That’ll Buff Out: Wonderfully Imperfect Porsche 912 Build Resurrected
Porsche 912 Targa will leave the purists openly weeping. That is exactly why it is one of our favorite Porsche projects ever.
There is no such thing as a bad Porsche. Sure, there are folks that never warmed to the 914. And there are Porsche fans that still can’t stand the 996 generation 911. There are folks that never liked any of the Targa models. However, by and large all Porsche cars are special and worth saving. There are a number of builders that take older model Porsches and turn them into modern gold. Yes, even Targa models.
These high dollar show pieces are works of art. Drive one to a local car show and everyone in the crowd will swoon. However, there are some builds that are not exactly high dollar show pieces. But they are cool all the same. In fact, in some ways they are even cooler. They thumb their nose at what a traditional Porsche build should be. The car pictured here is one of those builds.
The images come to us via Hayburner magazine. The story goes that one of the Hayburner crew found this busted up Porsche 912 Targa in a scape yard a few years ago. Apparently, it was found just a few weeks before Bug Jam 31 back in 2017. If you are not familiar with Bug Jam, it is from our friends in the UK.
It started in 1987 as a celebration for VW enthusiasts, and is still going strong today. In any event, the goal was to “restore” this heap of a 912 Targa in time to drive it to the Bug Jam show. It made it to the show and was quite the spectacle. Despite the looks, it can drive around under its own power.
The busted-up body supposedly rides on a slammed VW Beetle floor plan. The wheels are, well the wheels are gold. And they suit the style of this car perfectly. Of course, just what is the style of this car? Can you consider this an outlaw build? It sure is not a Pebble Beach worthy restoration. Maybe it is best described as a junkyard dog build. It might not be pretty, but it is loyal and gets the job done.
Sometimes the folks in the Porsche world could use a good shock to the system. There are some that obsess over the smallest details, and the tiniest spec of dirt. This Porsche 912 Targa is done just for the fun of it. Remember fun? That is what owning a sports car is all about. Sure, many Porsche enthusiasts love and drive their cars the way they were designed to.
There is no question about that. But there is a contingent that think if the car is missing one of its original engine stickers that the world is about to end. That is what is so refreshing about this car. It has led a rough life with a checkered past. But at the end of the day, it makes people around smile. It is the smile that matters.
That is why we love cars in the first place.
Photos: Hayburner Magazine
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