Porsche 924 - My First Car 10 months on
Discussion
Good to see the 924 was SOTW!
BigTom - The dashboards crack in the sun. Mine is probably the worst one there is. It's quite a big job to swap the dash over.
J4CKO - I know what you mean, I think the early 924's with the chrome trim look even cleaner.
custardkid - I remember that, I was coming back from Donington park. I'd love a Z4MC!
Woody - I'm sure it would fit in a single garage, they are petite.
Mikey - Sorry but I think someone else has got it now.
Earlier in April I went to the Porsche Experience Centre at Silverstone for the 35th Anniversary of the 924 UK launch. It was a decent day out with loads of cars and those ever friendly people in the 924 club.
Not looking as clean, but the £1 pressure wash at Morrisons does a good enough job now.
Should I do this?
We got to go on a parade lap. Sadly someone in the first group spun, so we had a parade lap and not a race.
Oh and I returned home from a 1400 mile Euro trip yesterday in my trusty car, it didn't miss a beat! It was my first time driving abroad and I loved it. In just 5 days we crossed a border 13 times! I'll have to start planning the next one now...
Here's a few photos of things I got up to on the way:
Drove to Canterbury on Thursday night to get the ferry from Dover to Dunkirk on Friday morning:
Driving up France to Belgium:
It kept raining like this:
It's like the M25 all over again!
Arriving in Goirle:
I was here for this:
The first hotel, booked for the price. And the dragonfly thingy.
A 924!
Going to a big lock-up full of old cars and cool people:
The second night in Brabant, more rain:
The hotel room reminded me of standard halls at Uni. Only used the sink for its intended purpose.
The first time I plugged in all my chargers at once it tripped the power out at the hotel! We went to the bar for some beer after hiding them under the bed and pretending it wasn't us.
On Sunday the plan was to go to Zandvoort for American Sunday, which is where our hotel was booked. We had a change of plan.
Trackside food was Belgian waffles!
View was decent enough.
The start of the GT1 race, quite good.
The SLS had side exit exhausts and sounded glorious!
Mad.
Coolest car in the car park?
A bleak weather forecast, same all week sadly:
Driving to Germany, just because.
It was decided Dusseldorf sounded sufficiently German and was far enough over the border to count as an evening in Germany.
Entering Dusseldorf:
Being a Sunday evening, we couldn't take in too much culture.
On the derestricted Autobahn. Not bad considering the quoted top speed new was 125 and it was carrying about 300kg in fat passenger and luggage. Still a few revs to go too!
Another one!
It was about this time we realised that by going to Belgium and then Germany, we were cutting it somewhat fine with the check-in time at the hotel in Zandvoort. The receptionist was very pretty, Hofje Van Maas lady, you live on in our hearts forever.
Parked by the dunes at Zandvoort.
The last day we drove to Amsterdam:
This was the best coffee I've ever had. In a taste not urgent need of caffeine way.
A smug 911 owner:
That early 911, a 964 and a 993. Not bad!
There were loads of these Volvo's around:
For the last night my travel buddy booked a hotel and finished their dissertation. I went to stay in Leiden with a Dutch girl I knew at Uni. We went for a ride around the town, which left me wanting a Dutch town bike! Not sure it'd be the same in Cardiff sadly. She was impressed that the car was still going and the sunroof not leaking as much. It was weird driving around with that Depeche Mode tape on, like those student days, only in Holland.
For the drive back from Leiden to Cardiff we took the scenic route and coffee. It took about 12 hours in the end.
I've lost track of the time/season/country/day by now!
Going through Zeeland:
Reaching a dizzying altitude.
Waiting to board the ferry to Dover.
Yours truly:
I've come to realise old clichés now apply, I feel like the car is a part of who I am. I can't part with it. The Dutch girl was almost as excited to see the car again, and driving home I thought of all the things we've been through and how lots of people recognise it and remember their own time with it too. Sure, it's not the fastest or worth the most money, but I value it greatly. What other 28 year old cars could I have bought as a student, afford to run easily and drive over Europe in perfect comfort?
The suspension is due a refresh, and to keep it evolving, I'm going to get the Gaz coilvers. Next year some nice wheels, year after that a rollcage. It's a long term thing now. Oh and possibly move to Holland, ride bikes, drink beer and find that hotel receptionist?
BigTom - The dashboards crack in the sun. Mine is probably the worst one there is. It's quite a big job to swap the dash over.
J4CKO - I know what you mean, I think the early 924's with the chrome trim look even cleaner.
custardkid - I remember that, I was coming back from Donington park. I'd love a Z4MC!
Woody - I'm sure it would fit in a single garage, they are petite.
Mikey - Sorry but I think someone else has got it now.
Earlier in April I went to the Porsche Experience Centre at Silverstone for the 35th Anniversary of the 924 UK launch. It was a decent day out with loads of cars and those ever friendly people in the 924 club.
Not looking as clean, but the £1 pressure wash at Morrisons does a good enough job now.
Should I do this?
We got to go on a parade lap. Sadly someone in the first group spun, so we had a parade lap and not a race.
Oh and I returned home from a 1400 mile Euro trip yesterday in my trusty car, it didn't miss a beat! It was my first time driving abroad and I loved it. In just 5 days we crossed a border 13 times! I'll have to start planning the next one now...
Here's a few photos of things I got up to on the way:
Drove to Canterbury on Thursday night to get the ferry from Dover to Dunkirk on Friday morning:
Driving up France to Belgium:
It kept raining like this:
It's like the M25 all over again!
Arriving in Goirle:
I was here for this:
The first hotel, booked for the price. And the dragonfly thingy.
A 924!
Going to a big lock-up full of old cars and cool people:
The second night in Brabant, more rain:
The hotel room reminded me of standard halls at Uni. Only used the sink for its intended purpose.
The first time I plugged in all my chargers at once it tripped the power out at the hotel! We went to the bar for some beer after hiding them under the bed and pretending it wasn't us.
On Sunday the plan was to go to Zandvoort for American Sunday, which is where our hotel was booked. We had a change of plan.
Trackside food was Belgian waffles!
View was decent enough.
The start of the GT1 race, quite good.
The SLS had side exit exhausts and sounded glorious!
Mad.
Coolest car in the car park?
A bleak weather forecast, same all week sadly:
Driving to Germany, just because.
It was decided Dusseldorf sounded sufficiently German and was far enough over the border to count as an evening in Germany.
Entering Dusseldorf:
Being a Sunday evening, we couldn't take in too much culture.
On the derestricted Autobahn. Not bad considering the quoted top speed new was 125 and it was carrying about 300kg in fat passenger and luggage. Still a few revs to go too!
Another one!
It was about this time we realised that by going to Belgium and then Germany, we were cutting it somewhat fine with the check-in time at the hotel in Zandvoort. The receptionist was very pretty, Hofje Van Maas lady, you live on in our hearts forever.
Parked by the dunes at Zandvoort.
The last day we drove to Amsterdam:
This was the best coffee I've ever had. In a taste not urgent need of caffeine way.
A smug 911 owner:
That early 911, a 964 and a 993. Not bad!
There were loads of these Volvo's around:
For the last night my travel buddy booked a hotel and finished their dissertation. I went to stay in Leiden with a Dutch girl I knew at Uni. We went for a ride around the town, which left me wanting a Dutch town bike! Not sure it'd be the same in Cardiff sadly. She was impressed that the car was still going and the sunroof not leaking as much. It was weird driving around with that Depeche Mode tape on, like those student days, only in Holland.
For the drive back from Leiden to Cardiff we took the scenic route and coffee. It took about 12 hours in the end.
I've lost track of the time/season/country/day by now!
Going through Zeeland:
Reaching a dizzying altitude.
Waiting to board the ferry to Dover.
Yours truly:
I've come to realise old clichés now apply, I feel like the car is a part of who I am. I can't part with it. The Dutch girl was almost as excited to see the car again, and driving home I thought of all the things we've been through and how lots of people recognise it and remember their own time with it too. Sure, it's not the fastest or worth the most money, but I value it greatly. What other 28 year old cars could I have bought as a student, afford to run easily and drive over Europe in perfect comfort?
The suspension is due a refresh, and to keep it evolving, I'm going to get the Gaz coilvers. Next year some nice wheels, year after that a rollcage. It's a long term thing now. Oh and possibly move to Holland, ride bikes, drink beer and find that hotel receptionist?
Gassing Station | Readers' Cars | Top of Page | What's New | My Stuff