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1965 Porsche 911 early SWB project with its original 2.0 engine, no reserve

First-year 911 with its matching engine in the box; a strong project base if bidding stays sane.

1965 Porsche 911 1965 Porsche 911 early SWB project with its original 2.0 engine, no reserve Sold

Photo from the Hagerty Marketplace listing. See all the seller's photos there.

Rare First-year short-wheelbase 911 with the original 901/0 five-speed and its numbers-matching 2.0-liter engine (rebuilt, uninstalled) included, plus a COA.

Why we picked it

Lot 7 in the same Thoroughbred Motorsports Collection sale is a 1965 911, chassis 300761, now in Signal Red over its original Ivory with black vinyl and the early thin-back seats. It currently has a 1970 2.2-liter 911T engine on Webers, while the original numbers-matching 2.0-liter engine is included uninstalled and, per the seller, rebuilt. The original 901/0 five-speed is still in the car. It comes with a Porsche COA and a clean Pennsylvania title.

The listing calls the car partially disassembled and does not say whether it runs. There are four bids to $5,000 with no reserve and more than three weeks left; bids usually climb a lot on early 911s. A rough 1965 project brought $31,500 earlier this year, so this one, with its engine and gearbox, should go well above that, but it could still come in below the cost of a driver.

The value check

When we found it, the bid was $74,901. Comparable cars in the same condition have sold for $31,500–$86,800, so the middle of the market is about $59,150.

A 1965 911 project sold for $31,500 on BaT in May 2026 and an original 1965 911 sold for $86,800 at Broad Arrow in Aug 2026; nicer cars brought $121,000 to $201,600. This car sits between project and driver because it has its matching engine.

Where the numbers come from:

What to check

  • Partially disassembled; list missing parts from the photos before bidding
  • Early cars rust in the front pan, battery boxes, longitudinals, rockers and door bottoms; budget for metal work
  • Confirm the rebuilt 2.0 engine number matches the COA and ask for rebuild records
  • Not stated whether the car runs on the 2.2T; assume it needs sorting
  • Early 911 trim and interior parts are expensive and slow to source
  • Collection disclaimer: not all flaws were diagnosed

Making it drive like new

A good path is to keep the matching 2.0 on a stand and build the car as a light backdate-style driver on the 2.2, with fresh torsion bars and sway bars, Bilstein shocks, later vented brakes, an electronic ignition, and a modern clutch. If you plan to restore it to original later, avoid cutting the body for flares or fuel cells.

How it ended

It sold for $80,679 on Oct 28, 2026, against a market value of about $59,150 when we found it.

What 1965–98 Porsche 911, air-cooled cars sell for

What cars sold for in the last two years, by condition. Pro-builds and projects vary the most, so read the individual sales too.

ConditionSalesLowTypicalHigh
Project 37 $4,500 $30,500 $101,010
Driver 88 $31,000 $59,975 $172,000
Collector 29 $61,411 $112,000 $270,000
Pro-build 2 $37,000 $79,750 $122,500

Recent sales

CarConditionResultDateWhere
1995 Porsche 911 Carrera (993) coupe, 6-speed with factory rear-seat delete, no reserve One of our Deal Finds Driver $94,695 sold Oct 30, 2026 Hagerty Marketplace
1986 Porsche 911 Turbo, numbers-matching US car with RUF touches, no reserve One of our Deal Finds Driver $117,700 sold Oct 30, 2026 Hagerty Marketplace
1979 Porsche 930 Turbo slicktop project, untouched since 2007, no reserve One of our Deal Finds Project $89,880 sold Oct 30, 2026 Hagerty Marketplace
1973 Porsche 911E Targa with MFI, COA and original order sheet, no reserve One of our Deal Finds Collector $121,980 sold Oct 29, 2026 Hagerty Marketplace
1971 Porsche 911S coupe with COA and records, no-reserve collection lot One of our Deal Finds Collector $196,880 sold Oct 29, 2026 Hagerty Marketplace
1967 Porsche 911 SWB coupe with 2.7L six, Porsche CoA and no reserve One of our Deal Finds ProjectDriver $92,020 sold Oct 28, 2026 Hagerty Marketplace
1969 Porsche 911E coupe with its numbers-matching engine rebuilt and MFI refurbished, no reserve One of our Deal Finds Driver $75,970 sold Oct 28, 2026 Hagerty Marketplace
1997 Porsche 993 Carrera S, Japan-market Vesuvio Metallic car with a $25,500 opening bid One of our Deal Finds Driver $122,000 sold Oct 27, 2026 PCARMARKET

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