Purchaase a non-running 1969 911E?

[Sledgehammer]

I have a friend who has a 69 911E that I'd like to buy from him. He's set a price finally at $3000. Here's its story...when his wife divorced him in 1985, she took the keys and it has been locked in his barn ever since and still is. It was running when he last used it but he said it needed a new exhaust manifold. It also needs new paint, tires, battery, interior, etc. and needs a general restoration. Body is sound with no rust but being locked, I haven't yet looked under the hood, trunk or really inspected inside it. My fear is that I'll get the car for $3K then will need to spend another 5 grand just to get it running again. I restored my 64 MGB. It had also sat for 15 years and I got it running for a just a few hundred bucks then another 2 grand on paint, interior etc. but that was an MG. Should I worry with a Porsche?

 

[Keoke]

SH, The car looks good but your fears are not unfounded given that Porsche parts are very expensive. It also seems a bit odd that if the only thing that stood between the PO and access to the car was a set of keys why didn't he just call a lock smith or even easier present valid ownership to any dealer and a set of keys would be made up for a relative small price.The 911 is a very desireable model though.---FWIW--Keoke

 

[78Z]

I'd make sure the ownership is clear cut before making any sort of move.

 

[MGA Steve]

[ QUOTE ]
I have a friend who has a 69 911E that I'd like to buy from him.

[/ QUOTE ]Don't want to sound too negative, but there were problems with the fuel injection in the 911E in '69. For that reason, it has always been less in demand than the originally cheaper 911T and, of course, the top-of-the-line 911S from that year. The most desirable '69 is the 911S Targa, but the 911T Targa makes a better street car/daily driver. The Targa from that year had the glass rear window instead of the plastic, zip-out rear window of the earlier Targas, which also makes it more durable and leak-free.

And, of course, Porsche repair parts for any model year are, well . . . PORSCHE parts (ie, "Porsche" in German translates to "expensive" in English)./ubbthreads/images/graemlins/devilgrin.gif Good luck!

 

[William]

I agree with 78Z's advice on making sure your friend actually owns it, and not his wife. And, the fact that he just left it in a barn without bothering to get a new key made or have a locksmith open it up is strange, to say the least. Does the ex wife still have the keys?

If you can do the work yourself, it might be worth a flutter. But, get a new key made (or get the originals, or get a locksmith to unlock the car), and give it a thorough going over before handing over any cash. If the seller's your friend, he'll likely agree to that, eh?

If you can find them, Classic Motorsports magazine recomissioned an early 911 that had been parked outside in Florida for a decade. Would make interesting reading before going further (you can find more at their website as well).

-Wm.

 

[Sledgehammer]

Thanks for your input. My friend has never sold a car he has ever owned and has a 3-story barn full of vehicles so this would be a first for him. He never unlocked it because he had three teenage boys who didn't need to be driving a Porsche. He's got the title and has said he'd get a locksmith out to open it up. I've known Mike for years so I'm not worried about getting screwed. Just worried about jumping into a hole needing to be filled with money. Kind of like my boat, "a hole in the water surrounded by fiberglass into which one pours money".

 

[Steve]

It will be an expensive proposition that's for certain.....but a rust-free car is as good a starting point as one could have for a restoration of an older car. And it is a 911!

 

[sammyb]

Don't buy it.

The only way to do a non-runner 911 is to get one REALLY cheap, like I did. I purchased a 1970 911T (carbed) with a seized engine for $1000. Paint and body were perfect. Interior was serviceable. It cost me $2800 to get a rebuilt engine installed at my home by a regional expert, but I received a special discount for being an auto journalist. Plus I gave up the original engine as a core.

I actually wound up selling the car, and got much more money than I expected, but if I had to have had it painted, I would have been under water.

If you want a 911, buy a complete running car. You can't expect to get it running cheaply, since, unlike our LBCs, they are more prone to catastrophic failure if they are running poorly. (Read: timing chain tensioners!)