924Board.org

[Borteep]

I'm considering getting a 924 soon, but there aren't a ton of them for sale around here. I'm also concerned about local parts availability, good local mechanics. And I'm really concerned about comfort.

So basically I'm wondering if there are any local meets where I could check out this sort of thing, find out more about the car and whether I really want one, maybe even see some local cars for sale that I haven't seen on Craigslist or whatever. I'm looking at a 1980 931 right now and I'm pretty concerned about the early turbo 5-speeds and manifolds and things, but I think I would prefer a turbo. Not having driven any form of 924, it's hard to tell.

[Chrenan]

Come on out:

http://www.924board.org/viewtopic.php?t=22144&postdays=0&postorder=asc&start=0
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1987 951 - M193 Version for Japan

[Lizard]

Borteep,

They are not too bad for comfort,

parts for the 931 mainly the turbo can be harder to find parts for,

but the availability of parts in the lower mainland (ESP vancouver) is good and you dont need to wait long for them.

I do have a friend who is trying to sell an 1980, he is located in Chilliwack,

As to mechanics, I recommend that you do all of your own work, however can recommend a couple of shops which are pretty good.

PM me if you would like to go and see my friends 924.

Colin J
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3 928s,

[Borteep]

The Fernie meet looks like fun, but isn't as local, or soon, as I was hoping for.
I thought maybe some of the Vancouver area board users might do coffee nights or garage nights every now and then in the area.

My main concerns are headroom, knee room. I'm kind of tall, and don't fit well in a lot of sports cars. I don't mind being cramped for "sunday driving", but I'm looking at a 924/931 as my main car so I'm hoping there's a bit of room in them.

I'd also love a drive in an 924 to see if I really feel the need to go turbo. That said, it seems like 931s are easier to find in good condition at the moment, and are priced so close to 924s that it hardly seems worth not going turbo.

[Chrenan]

My 6'6" father in law is comfortable driving my 924, they are fine for tall drivers. I am 6'1", my wife is 6'0", no problems for us either.

The 924 does not accelerate quickly by modern standards, it was fairly quick for a 2 litre sports car when it was introduced 30 years ago (1976). The 931 is better, but its not a quick car either by today's standards. I'm talking about both cars in stock form of course.

30 years is a long time, they are old cars now, if you have experience with other small engined sports cars from the 70's / early 80's you porbably know what to expect. If not, your plan to drive a few is ideal, you'll know right away whether it is the type of car for you.

However, its best if you drive or go for a ride in a car loved by an enthusiast. Some car sitting in a used car lot or being dumped by a clown for $700 because he thought it was a camaro is going to give a terrible first impression. The difference between how my car drives now and how it drove when I got it (before thousands of $ went into it) is like night and day. Drive a bad example and you'll never want one, drive a perfect one on a fast twisty road and you really want one.

I'm assuming you have a daily driver already and the 924 is to be a pleasure vehicle?
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1987 951 - M193 Version for Japan

[Borteep]

Chrenan, I'm glad to hear that they are roomy.

I'm not concerned about stoplight drag races, or super-high-speed capabilities or spec-sheet bragging rights. Just hoping for something that pushes a bit. I find the 11 second 0-100 of my Subaru Impreza fun enough due to the torquey characteristics of the 2.5 sohc 4. Unfortunately, that car has a slushbox that makes it less engaging to drive. Between the auto and the AWD it's only getting about 110 lb/ft and hp to the ground. It's hefty, also, over 3000 lbs and while it is reasonably chuckable it tends towards understeer and doesn't inspire confidence beyond 140 km/h. Which really, I very rarely get beyond, but all the same I'd prefer more stability at high speeds.

I do intend to sell my Subaru and mainly drive the 924. I typically travel about 15,000 kms a year in my car, so it isn't particularly heavy use. I expect if I purchase a well-maintained model and continue to treat it well that wouldn't be a problem, but if you don't think that's an unrealistic proposition I'd be interested in hearing the experiences that have created the opinion. I expect that in the not-too-distant future I would buy a truck or van to use as my commuter/hauler vehicle and then use the 924 for running about and pleasure, ultimately the lion's share of my actual driving.

A lot of the things I'm concerned with are so variable depending on the vehicle's condition. Mainly, I guess, I'm hoping to get up close to one soon and see if this strange attraction gets stronger or not. I haven't seen any for sale in my immediate area that I would seriously consider. I don't want to waste the seller's time checking out their junker just to see if I find that model of car comfortable, particularly if it gives me an bad impression of the cars. At the same time, I don't want to spend a day traveling to one of the worthwhile cars just to find out that I don't like them in person.

Lizard's friend is fairly close, though. I'm out in Chilliwack now and again, so that seems a reasonably convenient one to follow up on, and there are some decent cars available a bit farther off. Perhaps I will end up in Fernie, in my own 924.

[Chrenan]

[Min]

[richierich]

I'm late to this convo so I can only share my impressions having owned my 81 931 for 2 months now and an 86 M5 for a year:

a) I'm 6'4" and 270lbs and I fit fine. I wouldn't want another one of me in the passenger seat but with my tiny wife and the dog in the hatchback we all fit well.
b) I wouldn't use any 25+ year old euro car for a daily driver. My 931 just qualified for B.C. collector's plates so whoopee I just went from $1500 a year in insurance to $250. You can't drive the "collector" status everday though.
c) Comparing month to month ownership costs I was spending about 5 times as much to keep the M5 running as the 931. It's been relatively painless to drive it 3 or 4 times a week. I'll have a better idea once I've completed a full year of ownership and I can compare apples to apples. So far, so good. And, parts seem easy to find as is good advice (Kenodog, Lizard, Rasta and others who are all PacNW owners who are wealth of knowledge).

Good luck. I say keep the Soob and find an <$2500 924 to enjoy on weekends. Insure on BC collectors plates too.
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RichieRich
1988 924S

[Viking]

From my experience (189 cms tall), the car is comfortable to sit it, very much so. I've driven 2000 kms with it several times before having to stop to rest for the night, and it's always the eyes and the head that stops me from keeping driving, not my body as in butt, arms and legs.

If you plan on having it as a daily driver, I would recommend that you overhaul it well, so that you know that it is going to be in good shape. Always have a new fuelpump with you, in case it breaks, and a fuelrelay, or a wire to jumper the relay in case it fails. These parts break with no real warning. Apart from those two things, I've not (yet) had something break or wear down with no warning.

I've been from Norway to Bulgaria three times with the car, about 7000kms round trip. My only problem on those occasions was a worn engine mount that broke, I should have taken a look at it before I left.

And you will need the ability to work on your car yourself, have a friend who does it for you for cheap, or a lot of money.