924Board.org

[Dan924S]

Could someone link me to the picture of that wrecked 924 I saw a while back on this forum? Also, any good safety discussions. Fiance doesn't believe me that the car is solid. Getting ready to buy #2 and need some ammo for informed discussion. Thanks. Dan
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Black 1987 924S (sold)
WTB Silver 87-88 924S

[Eturbo924]

I have seen some 924s that were hit real hard and destroyed the front end... but the windshield is not even cracked.

Note... Porsche designed the car to withstand very sever front and rear impacts. The way the transmission and engine are linked together with a solid torque tube... So.. if hit in the front... the transmission mounts and the limited reward movement of the transmission helps to keep the engine from landing in your lap... and vice versa in a rearend collision. I have the original test pictures that Porsche performed. I can did them up some where.

Get your hands on a sales liturature from the year your car was made. I believe it is in there... or in one of the other books I have some where.

Side impacts were also well managed. They have side impact door beams in the later cars. I think the 1978 and earlier cars might not have these though... can not recall when these came in.

Of course... if you are hit by a much larger car.... you will loose. But I like to think the 924 has a lot of active safety. It gets me quickly out of the way of the freaking truck about to run me over! Mine has saved me many times due to its CAT LIKE reflexes... or are those mine
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1982 924
1992 968
2003 C4S
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[Dan924S]

Wow, thank you. That is very interesting abou how the transmission setup can prevent the engine from moving backwards. Makes sense.
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Black 1987 924S (sold)
WTB Silver 87-88 924S

[john h]

Dan,

Have a look at this car http://www.924board.org/register/pics/phpeltZlt.jpg – It’s one of mine which I brought in the early 90’s. the photo shows it just as I was about to drive it to the body shop for repair. Just needed two new wheels on the back and it was sort of driveable.
What happened to the car was:-
The driver of the car was out with his friend and where they lived there was a back road which what sort of like a roller coaster road.
They went over it a couple of times sand each time they got of the road a few feet, the last time they went along the road the driver had the car wound right out in 4th gear (about 100 mph+) and they flew further than before on the last hump and as he was in the air he panicked when he saw a car coming the other way – had the steering turned fractional and as it landed the car flicked around and went backwards into the oncoming car (a Toyota Corolla).

What was amazing was a) both cars were totalled, b) only major injury was to the driver of the 931 – he broke one of his thumbs, all other people were shaken up and a bit bruised, c) because the guy had been doing this quite a few times teh locals had complained to the police who sent a traffic cop totry and stop him, the cop was at the end of end of the straight with his radar gun and reckoned he got him at over 160 kph however as just as he got the speed on the gun the 931 hit the other car and he jumped straight into his to get to the accident scene so didn't lock the speed in.

The driver got done for exceeding the speed limit, dangerous driving causing injury and to make matters worse the insurance company declined to pay out for the accident. The car sat around for a year and I eventually brought it off the owner for a pittance plus paying the owners storage fees - supposedly it was about $2k ($40/wk for a year). He had it stored at a local garage/ tow company/ vehicle repossession agent (owned by a friend of mine) who in turn stores his damaged / repossed cars at my brothers farm (so storage cost me a few beers and a couple of dinners).

The car has been rebuilt with a new back put on and is now my race car.
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Remember a Porsche is not just for Christmas,

if you take it to pieces slowly it can provide anguish all year long!

[Mike924]

Here is a 924 that obviously spun and had several heavy shunts from all sides:

http://www.wreckedexotics.com/924/924_20030228_001.shtml

Note that the passenger cell is intact.

Porsche put a lot of effort into the crash resistance design of this car, maybe they thought people would drive them fast...
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1985 Porsche 924 'Lux', Kalahari Beige (my ex)
1993 Porsche 968 Coupe, Midnight Blue, 6 spd

'There is no substitute for a little grease under your fingernails.' - Chrenan, 924board.org

[5150]

Seen a couple that have been crashed, one was very badly wrecked up, but yeah the passenger compartment in each case had no penetration into it. They're tough old birds.
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Mars Red '78 Euro 924 n/a
http://www.cardomain.com/id/5150_uk

Graphite? Grey Metallic '85 (late model) 944 2.5

There are two kinds of pedestrians: the quick and the dead.

[timstar92404]

I read somewhere that the 924 was based on vws experimental safety vehicle design in the 70s.

The 924 might be farely safe, I'd feel safer in a 924 than any jap car of the 70s and 80s or even some of the newer small jap cars. For safety I think german cars are the best. I don't think you can compare a 924 to newer vehicles. Just because the passenger compartment stays solid doesnn't mean you're not dead... I'm not sure how well a 924 would absorb energy. Also even new Kias and Hyundais now have 8 airbags or whatever.

For safety I think mercedes are the best.
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78 924 sold.
85.5 944

[Mike924]

[Mike924]

Having said that, there is a weak spot. There's an enclosed box section on each side of the car ahead of the bonnet (hood) hinges and behind the bulkhead (firewall) where rust can go unnoticed. If this happens, it can compromise the strength of the shell in a frontal impact.
_________________
1985 Porsche 924 'Lux', Kalahari Beige (my ex)
1993 Porsche 968 Coupe, Midnight Blue, 6 spd

'There is no substitute for a little grease under your fingernails.' - Chrenan, 924board.org

[Viking]

http://www.imagedump.com/index.cgi?pick=get&tp=307937
The car slid off the road and hit an immobile big object. It was claimed to have been a telephonepole, but the diameter where it had it indicated that it was something far bigger.

If you had been in the passenger seat, you'd be lucky to have had a shattered hip and amputated legs from the knees down. The passenger seat was twisted and pushed to the side, and there was nothing compressed metal and dashboard where your legs would have been. The floor was vertical halfway to the torque tube, and even the torquetube passage was bent. What you see beneath the red door used to be the underside of the floor.

This car was a euro 924, probably from 1980. It had no extra protection on the sides, and the fenders were glassfibre.

The drunk driver (he claimed to have been a passenger) got away from the accident with nothing but a cut in his arm. Noone knows just how fast he went when he hit, but it must have been fast, the entire car was bent, even the line between the A, B and C pillars on the roof of the drivers side was slightly bent. As far as glass is concerned, only the windshield and the passengerside window was broken. The exaust manifold was broken off, the alternator was crushed, half the bolts on the torque tube were broke or had pulled the threads out, but the rest if the engine bay survived.

The locking mechanism on the passengerside door was still holding the door shut. It took more then just a little force to persuade it to breake.

Honestly, I'm very impressed with the ridgidness of the car when I saw how it had held up. No parts had come loose. (Except debris from crushing.) And amazed at how well she had protected her owner on her last trip.

The area around the battery box was very rusted, but I don't know if that had any severe impact of the car's ability to withstand this rather critical hit.

[Stu2j]

Ya know... when I'm driving down the road I just don't see how most vehicles are even going to hit the car (especially the front). Most SUVs and trucks have a ride height that is right at the glass.

My best advice is to simply duck as the Hummer passes over you
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-Stu
924 owner since 1988
924S owner since 2002
Click here to view them:

[Eturbo924]

How true... they can just use the car as a ramp.

It is true that in a side impact the 924 with no airbags... is at a disadvantage... your head will likely hit the hood or gril of the car coming at you. But that is true of any car with out those air bags.

That car above that hit some thing real hard.... it does not matter what car you are in if you are going 100 plus miles per hour and hit a pole. I saw a 2005 BMW M5 that spun at speeds over 100mph. Hit some thing like a bridge devider or support (round one)... and basically split the car in 1/2. Guy driving was DOA.

I think for what it is and when it was designed that the 924 is very safe. They were designed to absorb inpacts at all corners and as I said above... to keep the forces out of the cabin.

Does that mean you are invinceable? Nope... you can get dead just as quick as the next guy if you are not on your game all the time. All it takes is some dope in a Semi to roll over you. I know of a woman in her Chevy Tahoe who was hit by a Semi... dead.... so just drive offensively
_________________
1982 924
1992 968
2003 C4S
Parts Parts Parts and More parts.
E-mail me for parts you need!
Drive Fast!

[StienbargerR]

I've heard of quite a few crashes in 944's and 924's where the driver and passenger are completely fine. One guy said that the trunk area was totally smashed in, but the hatch was still intact, and nothing else was messed up.

Ryan
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1978 924 NA
-250lb lowering springs, Euro Pistons

[Mike924]

How's that, Dan? Should be enough to convince your GF...
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1985 Porsche 924 'Lux', Kalahari Beige (my ex)
1993 Porsche 968 Coupe, Midnight Blue, 6 spd

'There is no substitute for a little grease under your fingernails.' - Chrenan, 924board.org

[Dan924S]

Awesome info guys. Thank you. Great thread. I'm not so much convincing her as I am PREPARING her. I told her that I have one random obsession that she will have to support. She better be cool with it, her dad drives an 05' 911 S4 (if he wasn't such a cool guy, I would hate him).
_________________
Black 1987 924S (sold)
WTB Silver 87-88 924S