912 Registry Owners Comments Archives Volume 3

Following are general posting from owners March - April 1998. Click on the thumbnail photos to enlarge them, back button to return. To read the most recent 912 enthusiasts' comments, go to the InterActive! page.

From: Ron A Anthony; Sat, 25 Apr 1998; RAAnthony5@aol.com; Hi, thanks for the great web site for 912's. Baldwin, MD; 1976 Porsche 912E s/r cpe, #0986, blk/ blkm 87kmiles for sale, $10,500, one of 500 with sunroof (how many left?), many, many upgrades w/in past 2 years. For your info I am selling 0986 in order to buy another 912E that I spotted over 15 years ago and is now available again. Another s/r cpe.! Also, Warner Brothers recently rented my 912E for use in filming the TV pilot "The Adversaries" starring Lou Diamond Phillips. Scenes were shot in Washington, D.C. with the car dressed down to look fairly rough. I am informed the show could air in May-June. Many thanks again. By the way, 912E owners who have not replaced their weathered fuel lines are courting disaster. Just ask someone who has had an engine fire!!!!!

From Bill Ullum; Tue, 21 Apr 1998; BUllum1943 BUllum1943@aol.com; 912 Built 1967...1968 Model Year, Coupe; Great to find your web page, 912 cars seem to be treated like the relative
that is in prison and no one talks about at family gatherings (ie. most publications that deal with "real" Porsche Cars) I wish you the greatest of success on your web site, and I will continue to support it. By the way, some sort of decal or sticker would be appropriate, I am sure we all would be willing to pay whatever the cost. Once again, keep up the good work, I will be in touch....Bill Ullum, Morro Bay, CA

From: LARS-IVAR B|E; Wed, 22 Apr 1998; Lars-Ivar.Boe@pors.hit.no; Hey! I fulfilled my dreams last spring and bought my first Porsche ever, a white 912. I studied at the University of California at Santa Barbara and went down to the Pomona meet 9th of March and bought a 67 model 912. I shipped this car to Norway where I live now. Now I want to buy a 911 engine and put it into my 912. Someone wanted to sell their 911, 2.0 engine and I figure that would be a good engine for my car since the transmissions are the same for the 912 and the 911 2.0's. Does anyone know what modifications I need to do in order to get the 2.0 into my 912? Does it require a lot of work or can it be done relatively easy? I will be very thankful for any answers and advice! Thank you! Best Regards, Lars.

From: david curtis; Thu, 16 Apr 98; mfarmbnb@fidnet.com; Howdy, I just came across your site and was glad to see it. I have been a Porsche owner/ enthusiast for 28 years. Most of my cars have been 356s but I have had a '69 912 Targa #472 since 1990. It has a glass rear window and is a 5 speed with paint #6801 (slate grey). The car has about 130,000 miles on it and is an accident/ rust free fair weather toy. I have a bike rack at the rear with the help of a homemade bracket mounted between the "bumperettes". I live in a rural area and make sunny day runs to a nice mtn. bike trail in the nearby Mark Twain National Forest. My wife and I raise beef cattle and operate a B&B at our farm located on a spring fed Ozark river. Correspondence welcome Thanks! David Curtis

From: mackros; Sun, 12 Apr 1998; mackros@compuserve.com; Hello Sir, my name is Javier Sanchez I live in Spain but I was working at USA two years ago and I bought a beautiful red 912 (1968) VIN 12805441, I just have seen your Web page and I have decided to send you with this e-mail two pictures of my porsche, one at USA and The other in Madrid SPAIN. Next time I will send you some pictures of my restoration work, thanks for your 912 page, I like a lot

From: Brian Reynolds; Fri, 10 Apr 1998; bsr@mich.com; My name is Brian. I am new to the inter-net and just found this site. I just purchased a 912E , all original. I am looking for some Help on trouble shooting fuel injection problems and oil cooler leaks. If anyone out there can give me information, I welcome all comments.

From: Chuck; Fri, 10 Apr 1998; rdburn@meer.net; I think that you/we are doing an excellent job of "spreading the word" as new registrants are appearing with great frequency. Notice the "new member" VIN 249. This is an excellent support group. Bob.

From: Manfred Botz; Wed, 8 Apr 1998; manfred.botz@online.de; Ubstadt-Weiher (0,5 hour from Porsche, Stuttgart), Baden-Württemberg, Germany; 1966 coupe; I bought this car last year in California. My father is a Porsche dealer and I love these cars. As I am 16, I still have to wait 1,5 years till I car drive the car (In Germany you receive your driving license by the age of 18).

From: Rodney A. Harrison; Tue, 7 Apr 1998; rharison@lightspeed.net; Well, not a favorite 912 story, but last time I reported the 912 is up for sale.... it is off market... my wife agreed to let me keep both it and the 356 cab, at least for now.

From: DAVID LOVATO; Fri, 03 Apr 1998; dljilovato@hotmail.com; Just a few thoughts on my 912's- and in a sense, what they've taught me.
Years ago, I thought the definition of sporting driving was found in an English car...there seemed to be so many to choose from- and they appeared to me then to answer the mail on the sorts of questions a young man might have about looks, speed, handling and just plain fun. I bought and drove a series of British sports cars, and when my brother bought his first Porsche, I didn't think much of it at the time.
One day, as these things happen, a rather raggedy 1965 Porsche was offered to me, and since I was driving a Fiat Cinquacento just then, almost ANY car would have been an improvement! I thought the Porsche was very odd looking, squat and bulbous and plain inside- the car was a
strange bluey purple color- and wore a 911T badge, but had what I would have sworn was a VW motor stuck in its bum!! (At least it sounded a bit like one to me-!!) I bought the car for very little money- the previous owner having complained that 1st gear 'never works'.
Well...on the dash was the curvy 912 badge, and since the car had 5 forward gears in the reverse H-with dogleg, no wonder she could never find first!! 3 dial dash, brushed aluminium fascia, black vinyl interior and one very peculiar feature...and this is most important-
When I washed the car, my fingers never got stuck or cut on ANY SHARP CORNERS anywhere. It was a bizarre and sensual event to wash the darned 912!! It was also the awakening of a passion that has lasted to this day. The fact that there were no hard edges, that in fact the car was
beautifully crafted- and deceptively smooth opened my eyes to considerations about motor cars that previously would never have occurred to me. Ever afterwards I have invested in the marque, and it asks a lot. But, I do it without really thinking- so that I feel as if we're equal in the deal. My pleasure is feeding that obsession- a largely unreasonable emotion attached to an object of some ridicule (as all 912-er's are aware), but a pre-occupation common to all real enthusiasts.
Given the time, I guess I could wax-on about the things I learned from that early 912. Not least of all that whichever model of Porsche, to the un-initiated they are a mystery and an attraction!! But I know that you're busy- and I suppose I am too. So I'll keep it short.
As we bid goodbye to Dr. Porsche, I am sure that he would be proud to acknowledge the same emotions that we have all felt as we sight the line of our car's flank, or run the chamois over a slightly flared quarter panel- We are crazy beyond recovery in the way that any art lover is obsessed by an image or technique that he cannot personally own, but can imagine himself a part of.
The acid test though of our attachment to this man's work is our reaction to the horror of sustaining damage to our car- whether it be serious or slight. As my 912E was carried on the back of an ACI tow vehicle to Enzo Marrocco's shop a month or so ago- he came out of the Porsche workshop having received a call from the Carabinieri that 'Lovato has come off the road and damaged his Porsche- he wants you to fix it!'
His hands customarily greasy, as the van pulled up and he viewed the damage to my car- his oily hand wiped over his eyes and he said- "Ah Senior Lovato- your lovely car is damaged, and I am so sorry for you. I am so sorry to see this."
Like all the genuine lovers of the marque I have ever met- Enzo's reaction had nothing to do with the work, or money, or status or any of that claptrap associated with expensive sports machinery. For him and for me, just as if we were listening to news of Dr. Porsche's death, the apologies were an expression of the value of the car to us both. Although old, he knew it was cherished and loved. How like an Italian to speak with his heart. How typical of our common obsession that two grown men would stand picking the grass out of the undercarriage of the car discussing its rennaissance, while the ACI driver fiddled his thumbs wishing we'd just pay him so he could go. Ferdinand would have understood the importance of those moments- he will be sorely missed.
R/Dave Lovato, '76 912E #9126000496, Gaeta, Italy

From: Dennis Otto; Tue, 31 Mar 1998; ceotto@skyenet.net; My 912, home, finally!! Howdy.. now that my lil car is finally home [after a mere 27 months of non-operational condition].... Dennis F. Otto ceotto@skyenet.net, Elkhart, Indiana USA 1968 Karmann Cpe. 0675, Lt. Ivory/ 6804-L, but now '78 Polar White [poor name-color is a very rich, saturated "creamy" white; lt. ivory was desaturated, grayed-boring-white] 130910km-car was originally sold in Italy. Neat little car; now has "bitsa" [as the Brits would say] engine with a big bore kit. Most of my original engine is still being held "hostage" by a Porsche engine expert in *******; long painfull, expensive story. Also had the 5 speed overhauled. Not used to a 912 that really has 102 hp; gosh I don't need a stopwatch any more to see if I'm accelerating in fifth! She is a responsive, fun lil car to drive, but have to get some Yoko A008s back on her; A509s don't get it.

From: C Buford Nolen; Mon, 30 Mar 1998; ELXN03B@prodigy.com; Fellow 912 owners, I'm a new 912E owner (in fact, it's my first rear engined Porsche). Mine is a solid example -a strong daily driver if I wanted to use it as such. It has about 128K miles, so it has been cared for, but not
coddled. Last weekend I took it on a "shake-down" cruise. I drove across Texas and back, to the tune of about 1,500 miles. I noted a few things (mostly things I already knew) that may need attention. I'm pretty green when it comes to the 912, so if any of you have comments, advice or tips about what I noted, let me know. I'm not mechanically inclined, but I am a slow learner (ha ha)! I've owned used Porsches before, so I'm not too freaked out by a few projects (just so long as it doesn't become a monetary black hole like that '84 944 was).
1) The light lever must need to be replaced. It kept slipping from low to high beams. I've been told this is a common problem. I understand that Performance products carries the part. Let me know if you've replaced this switch, and how to go about it.
2) The speedometer is off. I think it's more accurate at low speeds, but is far too optimistic at higher speeds. When my wife can find some time, we'll pace it with her car. The speedo had me going "75" to "80" mph when I was probably somewhere between "60" and "70". Obviously, I don't have stock sized tires. It still has tires that the previous owner had put on, Michelin P205/70R14. Strangely, the odometer appeared to be accurate.
3) By the time I got to College Station I noticed that the throttle would sometimes stick at just above 2K rpm. A quick upshift and release of the clutch would bring the rpms down. Of course, I only noticed this in towns. The springs associated with the throttle appear to be doing their thing back there. A guy in College Station sprayed them with some toxic smelling stuff, to clean the gunk off. It helped, and I noticed the throttle sticking less. By the time I got home, I didn't notice it at all. If I observe it again I'm thinking the throttle might have some gunk on the inside.
4) I knew this before the trip, but I'll add it in here. The shift linkage has some slop in it. In neutral, the shift lever feels completely loose. Doesn't seem to be a big problem, but I have noticed that if you aren't gentle, there can be a pronounced "clunk" when you select first gear.
5) The thing that bothered me the most was the car's tendency to pull to the right. It seems to be worse sometimes than others. Texas has horrible crosswinds. The car appears to be sensitive to these winds or turbulence. The last 400 miles of the trip was particularly brutal because of this. I'm hoping a front end alignment will be the answer. My other guess is possibly some wear in the steering that allows too much play. To my knowledge, the car hasn't been in an accident. My buddy said the front end on his '88 911 tended to wander around too; but I don't think it was as dramatic as what mine did. This is one of those odd things, in that I don't notice it all the time.

A note about my trip. I drove from El Paso to Texas World Speedway in College Station. The Lonestar Region of PCA was holding club races, and I thought this would be a good excuse to drive out there. A buddy of mine (who I haven't seen in seven years) said he would meet me there. I told him to look for a brownish (Peru Red) 912E. I said it would be "the only one there." Well, the first Porsche I saw when I drove up was a brown 912E. Not only was there another one there, this guy was the first owner, and his was in Concours condition. I thought mine was pretty clean until this guy showed me his; pointing out exactly which upholstery panels had been replaced on the seats. He was out of my league, but hey, I've only had mine a couple months. He has had 22 years to study his. His awesome 912E was made less than a hundred before mine (both being near the middle of production). The irony of the entire situation was not lost on me. I had driven across the huge state of Texas to the one place I would be guaranteed to have no-one fawn over my car. I enjoyed the trip, but have decided that was a little too far to go solo. Assuming the odometer was correct, I got 23 mpg on twisty backroads, nearly 28 mpg on the interstate. Thanks for any comments. If you're going to flame me, send to ELXN03B@prodigy.com (fifth figure is a number). C Buford Nolen There is no substitute

From: Peter Sommer; Thu, 26 Mar 1998; sommerp@uni-duesseldorf.de; Duesseldorf, Germany; '68 Coupe, car originally delivered to Florida, reimported 1990, 3rd owner, matching numbers, original colour(beautiful), is mine the only champagne yellow 912 out there?, send me mail!!

From: George T. Griswold, Jr.; Wed, 25 Mar 1998; houndy1@napanet.net; I bought Gus Erbes' car, so his posting should be removed. I will add some restoration comments soon. Let's put it this way, we have had the car a month, and couldn't resist the call for a new paint job. All the chrome is off and dry as toast rubber is off. Stripping underway. I did a 1954 Plymouth before ---- this seems easier because of the smaller size. Difference is Tracy loves the car. George and Tracy Griswold St. Helena, Ca.

From: BUTZI P; Mon, 23 Mar 1998; BUTZIP@aol.com; This is the first site on the web I've ever been truely excited about. It's true we're are an elite (wrongfully maligned) fraternity of enthusiasts. It's a wonderful thing to see so much enthusiasm for I consider to be the most underrated marque today. I for one have been searching for a site like this since the first day I discovered the internet. My good friend and registrie Brian Ruggiero turned me on to this site thanks a million brian!! I am the proud owner of a 66' 912. The car has been in my family since day one, original owners. About a year before I got my license (1989) My dad said "the car is going to the crusher". A daily driver for 27 years at that point it, was a mess, that included 18 years of New England winters, OUCH!! Needless to say it was in need of a complete overhaul, so after what seemed like days of rehearsed pursausion and general groveling dad gave me the manual and said go to town. I started with the engine since was inoperable, shattered wristpin bushings sent throughout the intimate workings of the aircooled gem led to a mechanical caucauphony a kin to 747 landing gear-up. After "sorting" the engine I was left with a running worn-out solex, stuck accelerater pump, 1 qpm leaking no heater box, backfireing beauty. But it ran, and I loved it, the smell the sound it was the beginning of a beautiful friendship and responsible for ones to come. After properly righting all of the small $ woes it was off to college. For two years it was MY daily driver, soldiering on through yet another Connecticut winter with no heat. No, it was not one of those showcases of intelligence that one brags about but there it was. But the engine was only half of the equation. The body was the other larger more unitainable half, the expensive half. As fate would have it and it always does, my path of life landed me in a chemistry lab. Walking in late after being stopped by a campus cop for speeding on my bicycle, I was left with one table to choose a seat from. At it was a lone "angry youth" type, chain wallet with a Rancid sticker and Quicksand T-shirt I'm not one for generalities but for the purposes of the description, your average anti- socialite. Lab wore on and part of it involved a mortar and pistal with sand and potato peels, don't ask. With about three words between us at this point I say something to the effect of why don't we just sandblast these suckers? Expecting a friendly please don't talk to me grin he perks up and says I've been doing that all day (to a 67' E-type Jag). After digging through his punk band patch shod army/navy book bag he pulls out a special Porsche edition of Grass-Roots Motorsports the ensueing conversation continued over many pints of guinness at the local tavern. A commuting student, Matt lived near by and worked full/part time at a vintage restoration shop in Massachusetts. What a coincidence, as I was in need of some vintage restoration of my own. The next day involved a quick run to the shop where the owner took what I considered to be a genuine interest in my 912. A modest shop from the outside, a converted textile mill, revealed treasures that make those in the know into a pavlovian subject. A 55' speedster on a rotisserie, 280SL's, E-types, 3.0 BMW coupes, 308's, 2002's 356's, GTV's you get the picture. A year and a half later my 912 emerged with a new lease on life. That year and half is a whole nother experience better left for another time. By this point it's FEB 96' and the flatbed drops the car in my parents driveway where I retreat from the wild parties to do the finish work interior, glass, suspension and all those other niggling details that I didn't expect then nor remember now. Come March I find Myself at the first CVR/PCA autocross of the season. What would have taken me about three years to do at my current pace I accomplished in about two months after the endorphine high of that autocross. A new set of Webers jetted/balanced, K&Ns, V-stacks, CraneCams HI6 / ps91 coil, remote oil cooler, bursch one-piece header, pair of Corbeau seats Momo four points, VDO gauges for those idiot lights and 5.5x14 fuchs w/195/60's I was ready to Autocross!!! I've never had so much fun in my life!! I was beating about 60% of all the 911 entries and all but 1 944 turbo in my class. To my surprise I got a whole paragraph and picture in the next months newsletter a total addict now, I couldn't wait for next season when Brian and I would finally go head to head with our respective 912's but as fate would have it, and it always does, My job landed me in Sunny Huntsville Alabama. With no active PCA region I decided to leave my beloved in CT until proper storage / autocross outlet is found. That translated into about a year. To my great relief and joy there is a local auto club that holds auto-xs once a month at an abandoned airport know as the Twickenham Auto Club or TAC for short. Also holding events there is the SCCA solo II guys. So from complete euphoria to utter withdrawal for about a year to twice the fequency of events. I guess that which comes to those who wait is true after all. So here I am off to put in my electric fuel pump once I logoff eagerly awaiting the first auto-x of this season 12 days from now. Sorry for the length of this letter it started as a simple good job on the site letter honest, but I tend to get a little carried away when it comes to my 912. Sincerely Peter Baldauf
P.S. I would be happy to keep you updated on the local auto-x scene here in Huntsville I promise I'll keep it short(er)

From: Teun & Jacqueline van der Zijden; Fri, 20 Mar 1998; ajzijden@wxs.nl; 1969 coupe, We bought our Porsche two years ago (aug.'96)in Marina Del Ray,CA., while we were on holiday. With the car came the original maintenance records which told us we are the third owner. Jerry L. Maddox from Santa Monica CA was the first owner (is he still alive??) and Jeff & Lilian Steinberg,
from Del Mar, CA. owned it from '79 till july '96 . Except from a new (american) paint job the car is in original condition, has a 4-speed gearbox, a rear heated window and it's first, still working, Blaupunkt AM-FM radio.

From: Pat Crane; Fri, 20 Mar 1998; PFCrane@aol.com; I have a 1976 912E coupe, The car is the original bronze color and has just over 300,000 miles on it --- the engine has been rebuilt once. The car is in excellent condition, both mechanically and cosmetically. I drive it daily during most of the year, except when snow is the dominant feature of our landscape. I'll be glad to help out anyone who likes their 912E as much as we enjoy ours!

From: Maarten van Buuren, Die Niederlanden; Montag, 16. März 1998; buuren@northwood.edu; 1967 Targa, I bought the car 3 years ago. Since two years ago, I,m totally restoring the car. I still need some crucial parts. Please contact me. Some of the parts I need: 2 cylinder-heads, interior-mirror, right front-fender, ball-joints and many more small things.

Up til now I've done everything myself and I plan on doing the rest myself to, except for the paint-job I would like to know as much as possible about my car so, if you know anything about my car or have some parts for it or are just interested in my project, please e-mail me at buuren@northwood.edu

From: Rick Wright; Tue, 10 Mar 1998; CDNHAWKEYE@aol.com; '65 Sunroof Coupe; Thanks for posting my registration so quickly. Yes my 912 does have the grooves to the rain gutters. It has fog lights, windshield washers, 5 speed tranny but no rear window wiper. It is an everyday driver that looks and runs great. I think I am the third or fourth owner, and the car may have been purchased overseas and shipped to the U.S. The odometer has 84K and the engine has been rebuilt. Thanks again, Rick Wright

From: Paul Blommaert, Erpe-Mere 9420 Belgium; Sun, 8 Mar 1998; germany@tornado.be; 912 E Coupe; the car burned out 1/2 and I am rebuilding him from scratch; the engine will be a 2.2 six cylinder; for rally and fun driving; I think when it is finished I will look for another one and start again. I have been infected by a restoring virus

From: Jerry/ Pamm Allston; Sun, 8 Mar 1998; ASUJerry@aol.com; 1968 Karmann Coupe, Phoenix, AZ USA; I've owned my 912 since 1974 and it has lived in Phoenix Arizona for that period. We raced with PCA in mid to late 70's. We stripped the rustfree perfect body to bare metal and repainted in 1979, the original tangerine. I can't believe I just found this site. Make My Day ! I'll be back soon. Thanks, Jerry

From: Karl Kramer; Fri, 06 Mar 1998; KKramer@thegrid.net; Your site address appeared in the March 1998 Montereyan, published by the Monterey Bay Region of the Porsche Club. Received it yda, am online tdy. I have been keeping a small list of 912Es through ads and listings but do not have very many. A list is necessary. Besides, I'm curious as to how many may still be around. Mine is #2035, which I purchased new, and I have 234,000 miles on it. Stills looks nearly perfect, too! Best regards, Karl Kramer

From: Tom Gossler; Tue, 3 Mar 1998; tgossler@goldengate.net; You have a wonderful web site going. It was great to find a site catering to 912 owners. Sometimes I feel like 912s get the "short end of the stick" when it comes to coverage on the web and other media. It is looked at as the "funny" 911. Keep up the good work! I will send .jpgs as soon as it comes out of storage this year. The photos I had taken before had to be turned over to my insurance company!! By the way, the car was built late in '65, but is definitely a model year '66. I have already researched and received the Certificate of Authenticity from PCNA. The numbers on the body, engine and tranny all match!! Thanks again for a great site! Tom Gossler

From: Larry Grossman; Tue, 3 Mar 1998; LarryMyra@aol.com; '68 Coupe, I love My 912, I rebuilt the motor my self, and did the interior , I also made a crank pully out of stainless steel since the original ones seem to crack at the key way , My motor has earlier heads I believe , since there are no air injectors in the ports , I took apart the air cleaners and tossed the screens , and put in K & Ns , so they look almost original , thanks for the 912 page its great!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Larry