Abandoned Porsche Engines. Can They Be SAVED?

[@larrypagano8186]

What started out as a rescue for this engine suddenly became an Autopsy. It was still interesting to watch, Thanks Mustie.

[@gerry-p9x]

Still he got carbs heads tin. Fasteners dizzy stuff he can cobble together a motor. For crusty. Stuff ain't cheeep. These daze

[@gh0st_0f_b0b_chandler]

@@gerry-p9x wat?

[@999torino]

@@gh0st_0f_b0b_chandler I tried the translate to english button for gerry, didnt work.

[@bernhardhiebert2597]

Merry Christmas Darren and all our mustie1 friends

[@gerry-p9x]

Happy. Festivus

[@dryflash33]

Merry Christmas to all the Musti1 fans from Washington state.

[@Mobil179]

Same to you !

[@VWDen67]

Coffee & Breakfast with a Mustie video on a freezing 10 degree morning. A great way to warm up the start of the day!

[@Kathyskollectables]

Cold is just a number. :)

[@VWDen67]

@@Kathyskollectables If you're inside it is... Outside, well, that number begins to sting a bit... 😲 Stay warm!

[@gerry-p9x]

Had my BK. Breakfast with mustie. A good start to the week

[@Leroys_Stuff]

Cold is a state called hoth or Mn lol

[@Sam-ob4of]

*-12,22°C

[@joefin5900]

The first motor I rebuilt was in 1968. It was a 356A Got the Mahle pistons at J.C. Whitney and had the heads done at Precision Balancing in Bedford, MA. It went into a VW beetle. Next, for $100 I got a 912 motor and put that one in a '63 beetle. Those were the days. I bought my grandson a 73 914 with a 2.0 4 cylinder and we are currently working on it. I give him guidance, he does the wrenching.

[@frankvucolo6249]

Sorry that engine could not be brought back. However, the content value was awesome. As one viewer, I appreciate that! And I’m sure I speak for many.

[@kingidomeneo]

Long time viewer from England, just want to say a big, big thank you for all the videos you've come up with this year. Hope you and Mrs Mustie keep in good health. Love to see whatever you have for us whether it's a VW, MG, snowblower or any damn thing you pick up! It's always a pleasure to watch you go through the exploration till it's a success or it gets consigned to the Mustie legendary stash! Keep on youtubing or it will make me sad every Sunday!! Enjoy your christmas!!

[@kenstrayhorn5923]

A cold but clear morning in North Carolina farm country - coffee with the mate and Mustie on the box. Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year to all the hard-working men and women around the world who keep their communities moving.

[@emsguy486]

This is the old school Mustie type videos that got me hooked. Next video, especially since it’s winter, mini bike build! Hey, I can dream.

[@juanmore62]

Thanks Mustie1, for another year of quality programs. I wish you and your family a very Merry Christmas.

[@jetwrench5051]

Mustie overcomes the adversity when the majority of mechanics call it quits! Good on you Mustie! Way to go Mustie!

[@ronaldheit196]

A nooner (stop it 😂) Mustie1 episode is my idea of an awesome Sunday's entertainment. Darren's self depreciating humor and jokes are a huge part of what keeps me waiting breathlessly for the next episode.

[@gutsngorrrr]

Thanks for another great year of videos. Wishing you and your family a very merry Christmas.

[@realfreshfood4575]

Good Morning Mustonians, & thank you Darren for all of the interesting videos this year. Merry Christmas to all.❤️

[@bbrut3332]

Merry Christmas to all. Seeing the 912 engine brings back memories of the mid 80s and my $1700 912. After driving for 5 months I decided to rebuild and use the almost 1800 cc pistons and cylinders available. Glad I took it apart as the oil pump drive of the cam was almost worn out. Fun car and nice to drive in the PNW back then.

[@retiredbutnotdead9929]

I think most people that owned any kind of VW/Porsche have a horror story. Mine was sucking a valve into the piston on the way home from having fiberglass flared fenders, custom Craiger wheels and a beautiful metallic green paint job done. I was absolutely beside myself until I found out how easy a VW engine was to rebuild. About $300.00 worth of JC Whitney parts and a new custom exhaust and I was back on the road again. The Porsche engine today, is probably a case of: “One man’s junk is still another man’s junk”. That’s a lot of money only to find the cracked case and the engine in such a sad state. Nonetheless, it’s always a great video…

[@VWDen67]

In the Fall of 1990 while out driving the upstate country roads of New York State , I spotted a Porsche 914 that was up on a hill alongside the driveway and garage next to the owner's house. There was a gentleman on a riding mower cutting the grass as I drove by, so I made a quick u-turn and pulled off the shoulder of the road in front of the house. As the man on the mower came back around on another cutting pass, I waved to him getting his attention. He cut the mower blade off and drove the mower towards me. He asked if I needed directions thinking I was lost. (apparently he got alot of people asking for directions, LOL!). Anyhow, I told him that I stopped because I spotted the 914 atop the driveway. He replied, "Oh that old thing, you interested in buying it?!". I replied "Maybe". We then walked up the hill to it and he began to tell me it was a '71 with the 1.7L engine and was pretty much all-original other than a replacement OEM carburetor he replaced a few years earlier. He told me he bought it from a co-worker in 1983 with 17K miles (it had 29K miles when I looked at it). It was sitting outside for the past 2-day as he was installing shelving and having a crew install a new coating on the garage floor. Other than the tires which he pointed out were about 10 years old and and dry-rotted, he told me everything else worked and he kept up the maintenance each year up to about 1988 when he parked it.The passenger side taillight was broken, but he quickly pointed out that he already bought a replacement and it was in the box of parts in the car. He said he hadn't driven it since parking it, but did start it up about once each month and kept the battery on a tender. He did say it probably needed a tune up and an oil change, but never got to it because he was just going sell it and "let the next owner take care of everything". I asked to start it up. He went inside his house and came out with the keys and said lets go for a drive. He insisted driving it first which I was fine with. We drove about a mile down the road and the car stalled and would not restart. We got out and looked at several possibilities but nothing obvious ( the car did have gas in the tank). I stayed with the car as he walked back to his house (no cell phones commonly carried in 1990, but a I had a pager! LOL!). He came back with his pickup truck and a tow rope. He towed it back to his house with me steering and braking the 914 on the way there. Once back to his house we did some diagnostics and I found the fuel pump was not pumping any gas to the carb. It was caput... But this did not dissuade me and I told him I still wanted to buy it nevertheless. He said to me "$3k and it yours". I asked if he would do $2,750 since it needed the fuel pump and a tune up done - he agreed. I came back the next day with my truck and trailer and had owned it for the next 28 years. It was more finicky than any of my VW's, but generally reliable nonetheless and always a great discussion starter anywhere I drove it. My wife never liked riding It in and prodded me to sell it and just add another Beetle to the "fleet" in its place. So in 2018 I sold it on eBay, and last I knew it was living the good life in South Carolina. It has been my one and only Porsche ever, but some purists say I still never owned a "real" Porsche. I just smile and say, it was the favorite of any Porsche I ever owned, leaving them in wonder...

[@joelp6197]

Old barn finds, love it.

[@1pcfred]

Too bad that old barn was owned by Leatherface. It turned into a real horror show.

[@GlennBalent-nq7rh]

Good morning from a balmy 18* in Bucks County Pennsylvania! Merry Christmas to everyone in Mustie land!

[@DancerOfClouds]

Sunday Morning, Mustie, Coffee and a barn find. Great start to any Sunday. Merry Christmas Darren to you and your lovely wife.

[@locovaughan626]

Got a good laugh when he said Standard meet metric and metric meet standard! Love it!

[@phantomphixer679]

Merry Christmas Mustie1 to you and family. Thank you for letting us follow you rebuilding repairing and autopsying all that you done thru the years. Again, Thank you from all who watch you. Paul Desert of Southwest Arizona.

[@lonedrone4725]

When you were talking during a fast forward segment, sent my cat into hunter mode trying to find the talking mouse. Still looking.

[@walterhubicki5207]

14:08 He does own a shop vac! That's a joke from a long time ago... Love these videos!

[@mikewillmitch3579]

I think the crack in the block was from a forklift fork. Probably from when it was getting pushed around on the floor.

[@maakatipa4613]

I had a 58, small back window with a 1600 in it. It got off it's arse really nicely but of course the reduction boxes on the drive meant it topped out at about 72 mph. I loved that van !

[@stashyboy1]

Really interesting dissection. Hope you didn't end up paying too much for that engine! Sometimes you bite the bear, and sometimes the bear bites you!

[@HillbillyAdventures]

That was a massive Air Compressor in that barn , a man would never run out of air pressure! Mustie1 you need that massive thing !

[@alanwbelcher]

Exactly what I was thinking!

[@1pcfred]

I don't know about that. You should see the air compressor Alec Steele just got. He's still running out of air with it too. It's like 285 CFM. He's trying to run an old steam hammer with it.Thing has a 4" air inlet.

[@shin-pad1052]

Thanks for all the great videos throughout the year and a merry Christmas and great 2025 to you Mustie from Norwich 🇬🇧

[@rickperkins7929]

It’s a shame you spent so much money for something that has no chance of working. Hopefully there is something salvageable out it. I hope you and your family have a Merry Christmas.

[@Chr.U.Cas1622]

Dear Mustie1. 😱 What a pity. I so very much hoped that this 912 engine is good enough to go into famous Crusty. I already watched the great series about good ol' Crusty at least 4 times over the past few years. Thanks a lot for making teaching explaining recording editing uploading and sharing. I wish you some nice festive days and a good transition of the year. Best regards luck and health in particular.

[@Hjerte_Verke]

It seemed fitting too, a crusty engine for Crusty, but it got worse and worse the further he went in. It made me silently curse the previous owners. They were hard and hateful on this engine. The Porsche name didn't get any respect from them, but I could be wrong and it may have been unfortunate happenstances....

[@sunday9373]

Merry Christmas, Darren!! Thank you for another year of great videos!!

[@N0b0d17]

I had a '59 window bus in '68. Drove it to Toronto from Gainesville, Florida. On the way back via NYC it would be doing 5 mph at the top of hills in upstate new York and 80 at the bottom. Finally outside of Florence, South Carolina the engine blew. The speedo was marked at 48 MPH as what I guess was supposed to be the "redline". Fun times!

[@GregsGarage]

I know the 356C (1963-1965) have the same case as the 912. I don't know about 356b and 356. The motor for my C has bigger jugs on it to give it more power. I don't know the overall HP rating, but it's better than stock with only some simple mods. Some of the 356C were also powered at 107hp. I think they called that the "SC" model. The 356b had a "Super 90" model... There are a lot of stock motors that are higher HP, so without too much trouble, you can upgrade one of your engines... I had a chance to buy a MASSIVE 356 hoard, but I passed because I don't have the room to store the parts. He had 20+ NOS piston/cylinder sets along with a dozen blocks and all the crap to go with them... Transmissions out the wazoo, etc, etc, etc.

[@jrae5085]

I remember years ago losing actual sleep about microscopic bits of metal possibly getting into a rebuild on a '66 VW engine, so watching a pneumatic hammer/chisel beat on a Porsche engine was a joy. Thanks.

[@randygrossman9990]

Can't say I had much hope when I saw the crud coming out of the exhaust ports but I admire your persistence in continuing the teardown to find out why things failed. Not just in this video but is an ongoing theme. If you can't fix 'em, at least let's figure out what went wrong. As VWDen67 said below, makes for interesting viewing with a cup of coffee on a freezing cold morning in the Boston suburbs. Thanks!

[@johnk.3593]

You are a much more patient person than I am.

[@roblawrence8622]

Merry Christmas to you and Mrs Mustie , hope your elbow gets better too

[@jamesearl5071]

ohno ... that's unhappiness RIGHT THERE!!!!

[@richardcook9738]

Thank you Mustie for bringing us with you. My guess on this engine it spent part of it's life under water. Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!

[@captnmike597]

Thanks to Darren for another year of great content, and to all the viewers who have shared their wisdom and made great commentary. Merry Christmas and Happy New Year to all!

[@elsdp-4560]

Thank you for sharing. MERRY CHRISTMAS to ALL👍

[@MrLangDog]

Yipes !!! Bummer that you paid up and they were such basket cases. Merry Christmas !!!!!!!!!!

[@1pcfred]

Ain't that always the way. Paying for scrap.

[@FreedomRock44]

Mortske per AI google. Yes, a Porsche 356 engine is generally compatible with a Porsche 912, as both cars utilize the same basic air-cooled, flat-four boxer engine design from Volkswagen, making them highly interchangeable with some potential modifications needed depending on the specific year and model variations. Key points to consider: Engine similarities: Both the 356 and 912 use the same fundamental engine design, with similar components like cylinder heads, pistons, and crankshaft. Potential differences: While largely compatible, slight variations in engine displacement or specific parts like the oil pan or intake manifold might require adjustments when swapping between a 356 and 912.

[@KubotaManDan]

Thousands for that, Yikes. You & Mrs. Mustie1 have a Merry Christmas🎄& Happy New Year🥂

[@jayh1947]

Sunday morning with Mustie. Always a good time..........Jay

[@CharlesWhite-j4f]

I think this is just going to be a master-class in engine disassembly. I can't see this old rat's nest being brought back to life. Hats off to Mustie if he gets it running again!

[@k_samp_ent0001]

Sunday Mustie!!!! Good morning!

[@TechGorilla1987]

@51:05 - That looks like a Kong "biscuit ball." I used to fill it up through the cross-shaped hole in the end with dog treats. Puppy would take the ball and throw it all over hecks half acre till the cookies broke up, then she would feast. She knew the names of her toys too, so I would tell her to go find the biscuit ball and she went and found it. I miss the pooch.

[@mr1pearl]

Hard pill to swallow especially his time a year speaking of which Merry Christmas brother ! Thanks for all the great videos this past year 🙏

[@1pcfred]

Christmas did not come early for Mustie. That engine was too crusty for Crusty.

[@ThePeavey23]

I’ll say it again, best Channel on Lubetube ! Awesome content and just an amazing dude! An only 1 add!!

[@VWDen67]

Marry Christmas, Mustie1! Hope the other two bring more hopeful news. Either way, watching your journey, process and outcome is always enjoyable...

[@echobeefpv8530]

Another fine Sunday morning, and a great Mustie1 video. Stay warm, stay sane !!

[@kbasham03]

Mustie has every tool you can imagine but has the world's jankiest engine stand!

[@gerry-p9x]

Please no mocking. It has heritage and patina

[@skandix]

Leave Crusty alone, more power leads to more problems. Enjoy it as it is.

[@robertmorin6495]

Nice of you helping out a friend. Enjoyed the video. Merry Christmas

[@murphymmc]

That's a shame, too much money for scrap. The seller is happy.

[@BadHuzo]

Good morning from Nova Scotia, Canada. Thanks for the videos, Mustie1!

[@vossierebel]

Merry Christmas to you and yours!! Thanks for all the fun you share!! Looking forward to the new year's content!

[@Ajaxaxxess]

Good morning from MN! Coffie,Nicotine and in my shop watching M1! Going to be a great sunday!

[@theforeman1097]

Good morning from a freezing morning in Northern New Brunswick, Canada! Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!!!

[@michaelholmes4808]

Merry Christmas Darren to you and yours. Thanks for the knowledge and entertainment through the year. Love the sense of humour. (Close to my own. ) Safe and happy New Year.

[@MrButtonpresser]

That engine really is in a 'Poorshe' condition. Even the great Mustie can't save them all.

[@oldsharkie3786]

😂I'm not done watching the whole video yet, but I have to say Mustie, I have not laughed this much all year !! 😂😂 The only tool you haven't used yet is a jack hammer. I think you should have quit after the first time you said "mud". 😂😂

[@brigittemadison910]

that air compressor looked like a beast

[@DYLANTRIES]

Glad it's Sunday for mustie!!

[@kearnsey64]

That sucks Mustie! Merry Christmas to you and your family!

[@edwardkelly3425]

Happy Christmas from Ireland 🇮🇪. Thanks for all the videos this year. All the best for 2025

[@gwilli]

Oh man! I can't wait to watch this video! You're missing a 'c' though. It's Porsche. 🤣

[@partsguyjay]

Still a cool find, fingers crossed for you on that 356 engine. That building looks like it has more treasures to give up..

[@warmblood58]

I wonder if filling the whole case with diesel (hot diesel fuel) and then draining would have liberated a bunch of crud while loosening things up here and there

[@lynnlutjen3819]

Back in the early 70’s had a buddy who into VW dune buggies and homemade rails for sand dunes. He used the 912 engines when he could find them for the horsepower. I seen him tear many apart that sucked up sand and water which looked similar to what you have there. I enjoyed your tear down it brought back memories 👍👍👍👍

[@rl1634ross]

That giant air compressor in the shed looked sweet

[@DarrenVaughan-j6j]

Hi D. Never would have thought that engine would be in such rough shape. I’m really hoping that the other is in a lot better shape!!! Another awesome video!!! I hope that you and your family have a very Merry Christmas!!!Looking forward to the next one!!! Darren 😊😊😊😊😊

[@billtaggart1267]

Who else saw the Homelite gas powered saw box? 😁

[@twinkie27271]

Some of us even watched the video😅

[@billtaggart1267]

@@twinkie27271 hehe yeah that's what I mean. Saw that video before, and when he walked past the box in the shed, I saw it and said "hey, I know that box".

[@thyubernoob]

That's some big $$ for a scrap engine...gambling sucks sometimes... but hope you have a great Christmas...

[@cindylocker3342]

man that air compressor at the beginning looked huge , i wanted it merry christmas to you and yours mustie1

[@stebro2738]

Coming from multiple 356's and a 73 911e, this is engine points for me.. stop as soon as you can and please make this engine run again. Thank you for over a decade of fine videos!! Merry Christmas!

[@taurota1554]

Outstanding and awesome content as always.Thanks for sharing and taking us along.

[@andrewgrace4410]

Sorry for that poor engine Mustie, good video anyway and Merry Christmas 🐕

[@MikeBlunt2]

I'd love hear the back story on that place.

[@markae0]

Thanks for the disassemble show! You can't win them all.

[@SirSirris]

Greeting from Cape Town, South Africa. Thank you as always. The success here is us viewers seeing and learning something. Sorry it seems at your expense but we know you'll make something out of the mess. Just need time for that imaginative noggin to turn over a little. Cheers and Merry Christmas. ~db~

[@Rock-Forehead]

Time for Mustie to invest in a hot tank! Merry Christmas, Darren!

[@robertmills3554]

Looks to me like you found the one salvageable part on the engine, the front crank hub keyway. Good luck with the rest! 😢

[@Leroys_Stuff]

Good morning everyone thank you for stopping by seeing old stuff make noise again. Merry Christmas everyone happy holidays

[@davelevalley6511]

78 kph winds with outside with driving rain, but inside got the log burner going sipping a coffee and watching Mustie doin his stuff. Great run up to Xmas. Seasons greetings to you and yours Mustie from NW France.

[@vettekid3326]

The biggest limiting factor for speed in those early busses was the gearing. Specifically the axle reduction boxes. Putting a 1968 and up transaxle coupled to a healthy 1600 cc dual port engine will give you about 75-80 mph. Putting too much HP into those gear reduction boxes can cause them to grenade , shooting out the ball bearings out the boxes.

[@Hjerte_Verke]

I thought that was the whole purpose of the Volkswagen cars -- low horsepower, low cost but able to traverse the high speed Autobahns with the right gearing. They won't reach 100MPH anytime soon but they can within 30 seconds haha. I guess we have to remember 75-80 was fast for a passenger car in those days, and it still is really.

[@thedevilinthecircuit1414]

I remember reading about a guy in the 1970s that was trying to make a Porsche engine run on peanut butter and giblet gravy. You may have an important historical piece of automotive history right there in your shop. Merry Christmas!

[@Jambo-u2k]

I remember him old Gravy Davie.

[@robertmills3554]

If on humans it is an autopsy, on animals it’s a necropsy, then this must be a Mustotamy or Mustopsie1. ❤

[@jeffjankiewicz5100]

Good morning fellow Mustie1 fans! It`s 18 degrees here and some ancient locked up Porsche hardware for us to watch. Always a good time in Mustie1 land. Merry Christmas Darren and viewers.

[@dryflash33]

Once again your dreams of a Porsche transplant for Crusty were shattered. Just your poor luck with these used engines. You gave it a good try and made a fine video. Hopefully your dream was not shattered. Until next time Merry Christmas Darren.

[@johnfrench428]

In the early 1990s, the government offered cash for clunkers-low mpg vehicles mainly, to render these clunkers useless against future use, a special abrasive mix was added to the oil, and the engine run until failure. The sludgy sand in the cylinders may be just that, a clunked engine.

[@larryd.214]

Good Morning Mr. Mustie! Great start to Sunday morning! Good to see some Porsche/VW action!

[@aarongrabowski3775]

Or go cart. I just love to see him smiling from ear to ear while he driving something around that he had saved.

[@Phiyedough]

You paid too much this time but in the past I've been amazed what stuff you got for free.

[@reneivars114]

Good morning from frosty (-1 F / -14 C ) Ottawa CANADA. Merry Christmas to you and yours, wishing you the best New Year yet! Thanks for all the awesome videos.

[@donaldscott7279]

ya win some and ya loose some always enjoy the videos

[@davidhofman4341]

I worked at a garage and used car lot in 1971. We sold a beautiful red 912 to a spoiled rich kid.. The kid put a new radio in the glove box. He insulated it with a magazine. When he went around a corner the radio slid off the magazine, shorted to the frame, and burned the car to the ground.

[@djmjr77]

Prob so many porsche purists clutching their pearls 😂😂

[@kman-mi7su]

Well the motors are toast but at least I learned something about these motors today. Merry Christmas to you and your family Mustie!

[@davidkettell1073]

That poor motor looks like it spent some time in a muddy pond.

[@RichieCat4223]

Soaking the cylinder's with Evap-O-Rust works pretty good.