Porsche 924 - My First Car 10 months on
Discussion
I don't think it's a bad thing you're keeping the n/a car. There is something to be said for lower powered cars... you can really thrash them without driving at totally illegal speeds. Some of my best memories of city driving are of cars with fewer than 100 hp.
Whenever I've changed the shifter bushing on any car I've owned, I've always wondered why I hadn't done it sooner. It really makes the car feel that much newer.
Instead of installing wider wheels, you might consider adding spacers with the standard wheels. I did this on my BMW and I find it gives the car a more aggressive stance with no real down side. This was an inexpensive way to allow me to improve the appearance of the car in both summer and winter, as I have 2 sets of identical wheels.
Whenever I've changed the shifter bushing on any car I've owned, I've always wondered why I hadn't done it sooner. It really makes the car feel that much newer.
Instead of installing wider wheels, you might consider adding spacers with the standard wheels. I did this on my BMW and I find it gives the car a more aggressive stance with no real down side. This was an inexpensive way to allow me to improve the appearance of the car in both summer and winter, as I have 2 sets of identical wheels.
Thanks for the consolation GC8! 
If I could pick your brains for a moment, how much of a hassle is it to change the gearbox mounts? I see the actual parts are not very expensive and I think they're the source of my slight kangarooing effect!
Civic44 - That's true, it's a fun car to drive hard and I don't worry about breaking it. Spacers could work well, but since putting in the stiffer Koni shocks, it could do with more rubber for even more grip. I've seen a set of OZ Vega split rims from a TVR Griffith for a good price, they're staggered and I wonder how they would look on a 924. The fronts are 15x7 and the rears 16x7.5 I already have a bit of a nose down stance, so it could look good, and fill those rear arches.
I'm picking up a new door on Saturday, so I'll swap that over and have a functioning window again. Someone else in Cardiff has bought a 924 recently and is going down the light restoration/modified route too, which is great. I'll sort out my headlining this week I think. Herringbone tweed isn't too expensive by the metre and perhaps more forgiving than the thin vinyl stuff. Here's an old photo I have that shows what I'm talking about:
Imagine tweed that matches the seats around the sunroof aperture. Nice touch or too much?
Anyway, the 5 stud conversion is another thing I'd like to do, rather than spend £1000 extra insuring the Turbo, let alone putting it through an MOT in April and other running costs, if I was to spend that on my car it could be something quite special. Likewise, since modifications seem to be a blanket £50 each, a hot cam and 5 stud conversion would transform the car and cost little extra to insure.
I love the mittelmotor 924, it's got plenty of tweaks but the cookie cutters and rolled arches caught my eye:
Some black centred cookie cutters with a polished lip would look fantastic I think!
If I could pick your brains for a moment, how much of a hassle is it to change the gearbox mounts? I see the actual parts are not very expensive and I think they're the source of my slight kangarooing effect!
Civic44 - That's true, it's a fun car to drive hard and I don't worry about breaking it. Spacers could work well, but since putting in the stiffer Koni shocks, it could do with more rubber for even more grip. I've seen a set of OZ Vega split rims from a TVR Griffith for a good price, they're staggered and I wonder how they would look on a 924. The fronts are 15x7 and the rears 16x7.5 I already have a bit of a nose down stance, so it could look good, and fill those rear arches.
I'm picking up a new door on Saturday, so I'll swap that over and have a functioning window again. Someone else in Cardiff has bought a 924 recently and is going down the light restoration/modified route too, which is great. I'll sort out my headlining this week I think. Herringbone tweed isn't too expensive by the metre and perhaps more forgiving than the thin vinyl stuff. Here's an old photo I have that shows what I'm talking about:
Imagine tweed that matches the seats around the sunroof aperture. Nice touch or too much?
Anyway, the 5 stud conversion is another thing I'd like to do, rather than spend £1000 extra insuring the Turbo, let alone putting it through an MOT in April and other running costs, if I was to spend that on my car it could be something quite special. Likewise, since modifications seem to be a blanket £50 each, a hot cam and 5 stud conversion would transform the car and cost little extra to insure.
I love the mittelmotor 924, it's got plenty of tweaks but the cookie cutters and rolled arches caught my eye:
Some black centred cookie cutters with a polished lip would look fantastic I think!
If it is anything like the 924 S then changing the transmission mounts is a doddle... support the transmission with a piece of wood on a jack and then replace one side at a time - IIRC there is one bolt to the body and two smaller bolts on the gearbox bracket - it is then just a case of swapping the bracket over, my new mounts didn't arrive in time so I fitted the old ones and then swapped them out later, looked very sruffy...
BTW, great thread, enjoy checking in every now and then
BTW, great thread, enjoy checking in every now and then
Oh, reference the dash, I haven't done thins, but I spoke to Elliot at porkaparts (sure it was him), and he has someone who will fill and recover the dash and door cards to match. I think that was around £200 - with the dash being supplied by him.
I bought an old dash for about £40 which I will try and fill, probably with Plastidip foam and then recover. But that will probably wait a while.
I bought an old dash for about £40 which I will try and fill, probably with Plastidip foam and then recover. But that will probably wait a while.
FelixP said:
Thanks for the comments as ever!
Today was meant to be the day I picked up the Turbo but it hasn't played out that way. Last night I tried to arrange insurance, only to find the policies were £1600+. Changing my car to the Turbo left me with quotes identical to my N/A but I found there was a reason for this: I've owned my N/A over 2 years now. If I had already owned the Turbo for 2 years it would be just as affordable to insure. I phoned around but nobody wanted to know about it. Then I phoned my insurer and explained I'm coming from a 924 to a 924 Turbo and have driven one before, along with other transaxle cars, it's not like going from a Clio 1.0 to a 924 Turbo, but nope, that was the price. Interestingly, if I'd owned my N/A from this February as opposed to December 2010, it was £1400 to insure.
I didn't want to pay a 120% rise in insurance so called the owners of the Turbo, explained my situation and everything was amicable. I was dreading calling them! It was a beautiful car at a very good price, so sadly it'll go to the next person in line.
Part of me feels relived I am keeping the car I know, but at the same time it's frustrating. I've realised it's perhaps best to keep mine until I can unflinchingly insure/run a 924 Turbo, maybe alongside my humble car.
Putting my car up for sale lead me to look at with a critical eye, and I'd like to now spend a bit of time & money sorting out those last little bits and perhaps realising the full potential of the car. With lighter, milder days approaching and spare funds from reasonable insurance and fuel costs, I'm excited to now get back into it with renewed enthusiasm.
In the coming weeks I aim to:
Replace the cracked dash
Replace the headlining (With herringbone tweed to match the seats?)
Recover the steering wheel/replace it
New bush on the gear stick to get rid of the sloppyness
Put the original bonnet back on, which has a perfect colour match and better fit
By summer I would like to:
Replace the drivers door to fix the window guides
Replace the cracked sunroof panel
Replace the cracked front bumper
Fix the dent in the rear ¼
Get above parts painted in matching Zanussi white or whatever my car is!
Wishlist:
New gearbox mounts
Wider wheels
I think sorting out these little issues will make all the difference and it's not asking to much. Otherwise the car is wanting for nothing and I'll keep enjoying the dividends of the work I've had done over the past couple of years.
Yes, it's a shame I've not got Turbo but I know my car well, have a lot of memories with it and would love to start a new chapter in it's story.
Shame to hear the Turbo faltered at the insurance hurdle! Today was meant to be the day I picked up the Turbo but it hasn't played out that way. Last night I tried to arrange insurance, only to find the policies were £1600+. Changing my car to the Turbo left me with quotes identical to my N/A but I found there was a reason for this: I've owned my N/A over 2 years now. If I had already owned the Turbo for 2 years it would be just as affordable to insure. I phoned around but nobody wanted to know about it. Then I phoned my insurer and explained I'm coming from a 924 to a 924 Turbo and have driven one before, along with other transaxle cars, it's not like going from a Clio 1.0 to a 924 Turbo, but nope, that was the price. Interestingly, if I'd owned my N/A from this February as opposed to December 2010, it was £1400 to insure.
I didn't want to pay a 120% rise in insurance so called the owners of the Turbo, explained my situation and everything was amicable. I was dreading calling them! It was a beautiful car at a very good price, so sadly it'll go to the next person in line.
Part of me feels relived I am keeping the car I know, but at the same time it's frustrating. I've realised it's perhaps best to keep mine until I can unflinchingly insure/run a 924 Turbo, maybe alongside my humble car.
Putting my car up for sale lead me to look at with a critical eye, and I'd like to now spend a bit of time & money sorting out those last little bits and perhaps realising the full potential of the car. With lighter, milder days approaching and spare funds from reasonable insurance and fuel costs, I'm excited to now get back into it with renewed enthusiasm.
In the coming weeks I aim to:
Replace the cracked dash
Replace the headlining (With herringbone tweed to match the seats?)
Recover the steering wheel/replace it
New bush on the gear stick to get rid of the sloppyness
Put the original bonnet back on, which has a perfect colour match and better fit
By summer I would like to:
Replace the drivers door to fix the window guides
Replace the cracked sunroof panel
Replace the cracked front bumper
Fix the dent in the rear ¼
Get above parts painted in matching Zanussi white or whatever my car is!
Wishlist:
New gearbox mounts
Wider wheels
I think sorting out these little issues will make all the difference and it's not asking to much. Otherwise the car is wanting for nothing and I'll keep enjoying the dividends of the work I've had done over the past couple of years.
Yes, it's a shame I've not got Turbo but I know my car well, have a lot of memories with it and would love to start a new chapter in it's story.
Onwards and upwards with the NA instead though.
All the best
Chris
sprouting said:
Did you try a classic insurance quote, i had a 924 turbo for about 8 years on classic insurance and never paid more than £270. Although i was in my mid 20's when i bought it and it was the mid to late 90's.
Most classic insurance companies have sadly put a minimum age of 25 in place. Geoffers said:
Just found pawnsacrifices website, what a cracking read !!
Bookmarked.
Hi Felix!
I hope you enjoyed your time in Sweden
Maybe you should have stayed I pay around 220£/year to insure my 931, fully covered and can park anywhere I like.
I own both a 924 with and without a turbo. Wouldnt say that the 931 is a massive better car in every way, its heavier and faster, and have a way more punchy engine. (My na has been off the road for a while) Everytime I go and try my friends ´76 924 with slightly uppdated suspension(springs/bars+dampers) i´m always having a laugh, its lighter (since its na and 76), have crisp responce and is just so great fun to throw around the bends in an autocross run for example. Very adjustable and balanced. My (bit modified) 931 is massively faster, but not massively more fun
But still agree though that the 931 is ammongs the most fun in the front engined porsche range!
The only reason I would change brakes to 5studs on an na is to get rid of the constant adjustment you have to do on the rear brakes. Which is very annoying, especially if you do track driving. Otherwise with good pads they will be impossible to fade, even on longer track stints.
I hope you enjoyed your time in Sweden
Maybe you should have stayed
I pay around 220£/year to insure my 931, fully covered and can park anywhere I like.I own both a 924 with and without a turbo. Wouldnt say that the 931 is a massive better car in every way, its heavier and faster, and have a way more punchy engine. (My na has been off the road for a while) Everytime I go and try my friends ´76 924 with slightly uppdated suspension(springs/bars+dampers) i´m always having a laugh, its lighter (since its na and 76), have crisp responce and is just so great fun to throw around the bends in an autocross run for example. Very adjustable and balanced. My (bit modified) 931 is massively faster, but not massively more fun
But still agree though that the 931 is ammongs the most fun in the front engined porsche range!
The only reason I would change brakes to 5studs on an na is to get rid of the constant adjustment you have to do on the rear brakes. Which is very annoying, especially if you do track driving. Otherwise with good pads they will be impossible to fade, even on longer track stints.
Great thread. The first Porsche I drove was the white 2l 924 owned by my old man. It had a grey berber interior so this takes me right back. It didn't go fast, but the steering feel and balance in the wet were revelations to me compared to all the turbo hot hatches I'd been driving.
BTW he had 4 bolt basket weave wheels fitted, like the 924S Le Mans ones - there must be sets still out there.
SS7
BTW he had 4 bolt basket weave wheels fitted, like the 924S Le Mans ones - there must be sets still out there.
SS7
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