924Board.org

[oregontom]

I have another post going regarding working on my 77 basket case 924, but we all have to start somewhere.

I was curious, those of you who have restored or work hard on your 924's, did they become dependable at any point or were you a bit worried that in time, something would fail, again. Or should I look forward to a car , that is well taken care of, will perform when needed and be dependable.

Tom
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1977 924 basket case work in progress

[Joes924Racer]

Itll take money but yea man they can be dependable.
Once a level of a you know maintance gives up
all the gremlins..old cars have there probs.
even more if they have sat for awhile.
I think since its FIed so with a little
money you get to drive it.
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1979 porsche 924 Na
1980 porsche Turbo 931GT Replica
Have u ever driven a turbo.

[CBass]

My 924 is a bad example, as I knew what I was getting into when I bought it. Aside from a head gasket and one bad injector, the engine has always run like a charm. If it's functioning correctly, teh Bosch fuel injection is bulletproof in these cars, and very easy to troubleshoot if it's not.

I've had to do the brakes on my car, as well as replace the transmission since it had bad synchros. A water leak destroyed the interior before I bought the car, but no biggy.

Haven driven a few 924s now, I must say, it's worth it. A box stock 924 NA in decent running tune is enough to put a huge grin on anyones face, and with a few little tweaks and upgrades here and there, these cars are amazing.

I've driven all manner of sports coupes/sport compacts, a few more powerful domestics, etc, but they don't hold a candle to a purpose built sports car, especially not a Porsche.
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'81 931 in various states of assembly

[timstar92404]

there is alot of little problems with my car (electrical etc.)

the engine has the hot start problem, my 2nd gear grinds sometimes etc.

but the car seems pretty reliable in that I'm not really scared of getting stranded in it and I'm pretty confident it will start everyday....kk

everyone says japanese cars are so realiable etc but I doubt a 78 honda or mazda can be used as a daily driver..... plus most of them are mostly rust by by now.......
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78 924 sold.
85.5 944

[924RACR]

I think it takes more persistence than money.

My racecar's dead-nuts reliable, and I beat the living piss out of it on a regular basis! The only time it is unreliable is when due to operator error. Apparently the 924 wasn't designed to bounce through/over gravel traps with abandon...
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Vaughan Scott
Webmeister
'79 924 #77 SCCA H Prod racecar
'82 931 Plat. Silver
#25 Hidari Firefly P2 sports prototype

[Vince Ponz]

It depends on what is the cost of satisfaction. My 79 931 runs great and is really reliable without any major problems.
The 77.5 924 NA is high strung and needs constant care to run smoothly. It will run great after it is hot but cold it will rumble. I put a lot of money in the car to make it a better car and I really don't think it was worth it when I could have bought a much better car had I accummualted the money and then bought a 944 turbo. That being said I could not replace the pleasure of watching the car progress from a rather slow car to a nicely tuned car with new paint, etc. I think of it as therapy or something to do with my hands. Pushing pencils was not a satisfying job.
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"Never let them see you sweat"
77.5 924 modified track car
79 931 Euro stock
88 924S SE
87 911 Targa stock

[teo]

[Slam]

My $.02...

Any vehicle project is worth a fortune in terms of lessons learned, experience gained, satisfaction through achieving goals, knowledge of your subject...I could go on. When I look at shop rates for these cars I shudder. So I get quotes for repairs from the reputable places and then add up what I would gain doing the work myself. At the end of some jobs I've come out thousands ahead, got to keep all the tools I bought for the job and now know that much more about the car. I don't think this kind of ownership can be valued in terms of dollars and cents spent just on hardware or "dealer repairs." I think of it in terms of education. What would you spend to have someone teach you how to rebuild an engine? If you just tossed an engine at them for a rebuild and then paid for it at the end of it all, you'd have a nice motor but no greater education.

What a ramble...
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'88 944 Auto - may or may not resurrect

[oregontom]

I agree with you all, I a in this for the satisfaction of bringing something to life that was long assumed dead, and to get the education of how to do it.
Thanks all.

Tom
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1977 924 basket case work in progress

[Slam]

My $.02...

Any vehicle project is worth a fortune in terms of lessons learned, experience gained, satisfaction through achieving goals, knowledge of your subject...I could go on. When I look at shop rates for these cars I shudder. So I get quotes for repairs from the reputable places and then add up what I would gain doing the work myself. At the end of some jobs I've come out thousands ahead, got to keep all the tools I bought for the job and now know that much more about the car. I don't think this kind of ownership can be valued in terms of dollars and cents spent just on hardware or "dealer repairs." I think of it in terms of education. What would you spend to have someone teach you how to rebuild an engine? If you just tossed an engine at them for a rebuild and then paid for it at the end of it all, you'd have a nice motor but no greater education.

What a ramble...
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'88 944 Auto - may or may not resurrect

[Chrenan]

I totally agree with Slam, the knowledge you gain is amazing. Replaced both fuel pumps and some fuel hoses on the weekend. It's a simple job, but still I learned a few things along the way. Plus, every hour I work on the car saves me a minimum of $60 in labour, which is a great feeling. I've put a lot of time and parts into my car, and it is reliable, even though I only use it as an evening and weekend cruiser so I can't say I've tested it on a long journey.
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1987 951 - M193 Version for Japan

[gohim]

Any quality car that was a reliable model when it was new, can be just as reliable as an older car.

How well it runs, and how reliable the car turns out to be will depend on how well you resotre it, and how well you take car of it.

Don't cut corners on the repair, don't cut corners when buying parts, don't skip necessary maintenance or repair, and use a professional when necessary to end up with a car that will make you happy.

[Vince Ponz]

Teo,

The pencils I am talking about are the short ones or the ones that are about 4 in tall. I can make 5 perfect toothpicks out of them and if you need to write something at dinner etc you always have one handy. Naturally the center toothpick sharpened at both ends has the lead in it. They are mostly sold in the red neck sections of the US where teeth are rare.
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"Never let them see you sweat"
77.5 924 modified track car
79 931 Euro stock
88 924S SE
87 911 Targa stock

[AGD931]

I did not have too much to do to mine when I bought it in 2001 (apart from replacing one piston....) and literallyspring clean the interior

I have replaced various items here and there merely because they were worn out or not working, examples are hatch struts and fuel sender unit. I regard these as normal wear and tear for a car that is now 24 years old.

During the past year, all I have done (extra to normal servicing) is put four new tyres, recharge the A/C, and put petrol in it

The car is an enjoyable plaything, hobby and a great form of relaxation. Many a day I return from the office and in the pleasure of my garden, clean something on the car or merely check various items

Arthur
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1981 931 S2
1990 E30 320i Cabrio
1979 Ford Capri Ghia