the digital camera, and shot this video:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AiAbj_UzDNc
Warning: the audio is terrible and an airplane flies over head at the end, but you get the idea.
More to come later.
_________________________
2001 MR2 Spyder silver needs to go to tracks 1968 Porsche 912 (carbd and shit) 2001 Honda Insight 5-sp stealthy silver DD. 1850 lbs S2K seats and stuff swapped in SOLD AP1 S2000 GPW/red, 1992 Talon TSI AWD (12.9@105), 1984/1986/1999 Mustang 5/5/4.6
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