The Sand Beige exterior paint remains in good condition, with consistent finish and color throughout the body. Given the overall condition of the paint it is likely that this was a relatively recent respray of the car. In our opinion, it could benefit from a proper wet sand and buff which would leave it in great shape. There are minimal signs of imperfections in the paint itself, with the exception of some minor stone chips on the front area of the car, which is to be expected from a driver quality example. The body itself is straight down the sides with good shut gaps. There are no obvious signs of any issues with the body though we do note that there may be some body filler in the rocker areas.

It is apparent that the chrome trim was likely not redone when the body was resprayed. It is in nice serviceable condition but does show imperfections in the form of pitting and scratching throughout most of the car. It retains good shine, but close inspection shows the imperfections as mentioned. Rubber trim throughout the car remains in good condition with a nice supple nature to it and good color. The rubber strips on the leading edge of the bumpers likely show the most amount of age but still remain in ok condition. Much of the glass shows proper branding with the side and rear windows all showing Sekurit stampings with the exception of the drivers side window which has no branding. The windshield is branded Sigla. All the glass remains in good serviceable condition, with some minor light scratching and swirling, visible under direct light, but no delamination or serious issues. The headlight lens show a bit of stone pepperings but remain clean and clear. Marker lights and taillights remain in good condition with no cracking or fading.

The wheels all remain in good condition, with nice painted surfaces and good chrome hub caps with nice shine to them. Center caps are likewise in good order.

The interior of this 912 remains in relatively good order but certainly falls in the category of drive quality. There are a number of imperfections such as a separation of the stitching in the top corner of the drivers side seat as well as a section on the drivers side door card where the window winder has contacted the material and scratched the surface through. Some of the painted surfaces on the dash area show chipping and flaking of paint, especially around the top of the gauge cluster. There is also some general wear from use on things like the shifter knob and emergency break lever as well as the sun visors showing a bit of bagginess to the material. Despite these imperfections, the interior does present well and has many redeeming qualities. The carpets retain excellent color and texture and fit very nicely. The seat surfaces themselves remain in good order with smooth material and great color. The headliner fits nice and tight and shows no staining or imperfections. The gauges show some age, but retain good color and readability to them.

In our brief testing of the vehicle it appears that much of the interior items function as they should. The drivers side window winder does contact the door card, which has led to scratching of the surface material. This could either be caused from bowing of the dor card or a bent winder arm. The gauges all appear to read their requisite functions as they should. The emergency brake holds the car firmly in place and the shifter moves easily through its range of motion.

The engine bay does present very nicely and looks relatively correct thoughout with the appropriate stickers in place. Components all appear to be the correct style with the exception of some modern clamps scattered throughout. Everything looks well cared for, painted surfaces retain good consistency and there are no signs of any issues past or present. It should be noted that the case of the engine is a replacement unit and is blank, containing no engine number stamping. It is the correct 616/36 type but is a replacement unit.

The front trunk area displays nicely, with well kept carpeting that fits relatively nicely. Lifting the carpets reveals a clean and tidy spare as well as good looking painted surfaces. The spare wheel well is clean and tidy. Some of the wires and tubing scattered throughout the engine bay show their age and could likely stand to be replaced but theres are no signs of any issues with them.

The underside of the car presents as one would expect from a driver quality example. Overall its solid with no signs of any issues present, but obvious signs of age and use. There is a solid layer of undercoating to help prevent the floor pan from corrosion. In area’s where the undercoating is not present or chipped away, there is some signs of minor surface corrosion present. There is some road dirt in the wheel wells but otherwise they look solid. The suspension components show some surface oxidation on them but no signs of any pressing issues. It should be noted that there appears to be a screw driven through the floor pan on the driver’s side, used to stabilize some backing material in the foot well above. Again, the underside presents as one would expect from a driver quality example, solid with some areas that could receive attention should its next owner want to take it to the next level.

The engine is a bit slow to start when cold, taking a few cycles of the ignition and some finessing of the gas pedal. Once it fires to life, it sounds healthy but does tend to idle a bit high as the temperature builds. Out on the road it makes good power and revs relatively freely. It tends to struggle a bit under 3,000 RPM’s but once above that it makes excellent power. We spent some time chasing this down and feel that it could certainly be tied to the high idle as well. It would be our recommendation that the car have the carbs looked over before embarking on any major excursions.

The 4-speed manual transmission shifts well and holds power as it should. 1’st gear requires the car to be stopped or moving very slowly before engaging and 2’nd gear requires a very smooth and deliberate shift to engage without grinding. The clutch feels strong and takeup and feedback appear to be good.

When the car showed up to our shop it was having some issues with dragging brakes. We sent it to CR Cars who replaced some brakes lines and gave it a look over. It now brakes as it should with no issues, bringing the car to a smooth and controlled stop. The suspension feels compliant and responsive. Its maybe not be quite as tight as it should be, and going through suspension components is one thing we would suggest doing if a future owner wanted to take this car to the next level.

The tires are a set of Vredestein Sprint Classis, a very period correct looking tire option that fits the car well. They retain solid side walls and excellent tread on all 4 corners.

While some may snub their noses at a car that looks like a 911 but only has 4 cylinders, these people are outright wrong. The 912 may be slightly down on power but it provides almost an even more rewarding driving experience. The smaller 4 cylinder engine means you can really push the RPM’s to their upper limits without getting yourself into a dangerous spot like you might with it’s more powerful 911 sibling. The chassis and handling are all there as well, providing you the same visceral and connected driving experience you would expect from the shape of the car. Overall the 912 provides an outstanding driving experience for the dollar and combined with the fantastic looks of the body and the reliability of the tried and true flat four-cylinder engine its an all around winning combination.