Porsche 924 - My First Car 10 months on
Discussion
Having registered fairly recently, I'm spending more time than ever on Pistonheads so thought I would chronicle my first car experience by pasting together posts I made on another forum. I should warn you that nothing really happens in any of this text and the photographs aren't very exciting either.
The story starts with a gold metallic Porsche 924 which I have vague recollection of. It lived on a road nearby, with a gaudy blanket thrown over the back seats, adding to a sense of both neglect and adventure. This wasn't my only early influence however, as some close friends had one of those lovely 7 seater Mercedes estates, compared to my Dad's XR4x4 at the time, it was in a different class.
Well, fast forward to December, with my 21st birthday looming and the promise of £1000 for my first car, courtesy of my Mother. I should point out this was very political, I was half way through my final year of University and doing very well, receiving no financial support from my parents for the past two and a half years. Meanwhile my sister was given money which she squandered, before dropping out to work fulltime in McDonalds and live at home again. So as I received the money I felt entrusted to purchase a sensible first car suitable for a student. People often reminisce about their first car, as such I knew it had to be just what I desired.
I spent a few minutes putting my criteria in order of priority and came up with:
Le Mans competetitor
Tape deck for my selection of all Rush mixtapes
Rear wheel drive
At least as old as me.
<£1000
Whilst the Mercedes 190 was a consideration (ignoring the Le Mans part in lieu of the DTM cars) I had a ride in a W123 which killed it for me. And at the time I was living with annoying hipster house mates who didn't welcome me into their Clio to fight the mainstream. I realised at this point I had no friends/interest in carrying passengers. The Porsche 924 was the obvious choice. (The MX5 being too new and not connected to any early childhood memories)
The first car I went to see was advertised on this very site for £750, titled “PORSCHE FOR FIESTA MONEY” With my optimism ignoring the slogan and capslock, I got the train to some hideous town far away to find it broken down in a car park. Conversation opened with “Do you have breakdown cover mate?” It was apparently working fine before I arrived, but now it was backfiring with such force that I'm surprised it didn't actually fall apart. Nevertheless, at this early stage I humoured the seller and we went for a test drive. The car stopped 3 times before breaking down properly. Not to worry, the seller quickly phoned his bank, hoping some sort of breakdown cover was included. It wasn't. Eventually I was picked up by a friend of his in a van, who was quick to tell me the car was perfect the day before. Missing the train by minutes, I sat on the platform lamenting my first ride in a 924.
A few days later I saw one advertised on carandclassic for £1150. The seller sounded pleasant on the phone, telling me the wing mirrors could do with repainting. With this important matter made clear, I bought single train tickets from Cardiff to Farnborough. We left on the day when it snowed a lot:
Just 1 of 4 London trains was actually running, so I was standing all the way to Swindon. This influenced the standard of car I'd accept.
Finally getting to Farnborough more than 5 hours later we made it to the car. It was for sale due to a baby, something I can vouch for. Upon arrival a relative greeted us, pointed out the only car on the driveway as the car we had come to look at. He didn't know anything about it, besides, the owner was giving birth in the front room! I tried my best to look like I was examining the car thoroughly, finding a few things justifying a haggle. The mirrors were quite tatty, and the dash was cracked to an amusing degree. And the recent respray meant every surface meant to be unpainted was painted. I called £800 out to the relative, who went inside to consult with the owner. Amongst the cries it was suggested that this was too low. We settled for £940 in the end, leaving me £60 for petrol and the bridge toll. As we were signing the paperwork the midwives came out of the front room, chirping “it all happens at once”. I never met the owner.
The previous owner bought the car a year before for £950 and spent £250 on an exhaust, wheel bearings etc. The car came with 12 months MOT and has 4 previous owners, not bad for a 26 year old car.
There were some anxious moments as my Dad pulled out of the driveway and proceeded to get lost before the M4. But then we filled it up and headed for home, as conditions got progressively worse!
Home at last, with my Dad beaming. The day was slightly tarnished by him talking at me about some TR7's he used to own.
There were no dramas on the way home, the same couldn't be said for a Porsche Cayman, which spun out infront of us going down a sliproad.
It was still 3 weeks until my 21st and any chance of insurance. More snow fell in this time, but it still looked pretty from the window.
I'm going to keep pasting in posts now, so apologies for changing tenses, reading it back is weird, as I've had the car 10 months now.
“I stayed up on the eve of my birthday, to see the clock tick over to 00:00 and my insurance commence! In an attempt to remember how to drive, I went out for an hour at midnight with my Dad, which was perfectly uneventful. On my first day I then practised some frequent routes, including the 40 mile round trip to my University campus before driving alone in the evening to my student house. Managing the motorway, driving alone and driving in the dark on my first day was a vital confidence boost! Since then, I've taken it very easy, and a week on, I'm drinking less camomile tea before driving. The lure of 80's Rush has been irresistible, having given 3 lifts so far! I've been careful to put my cassettes in the glove box too, for fear of attracting thieves.
As for the car, it has been fantastic! I'm glad I went straight into it, and as such am not spoilt by power steering, a practical driving position or a clutch that's not weightier than a small child. The car still starts first time and everything that was working is still working. I was hoping to break into the 30's mpg wise, but I guess the town driving is to blame. And sometimes I enjoy 3rd gear at more than 30mph. Of course, a part time job beckons, since the typical student loan doesn't account for Porsche ownership, however, with summer ever closer, it will only get better! I'm intending to take some more technical photos and perhaps even a video when it's not raining, just to further wind up my friends. Here's one from last week, as you can see, the decals are on and it's in need of a clean. I enrolled my sister to help with the decals, even letting her peel off the backing paper once, to keep morale up! It was surprisingly easy and whilst they're not to all tastes, I think they break up the white paintwork well.”
Heavily influenced by Retro Rides, I laid out future plans:
Don't crash
Get some different wheels
Acquire attractive female passenger, possibly hide cassette selection first
I wrote this update instead of working on my dissertation. In the end I opted to ignore my dissertation until 2 weeks before the deadline, with a week for reading and another for writing. I got the highest grade of all my house mates and gloated to the point that they wanted to remove my eyes with a spoon.
“I think I've got used to the car at last and I'm now driving relatively smoothly, equally it may be the Porsche clutch limp that I've developed, with my left thigh being that of a horse. Even my environmentally conscious house mates are warming to the car, with one of them keen point out curious glances and cute dogs. However, as I was giving someone a lift back, “Das Porsche”, as I've Christened her, didn't want to start. I'm guessing it was because she was wet. A quick push and we were on our way without any more moments. By taking the dissertation approach, and utterly ignoring the issue, it seems to have gone away.
Another discovery was made today, whilst driving a house mate to the beach for their project. Remaining diplomatically silent perusing the cassettes at my disposal, they noticed Buddy Holly lurking in the glove-box. After explaining that this particular tape was not a part of my collection, but accidentally included in the sale of the car, it was clumsily pushed into my tape player. Then the speaker balance was tweaked to allow only sound from the right, before copious amounts of volume were then applied. Moments later, with all the houses on the right alerted to Buddy Holly, the two dials were mastered and it was declared that this tape suited the car. Personally, I think such a bold statement will come into dispute when I find an illusive Asia album in a charity shop/skip.
I'm also waiting for a 944 spoiler to arrive in the post. Not only will this bolt on, as I remove the 26 year old screws with ease, it will act as a soft, slightly flexible reminder that the rear hatch doesn't stay open. This way, I won't remove the wiper motor cover with my unsuspecting skull.”
Here's a photo of the car looking good from a slight distance after I washed it:
The early days of my cassette collection:
I should mention that the Eagles was 49p and therefore a compulsory purchase. A girl bought me the Depeche Mode tape instead of petrol. Needless to say, I've not given her a lift since.
“I've churned a remarkable amount of dissertation today, probably about as fast as throwing alphabetti spaghetti onto A4, only slightly more coherent! So, clearly in the writing zone, here's a long overdue update!
Since my 944 spoiler turned up, at a mere £10 posted, some more experienced "car people" helped me out. The old spoiler came off quite easily, with “only” a few screws needing to be drilled out. Since we were there, the recently defunct rear wiper was removed too, the result is a much cleaner looking back end. And, without the burden of the wiper motor, the rear hatch struts can almost lift the hatch!
Ironically, I forgot my camera! So here's a few borrowed mobile snaps of the action.
Another rookie mistake of mine was to bring this rocky road cake* as sustenance. Not ideal with no plates, cutlery or napkins for the aftermath!
My Grandmother gave me £50 for breakdown cover, which I decided against, grabbing these bargainous Zender Sport wheels for £65:
Being a piece of 80's German tat, they match the 924 perfectly!
And another photo of my car against a small modern hatchback:
“With the spring weather arriving, I've had the sunroof out too. It's a bit temperamental, to the extent that I can't remember the sequence of events to actually get it to release, so end up pressing buttons and turning keys for about 10 minutes. It's fantastic fun though, as if the car wasn't unrefined enough, with a hole in the roof at 60mph it's somewhat optimistic to hold a conversation. Mild weather also means no more in-car jacket, which in turn allows for the questionable OMP Vintage style driving gloves I bought last year. Personally, I find them a crucial part of the overall aesthetic, even if comparisons to Alan Partridge are made.”
“I purchased a Europe cassette for a mere 15p. Upon receiving it my first reaction was: “What? They did other songs apart from the Final Countdown”, shortly followed by the realisation that they are all rubbish. Several months on I have to say Rumours is the most played tape. I'm not sure if that's boring, but one can hardly appreciate the musical intricacies of Rush with the sunroof panel out. And I'm alone in admitting to liking Rush publicly.
A friend also helped give the car a service recently too. All the filters, plugs & oil came to £42, not too bad for an old Porsche I thought! It was great to be shown what to do by someone more familiar with it all, and now I'm confident I can change more than the air filter! That said, I have fixed two problems myself. The radiator fan kept staying on, which in turn flattened the battery. I wielded my adjustable spanner, clumsily knocked the pop-up light assembly a few times and then changed the thermo switch for a mere £2.27 Another day, at the petrol station, the handbrake decided to come apart, by which I mean pop into small, unfixable pieces, each of which scattered into awkward places. Fortunately, the remainder was held on by two bolts and I swapped it for one from a breakers yard costing £10. Running costs are now totally taken care of (In hindsight: HAHAHAHAHA) as I'm working as a dish washer one day a week.
I photographed a 924 Turbo lately, which has been upgraded for fast road & track use, with a new paint job too. It was a real inspiration for me, I wouldn't say I detailed my car afterwards, but I did spend a bit of time cleaning it! It also encouraged me to drive my car more enthusiastically than before. Relatively speaking in my short driving career, that means going over 4k rpm.
Today we had a bit of a moment, leaving sunny Newport to return home with the roof panel out. Just as we were exiting the M4 it began to rain, so we stopped at a bus stop, opened the rear hatch and then put the roof back in like a veteran 924/44/68 owner.
I've bought the upper half of a drivers seat from eBay for £6 this week, and once that is bolted on, I'll have an interior free from rips, only slightly faded. Lastly, and this will sound incredibly perverse, although one passenger agrees, being in the car with shorts/skirt on with one leg leaning on the warm, carpeted transmission tunnel is strangely comforting. Needless to say, I'm totally smitten by the car and hope to keep it for ages!
Here's a snap of my clean interior, removing the mats to find the 26 year old carpet in that condition was a surprise!
And here's my little old car on the cover of the 924 Owners Club magazine, a publication so niche, it could be on Have I Got News For You, so the general public and 911 owners can despair at it's very existence!”
“I've had a very productive day, getting up early to drive to Weston-super-mare where I bought a 924 Turbo bonnet, with NACA duct for extra cool points.
Fitting it wasn't too difficult, and the colour isn't way off either.
And then I fitted my replacement seat back, getting rid of the tatty one which was in there.
I'll add that pop-up lights are not necessarily the key to girls hearts, amongst other things. Recently I passed by my car on the way to a girls house, keenly pointing out the NACA duct. Later, I assessed the situation, choosing to make a cup of tea before going back home.
“I travelled over to Coventry too for the 924 National meet up, which was a great chance to meet some more 924 owners happy to share their wisdom. And I left still feeling proud about my cars condition. It was pointed out at the show that I have a small fuel leak, which gradually worsened. Awaking to a puddle of fuel earlier this week, I investigated. The fuel line clip was just a little loose and all is cured! I'll look into replacing it at some point, since it's only £8 for a new fuel line. This doubles as a gracious photo of my rear tyres which are exciting when wet.”
I've been on the lookout for Zender stuff and someone from the 924 club kindly offered their Zender spoiler for free. It needs a little touch-up and I'm planning on spraying it satin black, to go with the Zender wheel centres. I'm happy to enjoy the car standard at the moment, on the other hand, it's great planning all the upcoming tweaks next year. Some Hella spotlights will finish off my homage to 80's naff nicely!
Here it is offered up to a lowered 924 Turbo:
“I moved out of my student house and to my surprise, fitted everything in the car. I placed my hi-fi in carefully, crammed some rotten kitchen stuff in the footwell and threw my modest wardrobe in the back. Then my bike. I've carried it a few times in the car, but it doesn't usually have the company of other rubbish. I drove off into the sunset, my life surrounding me and a brief existential crisis. Having returned home I've opted for the tried & tested immediate argument with family so they leave me alone strategy.”
It's at this point that things start to go awry.
“Later, I was preparing to join the M4 from the A48, progressing up the sweeping slip road, listening to Rush Exit Stage Left. A suitable album, as at this moment the left rear brake pretty much did the same. The armco loomed large, my tan coloured shorts a darker shade. I didn't crash in the end. The rear wheel literally had 5cm of play in it.
I thought it was a bearing at first, but the garage told me otherwise. It's the first time my car has gone a bit wrong and I'm now £216 lighter. However, I am now "sporting" Brembo drums with new shoes etc. The car feels a lot tighter and the brakes work better of course. My handbrake is almost digital, whereas it used to be like the lever on Get Your Own Back.
It's a bit frustrating spending money on drum brakes, but the car has been good to me so far and is now sorted. And the few days without it were maddening!"
Which brings me upto date with everything I've posted on Retro Rides.
Last month I went to the Retro Rides Gathering, which was great fun, with lots of great people. And it was at Prescott Hillclimb, so £20 later I was booked in for a morning session! My first run was more of a cautious cruise, but I got ever more ambitious throughout the day. I regained some sense of mechanical sympathy though and spent the afternoon looking around at all the other interesting cars.
Going up the hill made me appreciate small, light, well balanced cars such as mine and has inspired me to take my modifying aspirations in a sprint direction.
A few days after Prescott, I kept breaking down. At first I thought it was a dodgy electric window. Further investigation showed a previous owner had cut the electric mirrors off, leaving the bare wires splaying inside the metal door. The wiring for the electric windows was routed over the glass, so each time the window moved it spliced into them. This wasn't all sadly. The wiring from the alternator runs by the exhaust manifold and it was this wiring which had both corroded and melted, in turn killing the alternator and dash lights. It was a bit beyond me to change, especially with on road parking, so off it went to the garage. The car now owes me around £1600 in total after about 10 months, but touchwood, it's mechanically very good. I got round to repainting the mirrors too. After the primer, I applied too much paint so it ran. I started again, only for it to then start raining. Eventually, as the final coat of lacquer was drying, the cat sat on them. Having wasted so much paint and time, I ended up lacquering them with my own tears.
Perhaps the greatest disappointment was my favourite waitress from work declining a lift at night, in the pouring rain, saying they were almost home. She'd gone so far as to add me on Facebook. I might want something with a bit more power, like the Turbo, which costs the same to insure even with an extra 60bhp. However, as my car occasionally goes wrong and gets fixed, I'll be left with a very well sorted example, and if I was to change it, I'd only go and buy a 928, which would open up a world of pain. With my insurance cost this year I've learnt a lot about balancing funds between life and cars, so I'll continue to enjoy my 924 for a year or two yet. Sure, there's a few others out there, but this one is mine, and I love it!
The story starts with a gold metallic Porsche 924 which I have vague recollection of. It lived on a road nearby, with a gaudy blanket thrown over the back seats, adding to a sense of both neglect and adventure. This wasn't my only early influence however, as some close friends had one of those lovely 7 seater Mercedes estates, compared to my Dad's XR4x4 at the time, it was in a different class.
Well, fast forward to December, with my 21st birthday looming and the promise of £1000 for my first car, courtesy of my Mother. I should point out this was very political, I was half way through my final year of University and doing very well, receiving no financial support from my parents for the past two and a half years. Meanwhile my sister was given money which she squandered, before dropping out to work fulltime in McDonalds and live at home again. So as I received the money I felt entrusted to purchase a sensible first car suitable for a student. People often reminisce about their first car, as such I knew it had to be just what I desired.
I spent a few minutes putting my criteria in order of priority and came up with:
Le Mans competetitor
Tape deck for my selection of all Rush mixtapes
Rear wheel drive
At least as old as me.
<£1000
Whilst the Mercedes 190 was a consideration (ignoring the Le Mans part in lieu of the DTM cars) I had a ride in a W123 which killed it for me. And at the time I was living with annoying hipster house mates who didn't welcome me into their Clio to fight the mainstream. I realised at this point I had no friends/interest in carrying passengers. The Porsche 924 was the obvious choice. (The MX5 being too new and not connected to any early childhood memories)
The first car I went to see was advertised on this very site for £750, titled “PORSCHE FOR FIESTA MONEY” With my optimism ignoring the slogan and capslock, I got the train to some hideous town far away to find it broken down in a car park. Conversation opened with “Do you have breakdown cover mate?” It was apparently working fine before I arrived, but now it was backfiring with such force that I'm surprised it didn't actually fall apart. Nevertheless, at this early stage I humoured the seller and we went for a test drive. The car stopped 3 times before breaking down properly. Not to worry, the seller quickly phoned his bank, hoping some sort of breakdown cover was included. It wasn't. Eventually I was picked up by a friend of his in a van, who was quick to tell me the car was perfect the day before. Missing the train by minutes, I sat on the platform lamenting my first ride in a 924.
A few days later I saw one advertised on carandclassic for £1150. The seller sounded pleasant on the phone, telling me the wing mirrors could do with repainting. With this important matter made clear, I bought single train tickets from Cardiff to Farnborough. We left on the day when it snowed a lot:
Just 1 of 4 London trains was actually running, so I was standing all the way to Swindon. This influenced the standard of car I'd accept.
Finally getting to Farnborough more than 5 hours later we made it to the car. It was for sale due to a baby, something I can vouch for. Upon arrival a relative greeted us, pointed out the only car on the driveway as the car we had come to look at. He didn't know anything about it, besides, the owner was giving birth in the front room! I tried my best to look like I was examining the car thoroughly, finding a few things justifying a haggle. The mirrors were quite tatty, and the dash was cracked to an amusing degree. And the recent respray meant every surface meant to be unpainted was painted. I called £800 out to the relative, who went inside to consult with the owner. Amongst the cries it was suggested that this was too low. We settled for £940 in the end, leaving me £60 for petrol and the bridge toll. As we were signing the paperwork the midwives came out of the front room, chirping “it all happens at once”. I never met the owner.
The previous owner bought the car a year before for £950 and spent £250 on an exhaust, wheel bearings etc. The car came with 12 months MOT and has 4 previous owners, not bad for a 26 year old car.
There were some anxious moments as my Dad pulled out of the driveway and proceeded to get lost before the M4. But then we filled it up and headed for home, as conditions got progressively worse!
Home at last, with my Dad beaming. The day was slightly tarnished by him talking at me about some TR7's he used to own.
There were no dramas on the way home, the same couldn't be said for a Porsche Cayman, which spun out infront of us going down a sliproad.
It was still 3 weeks until my 21st and any chance of insurance. More snow fell in this time, but it still looked pretty from the window.
I'm going to keep pasting in posts now, so apologies for changing tenses, reading it back is weird, as I've had the car 10 months now.
“I stayed up on the eve of my birthday, to see the clock tick over to 00:00 and my insurance commence! In an attempt to remember how to drive, I went out for an hour at midnight with my Dad, which was perfectly uneventful. On my first day I then practised some frequent routes, including the 40 mile round trip to my University campus before driving alone in the evening to my student house. Managing the motorway, driving alone and driving in the dark on my first day was a vital confidence boost! Since then, I've taken it very easy, and a week on, I'm drinking less camomile tea before driving. The lure of 80's Rush has been irresistible, having given 3 lifts so far! I've been careful to put my cassettes in the glove box too, for fear of attracting thieves.
As for the car, it has been fantastic! I'm glad I went straight into it, and as such am not spoilt by power steering, a practical driving position or a clutch that's not weightier than a small child. The car still starts first time and everything that was working is still working. I was hoping to break into the 30's mpg wise, but I guess the town driving is to blame. And sometimes I enjoy 3rd gear at more than 30mph. Of course, a part time job beckons, since the typical student loan doesn't account for Porsche ownership, however, with summer ever closer, it will only get better! I'm intending to take some more technical photos and perhaps even a video when it's not raining, just to further wind up my friends. Here's one from last week, as you can see, the decals are on and it's in need of a clean. I enrolled my sister to help with the decals, even letting her peel off the backing paper once, to keep morale up! It was surprisingly easy and whilst they're not to all tastes, I think they break up the white paintwork well.”
Heavily influenced by Retro Rides, I laid out future plans:
Don't crash
Get some different wheels
Acquire attractive female passenger, possibly hide cassette selection first
I wrote this update instead of working on my dissertation. In the end I opted to ignore my dissertation until 2 weeks before the deadline, with a week for reading and another for writing. I got the highest grade of all my house mates and gloated to the point that they wanted to remove my eyes with a spoon.
“I think I've got used to the car at last and I'm now driving relatively smoothly, equally it may be the Porsche clutch limp that I've developed, with my left thigh being that of a horse. Even my environmentally conscious house mates are warming to the car, with one of them keen point out curious glances and cute dogs. However, as I was giving someone a lift back, “Das Porsche”, as I've Christened her, didn't want to start. I'm guessing it was because she was wet. A quick push and we were on our way without any more moments. By taking the dissertation approach, and utterly ignoring the issue, it seems to have gone away.
Another discovery was made today, whilst driving a house mate to the beach for their project. Remaining diplomatically silent perusing the cassettes at my disposal, they noticed Buddy Holly lurking in the glove-box. After explaining that this particular tape was not a part of my collection, but accidentally included in the sale of the car, it was clumsily pushed into my tape player. Then the speaker balance was tweaked to allow only sound from the right, before copious amounts of volume were then applied. Moments later, with all the houses on the right alerted to Buddy Holly, the two dials were mastered and it was declared that this tape suited the car. Personally, I think such a bold statement will come into dispute when I find an illusive Asia album in a charity shop/skip.
I'm also waiting for a 944 spoiler to arrive in the post. Not only will this bolt on, as I remove the 26 year old screws with ease, it will act as a soft, slightly flexible reminder that the rear hatch doesn't stay open. This way, I won't remove the wiper motor cover with my unsuspecting skull.”
Here's a photo of the car looking good from a slight distance after I washed it:
The early days of my cassette collection:
I should mention that the Eagles was 49p and therefore a compulsory purchase. A girl bought me the Depeche Mode tape instead of petrol. Needless to say, I've not given her a lift since.
“I've churned a remarkable amount of dissertation today, probably about as fast as throwing alphabetti spaghetti onto A4, only slightly more coherent! So, clearly in the writing zone, here's a long overdue update!
Since my 944 spoiler turned up, at a mere £10 posted, some more experienced "car people" helped me out. The old spoiler came off quite easily, with “only” a few screws needing to be drilled out. Since we were there, the recently defunct rear wiper was removed too, the result is a much cleaner looking back end. And, without the burden of the wiper motor, the rear hatch struts can almost lift the hatch!
Ironically, I forgot my camera! So here's a few borrowed mobile snaps of the action.
Another rookie mistake of mine was to bring this rocky road cake* as sustenance. Not ideal with no plates, cutlery or napkins for the aftermath!
- brown sludge with littered with marshmallows”
My Grandmother gave me £50 for breakdown cover, which I decided against, grabbing these bargainous Zender Sport wheels for £65:
Being a piece of 80's German tat, they match the 924 perfectly!
And another photo of my car against a small modern hatchback:
“With the spring weather arriving, I've had the sunroof out too. It's a bit temperamental, to the extent that I can't remember the sequence of events to actually get it to release, so end up pressing buttons and turning keys for about 10 minutes. It's fantastic fun though, as if the car wasn't unrefined enough, with a hole in the roof at 60mph it's somewhat optimistic to hold a conversation. Mild weather also means no more in-car jacket, which in turn allows for the questionable OMP Vintage style driving gloves I bought last year. Personally, I find them a crucial part of the overall aesthetic, even if comparisons to Alan Partridge are made.”
“I purchased a Europe cassette for a mere 15p. Upon receiving it my first reaction was: “What? They did other songs apart from the Final Countdown”, shortly followed by the realisation that they are all rubbish. Several months on I have to say Rumours is the most played tape. I'm not sure if that's boring, but one can hardly appreciate the musical intricacies of Rush with the sunroof panel out. And I'm alone in admitting to liking Rush publicly.
A friend also helped give the car a service recently too. All the filters, plugs & oil came to £42, not too bad for an old Porsche I thought! It was great to be shown what to do by someone more familiar with it all, and now I'm confident I can change more than the air filter! That said, I have fixed two problems myself. The radiator fan kept staying on, which in turn flattened the battery. I wielded my adjustable spanner, clumsily knocked the pop-up light assembly a few times and then changed the thermo switch for a mere £2.27 Another day, at the petrol station, the handbrake decided to come apart, by which I mean pop into small, unfixable pieces, each of which scattered into awkward places. Fortunately, the remainder was held on by two bolts and I swapped it for one from a breakers yard costing £10. Running costs are now totally taken care of (In hindsight: HAHAHAHAHA) as I'm working as a dish washer one day a week.
I photographed a 924 Turbo lately, which has been upgraded for fast road & track use, with a new paint job too. It was a real inspiration for me, I wouldn't say I detailed my car afterwards, but I did spend a bit of time cleaning it! It also encouraged me to drive my car more enthusiastically than before. Relatively speaking in my short driving career, that means going over 4k rpm.
Today we had a bit of a moment, leaving sunny Newport to return home with the roof panel out. Just as we were exiting the M4 it began to rain, so we stopped at a bus stop, opened the rear hatch and then put the roof back in like a veteran 924/44/68 owner.
I've bought the upper half of a drivers seat from eBay for £6 this week, and once that is bolted on, I'll have an interior free from rips, only slightly faded. Lastly, and this will sound incredibly perverse, although one passenger agrees, being in the car with shorts/skirt on with one leg leaning on the warm, carpeted transmission tunnel is strangely comforting. Needless to say, I'm totally smitten by the car and hope to keep it for ages!
Here's a snap of my clean interior, removing the mats to find the 26 year old carpet in that condition was a surprise!
And here's my little old car on the cover of the 924 Owners Club magazine, a publication so niche, it could be on Have I Got News For You, so the general public and 911 owners can despair at it's very existence!”
“I've had a very productive day, getting up early to drive to Weston-super-mare where I bought a 924 Turbo bonnet, with NACA duct for extra cool points.
Fitting it wasn't too difficult, and the colour isn't way off either.
And then I fitted my replacement seat back, getting rid of the tatty one which was in there.
I'll add that pop-up lights are not necessarily the key to girls hearts, amongst other things. Recently I passed by my car on the way to a girls house, keenly pointing out the NACA duct. Later, I assessed the situation, choosing to make a cup of tea before going back home.
“I travelled over to Coventry too for the 924 National meet up, which was a great chance to meet some more 924 owners happy to share their wisdom. And I left still feeling proud about my cars condition. It was pointed out at the show that I have a small fuel leak, which gradually worsened. Awaking to a puddle of fuel earlier this week, I investigated. The fuel line clip was just a little loose and all is cured! I'll look into replacing it at some point, since it's only £8 for a new fuel line. This doubles as a gracious photo of my rear tyres which are exciting when wet.”
I've been on the lookout for Zender stuff and someone from the 924 club kindly offered their Zender spoiler for free. It needs a little touch-up and I'm planning on spraying it satin black, to go with the Zender wheel centres. I'm happy to enjoy the car standard at the moment, on the other hand, it's great planning all the upcoming tweaks next year. Some Hella spotlights will finish off my homage to 80's naff nicely!
Here it is offered up to a lowered 924 Turbo:
“I moved out of my student house and to my surprise, fitted everything in the car. I placed my hi-fi in carefully, crammed some rotten kitchen stuff in the footwell and threw my modest wardrobe in the back. Then my bike. I've carried it a few times in the car, but it doesn't usually have the company of other rubbish. I drove off into the sunset, my life surrounding me and a brief existential crisis. Having returned home I've opted for the tried & tested immediate argument with family so they leave me alone strategy.”
It's at this point that things start to go awry.
“Later, I was preparing to join the M4 from the A48, progressing up the sweeping slip road, listening to Rush Exit Stage Left. A suitable album, as at this moment the left rear brake pretty much did the same. The armco loomed large, my tan coloured shorts a darker shade. I didn't crash in the end. The rear wheel literally had 5cm of play in it.
I thought it was a bearing at first, but the garage told me otherwise. It's the first time my car has gone a bit wrong and I'm now £216 lighter. However, I am now "sporting" Brembo drums with new shoes etc. The car feels a lot tighter and the brakes work better of course. My handbrake is almost digital, whereas it used to be like the lever on Get Your Own Back.
It's a bit frustrating spending money on drum brakes, but the car has been good to me so far and is now sorted. And the few days without it were maddening!"
Which brings me upto date with everything I've posted on Retro Rides.
Last month I went to the Retro Rides Gathering, which was great fun, with lots of great people. And it was at Prescott Hillclimb, so £20 later I was booked in for a morning session! My first run was more of a cautious cruise, but I got ever more ambitious throughout the day. I regained some sense of mechanical sympathy though and spent the afternoon looking around at all the other interesting cars.
Going up the hill made me appreciate small, light, well balanced cars such as mine and has inspired me to take my modifying aspirations in a sprint direction.
A few days after Prescott, I kept breaking down. At first I thought it was a dodgy electric window. Further investigation showed a previous owner had cut the electric mirrors off, leaving the bare wires splaying inside the metal door. The wiring for the electric windows was routed over the glass, so each time the window moved it spliced into them. This wasn't all sadly. The wiring from the alternator runs by the exhaust manifold and it was this wiring which had both corroded and melted, in turn killing the alternator and dash lights. It was a bit beyond me to change, especially with on road parking, so off it went to the garage. The car now owes me around £1600 in total after about 10 months, but touchwood, it's mechanically very good. I got round to repainting the mirrors too. After the primer, I applied too much paint so it ran. I started again, only for it to then start raining. Eventually, as the final coat of lacquer was drying, the cat sat on them. Having wasted so much paint and time, I ended up lacquering them with my own tears.
Perhaps the greatest disappointment was my favourite waitress from work declining a lift at night, in the pouring rain, saying they were almost home. She'd gone so far as to add me on Facebook. I might want something with a bit more power, like the Turbo, which costs the same to insure even with an extra 60bhp. However, as my car occasionally goes wrong and gets fixed, I'll be left with a very well sorted example, and if I was to change it, I'd only go and buy a 928, which would open up a world of pain. With my insurance cost this year I've learnt a lot about balancing funds between life and cars, so I'll continue to enjoy my 924 for a year or two yet. Sure, there's a few others out there, but this one is mine, and I love it!
Thanks everyone, I'm flattered there's been such interest!
I went to my first Pistonheads meeting on Sunday, sadly the weather was typically Welsh and I don't have any photographs to show, although there was a great diversity of cars & people!
I did plan to have the new wheels on in May, but insurance made a fuss and it didn't seem wise to spend any spare funds on tyres. And, after wrestling with the mirrors, I took at look at myself and realised I don't have the patience to refurbish them myself! They're sat on the top of my wardrobe and I will have them done next year. It's a shame that my recent electrical problem could be a set of shiny wheels, but I'd rather be driving around on the standard ones than see it parked up with nice wheels.
Jimbo65 - I know the 944 is the next logical step, however I love the square dash style of the 924 and early 944, and an early 944 wouldn't offer much extra in the way of performance. On the other hand, I could overlook this issue if it was a 944 turbo. Then again, being well versed in poor decision making, I'd like an early 928. This one is currently the object of my desire:
http://www.carandclassic.co.uk/car/C250490
Manual gearbox, pascha trim and tatty enough to use as everyday transport. What could possibly go wrong?
The 928 or 944 Turbo would make for an interesting change in a year or two I think. Meanwhile, my heart tells me I need an impact bumper 911 when I get to 25, although I'll have to tread carefully, as technically, it might not be the best option. This may not matter too much though, as I could keep it forever, making gradual changes to it over the years before it culminates in a self indulged short on Vimeo.
V-Spec – There was a table spoon shortage so I was able to leave the kitchen to ask if she knew if where any more table spoons could be found. I returned to the kitchen to wash more dishes, unsuccessful on all fronts.
Chunkychucky – Yes it's great fun if you work the gearbox to make sure you're where the modest power is. An Audi 5000 throttle body is a popular mod, the second butterfly is bigger and opens sooner.
Baryonyx – The seat material isn't my first choice either. The rear seats are not so faded and look better in the original black with white pin striping. When I bought the car they reeked of 80's Porsche man, I've still got a magic tree under the passenger seat.
Bob1179 – Thanks for the info, I would show my whole cassette collection but I've since met some people on here in real life and they might not understand that not all of them are a serious addition.
CaptainSensib1e – Thanks! I did a lot for the student paper but mostly take photographs of cars, there's a link on my profile.
Evo – It's quite a start, I suppose the only way from here is another old Porsche, or multiples of!
Andrewturner – My car has only broken down a couple of times and an obvious fault has been the cause. My windows can also be compared to the movement of a tectonic plate, and that's before you try and use them both at once! I believe the heater is meant to be stuck on, so it doesn't get too fumy in the cabin. I can adjust the temperature on the slider and the blower fan is either off, squeaky or whirlwind.
mig25_foxbat2003 – Another 924 owner impressed me with their immobiliser, but I don't feel the need to retrofit one since there's a sticker on the windscreen which says “Garmin GPS”. I haven't found it yet. I'm open to more obsolete accessory ideas, Hella fog lights are surprisingly expensive!
I'm off to the Autumn Classic at Prescott next weekend but that's it for car things I've got lined up for now, I'll be sure to post little updates and answer any questions over time.
Just so this isn't a wall of text.
Car - 0
Birds - At least 26
I went to my first Pistonheads meeting on Sunday, sadly the weather was typically Welsh and I don't have any photographs to show, although there was a great diversity of cars & people!
I did plan to have the new wheels on in May, but insurance made a fuss and it didn't seem wise to spend any spare funds on tyres. And, after wrestling with the mirrors, I took at look at myself and realised I don't have the patience to refurbish them myself! They're sat on the top of my wardrobe and I will have them done next year. It's a shame that my recent electrical problem could be a set of shiny wheels, but I'd rather be driving around on the standard ones than see it parked up with nice wheels.
Jimbo65 - I know the 944 is the next logical step, however I love the square dash style of the 924 and early 944, and an early 944 wouldn't offer much extra in the way of performance. On the other hand, I could overlook this issue if it was a 944 turbo. Then again, being well versed in poor decision making, I'd like an early 928. This one is currently the object of my desire:
http://www.carandclassic.co.uk/car/C250490
Manual gearbox, pascha trim and tatty enough to use as everyday transport. What could possibly go wrong?
The 928 or 944 Turbo would make for an interesting change in a year or two I think. Meanwhile, my heart tells me I need an impact bumper 911 when I get to 25, although I'll have to tread carefully, as technically, it might not be the best option. This may not matter too much though, as I could keep it forever, making gradual changes to it over the years before it culminates in a self indulged short on Vimeo.
V-Spec – There was a table spoon shortage so I was able to leave the kitchen to ask if she knew if where any more table spoons could be found. I returned to the kitchen to wash more dishes, unsuccessful on all fronts.
Chunkychucky – Yes it's great fun if you work the gearbox to make sure you're where the modest power is. An Audi 5000 throttle body is a popular mod, the second butterfly is bigger and opens sooner.
Baryonyx – The seat material isn't my first choice either. The rear seats are not so faded and look better in the original black with white pin striping. When I bought the car they reeked of 80's Porsche man, I've still got a magic tree under the passenger seat.
Bob1179 – Thanks for the info, I would show my whole cassette collection but I've since met some people on here in real life and they might not understand that not all of them are a serious addition.
CaptainSensib1e – Thanks! I did a lot for the student paper but mostly take photographs of cars, there's a link on my profile.
Evo – It's quite a start, I suppose the only way from here is another old Porsche, or multiples of!
Andrewturner – My car has only broken down a couple of times and an obvious fault has been the cause. My windows can also be compared to the movement of a tectonic plate, and that's before you try and use them both at once! I believe the heater is meant to be stuck on, so it doesn't get too fumy in the cabin. I can adjust the temperature on the slider and the blower fan is either off, squeaky or whirlwind.
mig25_foxbat2003 – Another 924 owner impressed me with their immobiliser, but I don't feel the need to retrofit one since there's a sticker on the windscreen which says “Garmin GPS”. I haven't found it yet. I'm open to more obsolete accessory ideas, Hella fog lights are surprisingly expensive!
I'm off to the Autumn Classic at Prescott next weekend but that's it for car things I've got lined up for now, I'll be sure to post little updates and answer any questions over time.
Just so this isn't a wall of text.
Car - 0
Birds - At least 26
Well it's time for an update, which can only mean there has been a small drama in my motoring world!
I was working on a project at a Cement Works, which has mountainous speed bumps designed for trucks. Needless to say, my back box lost. For a whole week my car was out of action, I never anticipated how much I'd miss it! And with it being half term, I was stuck in work all week, washing a frankly obscene amount of dishes. All was not lost however, as the lovely waitress was in all week too. We shared every lunch break, she taught me how to make fancy coffee in a very hands on way and clearly wanted to walk home with me, but alas, I was down for another hour. And yet, after all this, she has a boyfriend. I was like “what?” All is not lost however, although it did very much seem so in that moment, as I went to the cinema to see Drive. It has been very influential. Normally an aloof prog-rock man, harmonising (possibly not as well as I think) with Barclay James Harvest in the car, I've found myself listening to exclusively to French electro, quite loud, with a je ne sais quoi attitude. I wonder if I should become a less hipster Ryan Gosling? At least with this weeks revelation, I'm exuding a quiet intensity.And stomping peoples heads in.
Here's a photograph of the new exhaust:
I was tempted by the Dansk stainless steel offering, but was unsure if this would mean talking to my insurance company so they could laugh me off the phone. With my tax & MOT due this November, I opted for the cheapest, in this case, National Tyres, who charged £145 all in. It's a lot more burbly than the previous exhaust around town, something which I'll get used to, and the tailpipe is angled differently and so protrudes much lower. Perhaps the old exhaust was different, as this one has the correct part number.
A few weeks ago I went to a Retro Rides meet-up at Brean Sands, where a kind gentleman let me try his 944 S2 on the beach. It had PAS and a short shifter kit and was very tight in general. This almost tarnished the 924 for me, but it's all the little characterful quirks that I like so much about it. Decent examples of the 924 are dwindling in numbers and I've decided it's best to keep it for another year at least yet, especially having spent a fair amount on fixing it. A few other people at Brean Sands, who love modifying cars, uncharacteristically told me to keep it standard and look after it. I'm even thinking about parting with the Zender wheels and £500 on coilovers would go a long way on refreshing other parts instead... There's nothing wrong with it and I still enjoy it immensely, so I'll keep doing that for now!
I was working on a project at a Cement Works, which has mountainous speed bumps designed for trucks. Needless to say, my back box lost. For a whole week my car was out of action, I never anticipated how much I'd miss it! And with it being half term, I was stuck in work all week, washing a frankly obscene amount of dishes. All was not lost however, as the lovely waitress was in all week too. We shared every lunch break, she taught me how to make fancy coffee in a very hands on way and clearly wanted to walk home with me, but alas, I was down for another hour. And yet, after all this, she has a boyfriend. I was like “what?” All is not lost however, although it did very much seem so in that moment, as I went to the cinema to see Drive. It has been very influential. Normally an aloof prog-rock man, harmonising (possibly not as well as I think) with Barclay James Harvest in the car, I've found myself listening to exclusively to French electro, quite loud, with a je ne sais quoi attitude. I wonder if I should become a less hipster Ryan Gosling? At least with this weeks revelation, I'm exuding a quiet intensity.
Here's a photograph of the new exhaust:
I was tempted by the Dansk stainless steel offering, but was unsure if this would mean talking to my insurance company so they could laugh me off the phone. With my tax & MOT due this November, I opted for the cheapest, in this case, National Tyres, who charged £145 all in. It's a lot more burbly than the previous exhaust around town, something which I'll get used to, and the tailpipe is angled differently and so protrudes much lower. Perhaps the old exhaust was different, as this one has the correct part number.
A few weeks ago I went to a Retro Rides meet-up at Brean Sands, where a kind gentleman let me try his 944 S2 on the beach. It had PAS and a short shifter kit and was very tight in general. This almost tarnished the 924 for me, but it's all the little characterful quirks that I like so much about it. Decent examples of the 924 are dwindling in numbers and I've decided it's best to keep it for another year at least yet, especially having spent a fair amount on fixing it. A few other people at Brean Sands, who love modifying cars, uncharacteristically told me to keep it standard and look after it. I'm even thinking about parting with the Zender wheels and £500 on coilovers would go a long way on refreshing other parts instead... There's nothing wrong with it and I still enjoy it immensely, so I'll keep doing that for now!
This weekend I had my first MOT, which was an anxious and not absolutely successful affair!
Prior to the MOT I put a new windscreen washer pump, jets and piping in since the old one was almost useless. I was hoping this would be the only work required! Sadly, the car failed with ineffective brakes. I thought perhaps the handbrake was out of adjustment but it turns out one of the rear brake cylinders had seized. I thought my rear brakes were fairly robust, having had the drums & shoes replaced a few months ago. Fortunately, this was a cheap part with little labour required. The car had a few advisories too, a slightly leaky shock absorber and more seriously, a hole in the floor.
I suppose it could be worse for a car of this type, price & age, with MOT work costing just over £100 in the end. This week I'm driving to Bangor in North Wales for a job interview, which promises some scenic roads, and if I get the job, plenty of funds for car things! And if I get a driveway then insurance is laughably cheap for a 924/44.
Having just been through my growing stack of documents ready to renew my tax, I couldn't help but add everything up. Two weeks shy of owning the car for a year, it has cost £1213.77, then about that again for petrol, and a bit more again for insurance. The car was a mere £940 to buy. I guess that's what happens when you buy a 27 year old Porsche for less than a grand and proceed to use it everyday for 8000 miles. If I get this job, I'll probably change to a 944 in the spring rather than put more money in the 924 with the GAZ coilovers and some tyres on the Zender wheels. Nothing wrong with my 924 though, today anyway. Apart from those advisories.
V8Triumph – It's a love/hate relationship! How did the early 944 compare to 911SC's?
Fat Albert – It's a great feeling owning the car knowing it won't fall in price, perhaps it's even worth a four figure sum after I've spent so much on it!
Stuart-b – It's surprising how well it goes around corners, I do wonder if I took it somewhere like EMC motorsport and got some fancy suspension installed & set up what it would be like... A nice 968 is something I'd like in the future, the cheaper they get, the more they grow on me!
I think I'll drive the length of the A470 to get to Bangor for my interview and make some photographs on the way, I'm sure in those moments it'll be worth it!
Prior to the MOT I put a new windscreen washer pump, jets and piping in since the old one was almost useless. I was hoping this would be the only work required! Sadly, the car failed with ineffective brakes. I thought perhaps the handbrake was out of adjustment but it turns out one of the rear brake cylinders had seized. I thought my rear brakes were fairly robust, having had the drums & shoes replaced a few months ago. Fortunately, this was a cheap part with little labour required. The car had a few advisories too, a slightly leaky shock absorber and more seriously, a hole in the floor.
I suppose it could be worse for a car of this type, price & age, with MOT work costing just over £100 in the end. This week I'm driving to Bangor in North Wales for a job interview, which promises some scenic roads, and if I get the job, plenty of funds for car things! And if I get a driveway then insurance is laughably cheap for a 924/44.
Having just been through my growing stack of documents ready to renew my tax, I couldn't help but add everything up. Two weeks shy of owning the car for a year, it has cost £1213.77, then about that again for petrol, and a bit more again for insurance. The car was a mere £940 to buy. I guess that's what happens when you buy a 27 year old Porsche for less than a grand and proceed to use it everyday for 8000 miles. If I get this job, I'll probably change to a 944 in the spring rather than put more money in the 924 with the GAZ coilovers and some tyres on the Zender wheels. Nothing wrong with my 924 though, today anyway. Apart from those advisories.
V8Triumph – It's a love/hate relationship! How did the early 944 compare to 911SC's?
Fat Albert – It's a great feeling owning the car knowing it won't fall in price, perhaps it's even worth a four figure sum after I've spent so much on it!
Stuart-b – It's surprising how well it goes around corners, I do wonder if I took it somewhere like EMC motorsport and got some fancy suspension installed & set up what it would be like... A nice 968 is something I'd like in the future, the cheaper they get, the more they grow on me!
I think I'll drive the length of the A470 to get to Bangor for my interview and make some photographs on the way, I'm sure in those moments it'll be worth it!
Thanks, magazines sometimes ask me to make photographs for them, it would be nice to write for them too.
Yesterday I drove up almost the entire A470 to Bangor, it was raining, my tyres are awful and my buttocks were clenched to varying degrees. I couldn't find a Wilkinsons in Bangor so came to the conclusion it's not a dead end dump of a town. When I drove to my £29 Travelodge room, I wondered if I had instead driven to 1995 as I was greeted by a CRT television. Later I was able to live the dream by spinning said CRT screen around on the base, taking a shower with the door open and watching Frozen Planet at the same time.
My interview was at 9am and once it was over I started the drive back home. I had my Sat-Nav on so I could anticipate any tight corners and I remembered any more challenging sections from driving up. I did have one moment however: At one of the few temporary traffic lights for road works I opened a bottle of lemonade to have a quick drink whilst I waited. It had been rolling around the passenger footwell and so began to fizz everywhere as I unscrewed the lid. The lights then turned green. And I dropped the lid down the abyss next to the drivers seat. Panic set in, so I tried to hold the bottle upright between my legs. This worked for a few metres but I was still in first gear and people wearing high-vis gave me disapproving looks. Pressing the clutch in for second, the not particularly vice like grip of my upper thighs loosened. The lemonade bottle fell forwards and began to flow freely. I grabbed the bottle and downed it. I don't even like fizzy drinks that much. And then I needed a wee. I stopped at the next sign posted toilets, carrying my jacket in one arm, tactically holding it over my unfortunate wet patch. My ordeal wasn't over yet, there was a toilet attendant demanding 20p for me to go. Clumsily I moved my jacketed arm to find 20p in my pocket. The attendant's eyes widened, he uttered an apology and I got to pee for free!
Back on the road, for a while I flirted with a woman smoking nonchalantly as she drove a convertible Jaguar. I'm not sure if it was more like a racing game or a film. The 924 was wonderful though, hand on heart (certainly not head, or lemon scented crotch) I don't think there's many other cars that could be more fun for such a drive. It's small, light, nimble and predictable. Third gear pulls well from 40mph and 4th works nicely too. It starts to move at 2.5k rpm and comes alive at 4. It's great fun at modest speeds and with the windows down and roof open you can feel all those mechanical bits working around you. Infact, I think I'd like a well sorted 924S with some choice upgrades over a 944. My old car went 390 miles on £70 of fuel, which is respectable considering my enthusiasm. Not that it matters, since I'll claim my interview expenses back. Even if I don't get the job, I revelled in 400 miles of the open road!
Yesterday I drove up almost the entire A470 to Bangor, it was raining, my tyres are awful and my buttocks were clenched to varying degrees. I couldn't find a Wilkinsons in Bangor so came to the conclusion it's not a dead end dump of a town. When I drove to my £29 Travelodge room, I wondered if I had instead driven to 1995 as I was greeted by a CRT television. Later I was able to live the dream by spinning said CRT screen around on the base, taking a shower with the door open and watching Frozen Planet at the same time.
My interview was at 9am and once it was over I started the drive back home. I had my Sat-Nav on so I could anticipate any tight corners and I remembered any more challenging sections from driving up. I did have one moment however: At one of the few temporary traffic lights for road works I opened a bottle of lemonade to have a quick drink whilst I waited. It had been rolling around the passenger footwell and so began to fizz everywhere as I unscrewed the lid. The lights then turned green. And I dropped the lid down the abyss next to the drivers seat. Panic set in, so I tried to hold the bottle upright between my legs. This worked for a few metres but I was still in first gear and people wearing high-vis gave me disapproving looks. Pressing the clutch in for second, the not particularly vice like grip of my upper thighs loosened. The lemonade bottle fell forwards and began to flow freely. I grabbed the bottle and downed it. I don't even like fizzy drinks that much. And then I needed a wee. I stopped at the next sign posted toilets, carrying my jacket in one arm, tactically holding it over my unfortunate wet patch. My ordeal wasn't over yet, there was a toilet attendant demanding 20p for me to go. Clumsily I moved my jacketed arm to find 20p in my pocket. The attendant's eyes widened, he uttered an apology and I got to pee for free!
Back on the road, for a while I flirted with a woman smoking nonchalantly as she drove a convertible Jaguar. I'm not sure if it was more like a racing game or a film. The 924 was wonderful though, hand on heart (certainly not head, or lemon scented crotch) I don't think there's many other cars that could be more fun for such a drive. It's small, light, nimble and predictable. Third gear pulls well from 40mph and 4th works nicely too. It starts to move at 2.5k rpm and comes alive at 4. It's great fun at modest speeds and with the windows down and roof open you can feel all those mechanical bits working around you. Infact, I think I'd like a well sorted 924S with some choice upgrades over a 944. My old car went 390 miles on £70 of fuel, which is respectable considering my enthusiasm. Not that it matters, since I'll claim my interview expenses back. Even if I don't get the job, I revelled in 400 miles of the open road!
This time last year I was just returning home in my car for the first time!
I placed the dashboard cover I bought on the car to see how it looked. Having put some interior shine stuff on the cracked one, I can't get it to stick on. A year on I will actually get a new sunroof seal too, even if it costs £50. The leak has worsened and so I'm wasting time demisting and more importantly, upsetting passengers as water drips onto their heads. I had different issues today, having picked up someone who was desperate have a ride. We were driving through Cardiff with the roof out and the heating on when someone shouted “Look at that massive gay!” I'm not sure what gave that impression but it is one of the funnier things to have happened.
My cassette collection is ever expanding, I've been in the mood for Supertramp for the last few months unfortunately. REO Speedwagon is a fantastic antidote, on motorways I nonchalantly shout along to the lyrics I know, which is unashamedly all of them! Tomorrow I'm going to the South Wales Pistonheads meet, which will be a nice way to round off the first year.
And I do yearn for a Texas album, but that's not in keeping with the period so I couldn't pass it off as a joke.
I placed the dashboard cover I bought on the car to see how it looked. Having put some interior shine stuff on the cracked one, I can't get it to stick on. A year on I will actually get a new sunroof seal too, even if it costs £50. The leak has worsened and so I'm wasting time demisting and more importantly, upsetting passengers as water drips onto their heads. I had different issues today, having picked up someone who was desperate have a ride. We were driving through Cardiff with the roof out and the heating on when someone shouted “Look at that massive gay!” I'm not sure what gave that impression but it is one of the funnier things to have happened.
My cassette collection is ever expanding, I've been in the mood for Supertramp for the last few months unfortunately. REO Speedwagon is a fantastic antidote, on motorways I nonchalantly shout along to the lyrics I know, which is unashamedly all of them! Tomorrow I'm going to the South Wales Pistonheads meet, which will be a nice way to round off the first year.
And I do yearn for a Texas album, but that's not in keeping with the period so I couldn't pass it off as a joke.
Yesterday I made an impulse purchase on eBay before I'd even drunk all of my coffee. Next I was in the car, heading for Minehead in Somerset. Having finished my coffee first.
Someone had just listed some freshly refurbed wheels with new tyres, surplus after the mechanical side of their 924 turned out to be a disaster and they'd bought a 2.5S, which is 5 stud. My justification for driving 200 miles to get some wheels was flawless: They'd probably cost lots to post and I wanted to pick my nose listening to Fleetwood Mac in relative privacy.
I offered my tatty wheels with their horrendous, borderline legal tyres in part exchange and we struck a deal. I left the workshop with my old wheels the burden of someone else, 5 beautifully refurbished wheels, 5 new tyres, fancy valves, new bolts, everything balanced perfectly, etc etc and I was only £140 down!!!
Progressing along the A39 the difference in grip was immediately obvious, it's like driving a different car! Everything is so tight and sharp now, I can't believe I wasted a year on mismatched turd. Joining the motorway, I moved at serene pace. The car is even a joy on every road, with refinement to add to the comfy tombstone seats. Oh and the car looks very smart now, I'm feeling very car proud, with what's turning out to be a very tidy & well sorted 924!
Someone had just listed some freshly refurbed wheels with new tyres, surplus after the mechanical side of their 924 turned out to be a disaster and they'd bought a 2.5S, which is 5 stud. My justification for driving 200 miles to get some wheels was flawless: They'd probably cost lots to post and I wanted to pick my nose listening to Fleetwood Mac in relative privacy.
I offered my tatty wheels with their horrendous, borderline legal tyres in part exchange and we struck a deal. I left the workshop with my old wheels the burden of someone else, 5 beautifully refurbished wheels, 5 new tyres, fancy valves, new bolts, everything balanced perfectly, etc etc and I was only £140 down!!!
Progressing along the A39 the difference in grip was immediately obvious, it's like driving a different car! Everything is so tight and sharp now, I can't believe I wasted a year on mismatched turd. Joining the motorway, I moved at serene pace. The car is even a joy on every road, with refinement to add to the comfy tombstone seats. Oh and the car looks very smart now, I'm feeling very car proud, with what's turning out to be a very tidy & well sorted 924!
Time for a long overdue update!
My insurance came down as I was hoping, it's a touch over £800 with a sensible £150 excess and 10k miles including commuting. Not bad considering I just turned 22 and only have 1 year of driving under my belt.
I haven't done much to the car lately, instead I've been happy just knowing it's my dependable old whip! It's done a lot of miles recently as I've been all over the country for jobs & job interviews. I gave it a quick service and cruising at 70mph returns 38mpg! If I'm not making such a conscious effort to waft along I'm still easily in the 30's.
After one of the side indicators fell out, I splashed out on some original amber ones for £2. I gave it a good clean today too and then took some snaps since I had my gear in the car from a shoot earlier in the week. The shiny wheels make a huge difference to the overall appearance, just the tatty turbo bonnet lets it down but the NACA duct makes up for this short coming!
My insurance came down as I was hoping, it's a touch over £800 with a sensible £150 excess and 10k miles including commuting. Not bad considering I just turned 22 and only have 1 year of driving under my belt.
I haven't done much to the car lately, instead I've been happy just knowing it's my dependable old whip! It's done a lot of miles recently as I've been all over the country for jobs & job interviews. I gave it a quick service and cruising at 70mph returns 38mpg! If I'm not making such a conscious effort to waft along I'm still easily in the 30's.
After one of the side indicators fell out, I splashed out on some original amber ones for £2. I gave it a good clean today too and then took some snaps since I had my gear in the car from a shoot earlier in the week. The shiny wheels make a huge difference to the overall appearance, just the tatty turbo bonnet lets it down but the NACA duct makes up for this short coming!
Thanks all!
Meoricin - Nope, it wasn't for that
I've been talking a lot lately about how good my car has been to me, so the starter motor broke. I ended up taking it to the garage for them to sort out, a bit frustrating but nevermind.
With the weather being nice and mild my enthusiasm has been at an all time high and I've spent some afternoons sorting out the last few niggles. I painted the drums and cleaned the interior properly for the first time in ages. This month I've got about 1000 miles of driving to various events and meet-ups which I'm looking forward to. Then in April I'm doing a Euro trip for the first time, which is very exciting!
I did peruse the classifieds looking at cheap 944's again but the time, funds and effort I've put into my 924 over the last year are starting to show and that's a great feeling. And insurance dictates that I should stick with it!
I've got my eye on some beige sports seats too, which I think will contrast nicely with the rest of the interior. Dare I say a sunroof seal would actually finish it!
Maybe this will happen next year? Then again I could just refresh the suspension with OEM stuff, not that it needs it. Decent standard 924's seem to be thin on the ground so perhaps it's best to keep mine one of them?
Meoricin - Nope, it wasn't for that
I've been talking a lot lately about how good my car has been to me, so the starter motor broke. I ended up taking it to the garage for them to sort out, a bit frustrating but nevermind.
With the weather being nice and mild my enthusiasm has been at an all time high and I've spent some afternoons sorting out the last few niggles. I painted the drums and cleaned the interior properly for the first time in ages. This month I've got about 1000 miles of driving to various events and meet-ups which I'm looking forward to. Then in April I'm doing a Euro trip for the first time, which is very exciting!
I did peruse the classifieds looking at cheap 944's again but the time, funds and effort I've put into my 924 over the last year are starting to show and that's a great feeling. And insurance dictates that I should stick with it!
I've got my eye on some beige sports seats too, which I think will contrast nicely with the rest of the interior. Dare I say a sunroof seal would actually finish it!
Maybe this will happen next year? Then again I could just refresh the suspension with OEM stuff, not that it needs it. Decent standard 924's seem to be thin on the ground so perhaps it's best to keep mine one of them?
I don't mean to spam with constant updates, but here's another:
On Saturday I made the journey to the Ace Cafe in London for a Porsche 924 meeting. I'd never been to the Ace before and this seemed like the perfect excuse. I managed to arrive at the right time to be parked right in the middle out front, with my dirty daily! Altogether about 20 cars turned up, some of them in better condition than mine. This upset me until I realised mine does about triple the mileage of the other club cars and lives on the road. Anyway, there were cars and people of all ages making it worth the trip.
After the Ace Cafe I was back in surprisingly sunny South Wales and it was decided that my car should be “detailed.” Fortunately I have a friend with such things I can only dream of, like a hose and every product from the Autoglym catalogue. I didn't bring my camera, which was a shame as it would've been a good example of what 26 years of dirt looks like when you wash it off. We started with snowfoam, which made lots of crap seep off. Then it was time to don the wash mitts! Even at this point I'd never seen my car look so clean. Next up was this “Iron X” spray, which turned purple when it met contaminants in the paint. The results were hilarious and I feared my car would now stay purple. It took about 3 tries with the pressure washer to rinse it off and stop everything turning purple again! After that it was time for the clay, with every movement I ended up folding the clay in on itself since it got so dirty. Next up was a quick rinse and dry before the polish. Each step made a massive difference and the polish was no different. All the little scratches around the door handles and even the ones along the length of the car where I opted for a freshly cut hedge instead of a Land Cruiser just disappeared! Once the polish was buffed out I took the car home and borrowed some wax to finish it off, after resting my aching arms. This morning I awoke excited to see my car covered in beads of water! I never used to understand detailing but actually it was both therapeutic and satisfying. My car came out absolutely stunning too, it has never looked so good and I'm keen to keep up the finish to show off at the 35th anniversary of the UK launch of the 924 at the Porsche Experience centre next month at Silverstone. One niggle that came to my attention on the weekend is the play in my gear stick, so I'm looking to replace it. A short shift kit costs the same as OEM, so perhaps I'll go down that route, especially having used a 944 S2 with the short shift kit...
For the first time I'd say the car looks better in the metal than in the photographs. It's wonderful to find such a clean car under the dirt, just look how good my lower front valence is!
On Saturday I made the journey to the Ace Cafe in London for a Porsche 924 meeting. I'd never been to the Ace before and this seemed like the perfect excuse. I managed to arrive at the right time to be parked right in the middle out front, with my dirty daily! Altogether about 20 cars turned up, some of them in better condition than mine. This upset me until I realised mine does about triple the mileage of the other club cars and lives on the road. Anyway, there were cars and people of all ages making it worth the trip.
After the Ace Cafe I was back in surprisingly sunny South Wales and it was decided that my car should be “detailed.” Fortunately I have a friend with such things I can only dream of, like a hose and every product from the Autoglym catalogue. I didn't bring my camera, which was a shame as it would've been a good example of what 26 years of dirt looks like when you wash it off. We started with snowfoam, which made lots of crap seep off. Then it was time to don the wash mitts! Even at this point I'd never seen my car look so clean. Next up was this “Iron X” spray, which turned purple when it met contaminants in the paint. The results were hilarious and I feared my car would now stay purple. It took about 3 tries with the pressure washer to rinse it off and stop everything turning purple again! After that it was time for the clay, with every movement I ended up folding the clay in on itself since it got so dirty. Next up was a quick rinse and dry before the polish. Each step made a massive difference and the polish was no different. All the little scratches around the door handles and even the ones along the length of the car where I opted for a freshly cut hedge instead of a Land Cruiser just disappeared! Once the polish was buffed out I took the car home and borrowed some wax to finish it off, after resting my aching arms. This morning I awoke excited to see my car covered in beads of water! I never used to understand detailing but actually it was both therapeutic and satisfying. My car came out absolutely stunning too, it has never looked so good and I'm keen to keep up the finish to show off at the 35th anniversary of the UK launch of the 924 at the Porsche Experience centre next month at Silverstone. One niggle that came to my attention on the weekend is the play in my gear stick, so I'm looking to replace it. A short shift kit costs the same as OEM, so perhaps I'll go down that route, especially having used a 944 S2 with the short shift kit...
For the first time I'd say the car looks better in the metal than in the photographs. It's wonderful to find such a clean car under the dirt, just look how good my lower front valence is!
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?
Thanks everyone!
I had another little adventure this past weekend. My preparation was a bit lacking though and there's more chivalrous tales than photographs! Went out on Friday night, then tried to get up early. Didn't work. Used all my willpower at 10am instead.
First up was a tank of petrol:
Then onto Caldicot for the Castle Retro Show. It was a weekend event and I was only there for an hour or so thanks to my late start.
Onwards to England! First time I've used the old bridge, it's a bit crap.
A few hours later I was in London to meet up with some mates from Uni, Dutch girl included. I slept on couch. Awful experience. What with my limbs stemming from my torso, I didn't fit. At 6:30am my alarm awoke me, or rather told me just to stop trying to sleep, get up and battle the worst pins & needles ever. Sadly, an old Corsa parked rather close to me overnight and left some of itself behind on my car:
There's plenty of other marks and parking dents though, so I'm not too fussed. And it should buff out, right?
Next up was coffee. Coffee. Coffee. Infact, I didn't once stem the flow on Sunday. By 9am I was at Prodrive in Banbury. They were very friendly and I got to sit in lots of cars, making the appropriate engine noises in my head. A personal favourite was the Ferrari 550, which is undoubtedly better than the Aston. And I don't even like Ferrari's much.
I set up my camera bits too and made some photos of the other cars there, which were more shiny than mine!
After this, I went to Oxford to meet a German girl I knew at Uni, thus concluding my taste of Europe. It will go down as one of my greatest drives I'm sure, the A40 was empty heading back and I dodged the bridge by going the Ross-On-Wye way. Feeling a bit fatigued, my Def Leppard Hysteria casette came out for a bit of a cheeky sing along session. 480 miles later I arrived home at 12.
My road tax is due at the end of the month, so I think that concludes this months car activities. I haven't got anything planned for June at the moment but I'm sure I'll end up doing something!
I had another little adventure this past weekend. My preparation was a bit lacking though and there's more chivalrous tales than photographs! Went out on Friday night, then tried to get up early. Didn't work. Used all my willpower at 10am instead.
First up was a tank of petrol:
Then onto Caldicot for the Castle Retro Show. It was a weekend event and I was only there for an hour or so thanks to my late start.
Onwards to England! First time I've used the old bridge, it's a bit crap.
A few hours later I was in London to meet up with some mates from Uni, Dutch girl included. I slept on couch. Awful experience. What with my limbs stemming from my torso, I didn't fit. At 6:30am my alarm awoke me, or rather told me just to stop trying to sleep, get up and battle the worst pins & needles ever. Sadly, an old Corsa parked rather close to me overnight and left some of itself behind on my car:
There's plenty of other marks and parking dents though, so I'm not too fussed. And it should buff out, right?
Next up was coffee. Coffee. Coffee. Infact, I didn't once stem the flow on Sunday. By 9am I was at Prodrive in Banbury. They were very friendly and I got to sit in lots of cars, making the appropriate engine noises in my head. A personal favourite was the Ferrari 550, which is undoubtedly better than the Aston. And I don't even like Ferrari's much.
I set up my camera bits too and made some photos of the other cars there, which were more shiny than mine!
After this, I went to Oxford to meet a German girl I knew at Uni, thus concluding my taste of Europe. It will go down as one of my greatest drives I'm sure, the A40 was empty heading back and I dodged the bridge by going the Ross-On-Wye way. Feeling a bit fatigued, my Def Leppard Hysteria casette came out for a bit of a cheeky sing along session. 480 miles later I arrived home at 12.
My road tax is due at the end of the month, so I think that concludes this months car activities. I haven't got anything planned for June at the moment but I'm sure I'll end up doing something!
Thanks again everyone!
How is the 968 treating you Albert? I do quite fancy one of them with some big BBS LM's. Of course, I'd like a 944 Turbo as well! Admittedly, I have days when the grass appears greener on the side of an early 944 or a 924 Turbo, but I'm not ready to take that gamble yet. And there's the realisation that if I get rid of the 924, I'll feel a pang in my heart and spend all my time trying to find it again.
A few weeks ago something broke my light, which was frustrating since to my surprise, there aren't any 924's being broken nearby. Thankfully someone in the 924 Owners Club posted a replacement to me the next day, and I now owe them a cup of coffee! The assembly was held in place by 3 easily accessible screws and took minutes to change. I lauded this over my Dad, who has recently purchased a Renault Megane only for a bulb to blow.
Excuse the terrible exposure.
Roll on more trouble free motoring and I was almost neglecting the car thanks to such familiarity. The British summer finally broke me however, and I ordered a new, genuine sunroof seal for £60. It's so plush I can hardly fit the roof panel in the aperture, but at last, the car doesn't leak! In the last few weeks it had worsened to the point I didn't want to take any passengers. Annoyingly, the terrible “respray” came off with the old sunroof seal. One day I'll get it properly painted.
I made two other frivolous purchases which I'd been holding off, a new gear gaiter and a fancy panel filter. My old gear gaitor was badly torn and just slumped around the bottom of the stick, leaving you to change gear with a handful of plastic. The new one was challenging to put on. My battle was worsened since the girl next door was stood outside on her phone and I made eye contact just as I got the leather over the stick. Most awkward moment of my life? Certainly.
Fortunately, a panel filter is less phallic and I was spared any embarrassment. I copied a few other 924 owners and racers by removing the snout that comes out of the airbox. This has made a huge difference to the car, previously I'd describe it as fussy over 5k rpm but now it builds smoothly to the red line, a place I'd never been before. Oh and there's the noise, which continues to amuse me as others pass judgement. It's not that inline 4 farty noise either, quite how I'm not sure! I've driven with the most enthusiasm ever this past week, on fairly short journeys, yet still I get 32mpg. Even if I break it, someone from the 924 owners club will probably arrive with a spare engine and swap it over for me in exchange for tea & biscuits!
The car still comes up nicely after a quick clean, most of the flaws in the paint indistinguishable until I point them out.
The car will be returning to GT duties shortly, with a trip to Cornwall at the end of the month. And Silverstone a few days after that. Then come August, it shall take me to Edinburgh Fringe. Some friends are putting on a show and are keen for me to come, I feel guilty that the lure of driving and cycling is stronger than that of musicals. Has anyone got some good routes to Edinburgh from Cardiff? I was thinking I'll probably go up the A470 to start with.
Finally, I need a small amount of persuasion to purchase a complete Pascha interior in excellent condition to replace mine, the black & white should go with the rest of the car and be wonderfully 80's. If anyone wants my brown pinstripe tombstone seats that'll further convince me...
How is the 968 treating you Albert? I do quite fancy one of them with some big BBS LM's. Of course, I'd like a 944 Turbo as well! Admittedly, I have days when the grass appears greener on the side of an early 944 or a 924 Turbo, but I'm not ready to take that gamble yet. And there's the realisation that if I get rid of the 924, I'll feel a pang in my heart and spend all my time trying to find it again.
A few weeks ago something broke my light, which was frustrating since to my surprise, there aren't any 924's being broken nearby. Thankfully someone in the 924 Owners Club posted a replacement to me the next day, and I now owe them a cup of coffee! The assembly was held in place by 3 easily accessible screws and took minutes to change. I lauded this over my Dad, who has recently purchased a Renault Megane only for a bulb to blow.
Excuse the terrible exposure.
Roll on more trouble free motoring and I was almost neglecting the car thanks to such familiarity. The British summer finally broke me however, and I ordered a new, genuine sunroof seal for £60. It's so plush I can hardly fit the roof panel in the aperture, but at last, the car doesn't leak! In the last few weeks it had worsened to the point I didn't want to take any passengers. Annoyingly, the terrible “respray” came off with the old sunroof seal. One day I'll get it properly painted.
I made two other frivolous purchases which I'd been holding off, a new gear gaiter and a fancy panel filter. My old gear gaitor was badly torn and just slumped around the bottom of the stick, leaving you to change gear with a handful of plastic. The new one was challenging to put on. My battle was worsened since the girl next door was stood outside on her phone and I made eye contact just as I got the leather over the stick. Most awkward moment of my life? Certainly.
Fortunately, a panel filter is less phallic and I was spared any embarrassment. I copied a few other 924 owners and racers by removing the snout that comes out of the airbox. This has made a huge difference to the car, previously I'd describe it as fussy over 5k rpm but now it builds smoothly to the red line, a place I'd never been before. Oh and there's the noise, which continues to amuse me as others pass judgement. It's not that inline 4 farty noise either, quite how I'm not sure! I've driven with the most enthusiasm ever this past week, on fairly short journeys, yet still I get 32mpg. Even if I break it, someone from the 924 owners club will probably arrive with a spare engine and swap it over for me in exchange for tea & biscuits!
The car still comes up nicely after a quick clean, most of the flaws in the paint indistinguishable until I point them out.
The car will be returning to GT duties shortly, with a trip to Cornwall at the end of the month. And Silverstone a few days after that. Then come August, it shall take me to Edinburgh Fringe. Some friends are putting on a show and are keen for me to come, I feel guilty that the lure of driving and cycling is stronger than that of musicals. Has anyone got some good routes to Edinburgh from Cardiff? I was thinking I'll probably go up the A470 to start with.
Finally, I need a small amount of persuasion to purchase a complete Pascha interior in excellent condition to replace mine, the black & white should go with the rest of the car and be wonderfully 80's. If anyone wants my brown pinstripe tombstone seats that'll further convince me...
I was browsing eBay in the build up to the GP today when I saw an early 924 being broken just up the road from me. Moments later, I was driving over, with an open mind. Came away with a bargain set of seats, 1/3rd the price I was going to pay for the pascha. They came out of a 45k miles car, which I can believe, as they're mint and the foam is so plush! Aside from looking great, it's made a difference to driving too, as the bolters put up some resistance and the rest of the seat is supportive. I also picked up a set of rear hatch struts, so now my hatch stays open! With the wonderful weather, I popped to B&Q to get some paint for my rusty wiper arms too. Another satisfying day of 924 ownership for me, in fact, I've been out in the evening to put £15 petrol in 3 times in a row, just because.
Just put the whole interior into the boot, as you do with a small sportscar.
I found £4.68 in total.
Just the dash lets it down now, something which never used to bother me.
It's hard to appreciate the fabric in the photographs, but it looks very smart with my black & white colour scheme. Finding a rare, early set of seats in perfect condition and fitting it to my daily used, last of the line 2 litre cars before anyone else in the 924 club got their hands on them gives me a twisted thrill.
Just put the whole interior into the boot, as you do with a small sportscar.
I found £4.68 in total.
Just the dash lets it down now, something which never used to bother me.
It's hard to appreciate the fabric in the photographs, but it looks very smart with my black & white colour scheme. Finding a rare, early set of seats in perfect condition and fitting it to my daily used, last of the line 2 litre cars before anyone else in the 924 club got their hands on them gives me a twisted thrill.
Thanks again all.
I paid less than £100 for all of the seats, the mounting brackets, rear hatch struts and a mint luggage cover. I left the door cards behind since they weren't cut for speakers or electric windows. If you take off the value of the other parts, it's about £50 for all the seats. I could sell them on and make some quick money but I'd rather they were in my car.
mohitos said:
Love the herringbone interior, and think it'll give you less of a headache than the pasha! Are you going to make us all sick and say how much you paid for it? Love this thread and it just shows how much fun can be had on a budget with the right attitude and approach to motoring.
I'd give the gear stick another go through - it just doesn't look right.
I'll have another go at the gear stick sometime, the creases shouldn't be there. The plastic part on the top has to be pryed out and is very, very tight and brittle.I'd give the gear stick another go through - it just doesn't look right.
I paid less than £100 for all of the seats, the mounting brackets, rear hatch struts and a mint luggage cover. I left the door cards behind since they weren't cut for speakers or electric windows. If you take off the value of the other parts, it's about £50 for all the seats. I could sell them on and make some quick money but I'd rather they were in my car.
Time for an update!
I sold my old front seats for £50 more than the whole new interior cost me! Result!
At the end of July, I made some photographs of my car with a fancy camera a friend had just bought:
And with a phone:
After that I turned up at Silverstone to see some 924's go around a track
I could do this to mine. Probably won't.
Then later in August, I took 10 days out of my casual part time job and got very tired. These are the places I'd visit, with all the bits on the contient travelled on my bicycle:
First up, the drive to North Wales, where I met with someone in Llandudno to photograph their Celica. There was a lot of holiday traffic on the way up, which is a shame, since it's a great drive.
The Celica had bike carbs and straight pipes. I knew the location I was going to use was a few feet away from the garage, but straight pipes man. So, we duly upset the whole town.
I then checked into my hotel in Llandudno a bit late and upset Mrs Fawlty. I skipped breakfast and headed over to Crewe, where I photographed a lovely 924S for the Owners club mag. It was lowered slightly, which made a huge difference.
That afternoon I drove over to Wigan and met Fil, who had “some” 924's. He'd borrowed garages from other people on the street long term and his vast collection of cars had become a centre of the community, it was fantastic. The man owned six 924's, covering most models, conditions, modifications etc. I loved it! Here's just one garage.
Oh a clutch. Ominous.
It was a nice evening to drive to Edinburgh, so I decided to take the scenic route. I ate this Twirl at Morecambe Bay.
Looking over the ravines in my dash. Scotland ahead!
I came over all Alan Partridge and was excited to stop at what is apparently the best service station in England. It was alright. I doubt it sees the same kind of traffic as competitors.
Scotland, at last!
The seats lie, the headlining tells the truth.
It was dark by the time I got to Edinburgh, however it was still a fun drive up, especially once the motorway finishes at the end. Arriving in the centre when the Fringe festival was in full flow was great too!
I was up there to hang out with some old friends and make some photographs of their show. They spent a year saving up to put on the show, rent a house etc and were having a great time. I got to share the living room, which was better than some hotels!
Peeking out the window at my faithful 924.
All packed & ready to drive back to Cardiff.
Quick fly count!
I clicked avoid motorways. The Sat-Nav took ages to plan a route.
Leaving Edinburgh.
Trouble!
In Carlisle, my clutch pedal went to the floor. I pulled over, lifted the bonnet & found the cable in perfect condition. I made a quick call to the AA whilst lots of sad thoughts went through my head. A Scottish patrol man called Thomas arrived. We realised the actual clutch pedal was broken, it snapped in two right at the top. At this point it was clear Thomas was not going to tow me to Cardiff and I was a mere 1.6 miles from the M6. We took the pedal to a Halfords Auto Centre, who welded it back together on the shop floor. It was a bit of a nightmare hooking the cable up again, but from phoning the AA to being on my way to the M6 took under 2 hours, not bad! Thomas then followed me up to the M6, dashing any hopes of the scenic route. I knew if I took to the A roads and my pedal snapped again, Thomas would be over in minutes to promptly smack me on the head with it. I put in quite a long stint of driving, from Carlisle to Cardiff with about 3 gear changes. There's not another car I'd rather take for something like that!
The next day I drove down to Dover with a friend (albeit in their Clio) and cycled onto the ferry:
The first night we made a bit of a miscalculation and our hotel was 86.2 miles away. Getting off the ferry at 5pm, we were in our hotel in Holland for 10:30pm. I saw this gorgeous Alfa Romeo on the way:
I revisited some of the places I'd driven through in April, only on my bike.
Some reasons to move out of Wales.
For the cyclists who might be reading, this is my Italian Stallion! I wish my car was as good in relative terms...
Then back on the ferry, sporting some impressive tan lines:
And finally, I was late to the Retro Rides Gathering at Prescott Hill Climb and couldn't possibly drink enough coffee. Which was all awful compared to that continental stuff anyway.
Next trip is this:
Dijon isn't THAT far from Geneva, which isn't THAT far from Turin. Any suggestions?
I sold my old front seats for £50 more than the whole new interior cost me! Result!
At the end of July, I made some photographs of my car with a fancy camera a friend had just bought:
And with a phone:
After that I turned up at Silverstone to see some 924's go around a track
I could do this to mine. Probably won't.
Then later in August, I took 10 days out of my casual part time job and got very tired. These are the places I'd visit, with all the bits on the contient travelled on my bicycle:
First up, the drive to North Wales, where I met with someone in Llandudno to photograph their Celica. There was a lot of holiday traffic on the way up, which is a shame, since it's a great drive.
The Celica had bike carbs and straight pipes. I knew the location I was going to use was a few feet away from the garage, but straight pipes man. So, we duly upset the whole town.
I then checked into my hotel in Llandudno a bit late and upset Mrs Fawlty. I skipped breakfast and headed over to Crewe, where I photographed a lovely 924S for the Owners club mag. It was lowered slightly, which made a huge difference.
That afternoon I drove over to Wigan and met Fil, who had “some” 924's. He'd borrowed garages from other people on the street long term and his vast collection of cars had become a centre of the community, it was fantastic. The man owned six 924's, covering most models, conditions, modifications etc. I loved it! Here's just one garage.
Oh a clutch. Ominous.
It was a nice evening to drive to Edinburgh, so I decided to take the scenic route. I ate this Twirl at Morecambe Bay.
Looking over the ravines in my dash. Scotland ahead!
I came over all Alan Partridge and was excited to stop at what is apparently the best service station in England. It was alright. I doubt it sees the same kind of traffic as competitors.
Scotland, at last!
The seats lie, the headlining tells the truth.
It was dark by the time I got to Edinburgh, however it was still a fun drive up, especially once the motorway finishes at the end. Arriving in the centre when the Fringe festival was in full flow was great too!
I was up there to hang out with some old friends and make some photographs of their show. They spent a year saving up to put on the show, rent a house etc and were having a great time. I got to share the living room, which was better than some hotels!
Peeking out the window at my faithful 924.
All packed & ready to drive back to Cardiff.
Quick fly count!
I clicked avoid motorways. The Sat-Nav took ages to plan a route.
Leaving Edinburgh.
Trouble!
In Carlisle, my clutch pedal went to the floor. I pulled over, lifted the bonnet & found the cable in perfect condition. I made a quick call to the AA whilst lots of sad thoughts went through my head. A Scottish patrol man called Thomas arrived. We realised the actual clutch pedal was broken, it snapped in two right at the top. At this point it was clear Thomas was not going to tow me to Cardiff and I was a mere 1.6 miles from the M6. We took the pedal to a Halfords Auto Centre, who welded it back together on the shop floor. It was a bit of a nightmare hooking the cable up again, but from phoning the AA to being on my way to the M6 took under 2 hours, not bad! Thomas then followed me up to the M6, dashing any hopes of the scenic route. I knew if I took to the A roads and my pedal snapped again, Thomas would be over in minutes to promptly smack me on the head with it. I put in quite a long stint of driving, from Carlisle to Cardiff with about 3 gear changes. There's not another car I'd rather take for something like that!
The next day I drove down to Dover with a friend (albeit in their Clio) and cycled onto the ferry:
The first night we made a bit of a miscalculation and our hotel was 86.2 miles away. Getting off the ferry at 5pm, we were in our hotel in Holland for 10:30pm. I saw this gorgeous Alfa Romeo on the way:
I revisited some of the places I'd driven through in April, only on my bike.
Some reasons to move out of Wales.
For the cyclists who might be reading, this is my Italian Stallion! I wish my car was as good in relative terms...
Then back on the ferry, sporting some impressive tan lines:
And finally, I was late to the Retro Rides Gathering at Prescott Hill Climb and couldn't possibly drink enough coffee. Which was all awful compared to that continental stuff anyway.
Next trip is this:
Dijon isn't THAT far from Geneva, which isn't THAT far from Turin. Any suggestions?
Thanks again all!
This weekend I got back from another trip and whilst I didn't have my 924 with me, it has reaffirmed my love for it once more.
A few weeks ago I was helping out a friend on a shoot when he mentioned he was shooting some fashion work in Turkey and I could come along if I paid for my flight and helped haul some gear around and drive the rental car for him. Of course, a week in Turkey for the cost of an Easyjet flight was too tempting!
Arriving in Anatalya late at night, we picked up the hire car. The mighty Fiat Albea 1.4. I then had to drive 2 1/2 hours on Turkish roads at night to Alanya, where we would be working. Immediately I realised this was quite a big ask and combined with the unfamiliarity of a LHD FWD car with assisted everything, it wasn't the most relaxing of journeys.
To summarise driving in Turkey: Green lights mean go, amber means go, go, go and red means coaches jump the lights at about 70mph on the hard shoulder. This is because there are no sliproads on main roads, but sets of seemingly optional traffic lights!
After a few days my confidence improved and it was decided the hire car should be thoroughly abused for the sake of it. We drove up a mountain on a gravel road and didn't get a puncture or anything! Another day I had to pick up a model from her hometown, drive to the locations and take her back, 10 hours of driving in total. This was the hardest day of driving ever, and it's great to be back in the UK where people drive on the correct side of the road and obey traffic laws!
We had a GoPro too for some onboard shots, which were then made into a silly Drive parody and promptly uploaded to Facebook before I even knew about it.
On the last day we did manage a well deserved puncture. A screw went through the tyre and it was completely flat, just a few hours before we had to drive to the airport! Luckily, we'd befriended the staff at a restaurant (we went every night to eat and drink and drink) and we used one as a fixer. He directed us to a garage who removed the tyre off the rim, fixed the puncture and put it back on the rim for 5 Turkish Lira. That's £1.72
The car culture was very different, all the cars were very average but there was some ingenious modifying going on. The language barrier was a problem at times but I'd love to go back!
And what does this have to do with my 924? Well, the whole time I was there, I was wishing it was too! After 28 hours of travel connections from Turkey, I had a quick nap and then went out for a drive. The car started as always, and I hunkered down into the tombstone seats, battled with the heavy steering, fumbled with the clutch and smelt the oil. In the last 18 months I've driven my 924 and a 944 S2. Coming out of the Fiat Albea, which was gutless and handled like a plate of jelly, I have a whole new apprecation for the handling of the 924. Then there's the visceral feeling of controlling all the mechanical parts, I wouldn't change it! Expect maybe for a 924 Turbo...
Tomorrow I'm leaving once more, this time for Dijon and the Trophées Historiques de Bourgogne. Whilst I'm down that way, I'm going to make the most of it and return via Switzerland, maybe check out the Porsche museum, pass through Luxembourg and then up through Belgium back to the ferry. By the time I return on Wednesday my 924 will have been in 10 countries this year! Then November is MOT & Tax time and December I'll have owned it for 2 years.
This weekend I got back from another trip and whilst I didn't have my 924 with me, it has reaffirmed my love for it once more.
A few weeks ago I was helping out a friend on a shoot when he mentioned he was shooting some fashion work in Turkey and I could come along if I paid for my flight and helped haul some gear around and drive the rental car for him. Of course, a week in Turkey for the cost of an Easyjet flight was too tempting!
Arriving in Anatalya late at night, we picked up the hire car. The mighty Fiat Albea 1.4. I then had to drive 2 1/2 hours on Turkish roads at night to Alanya, where we would be working. Immediately I realised this was quite a big ask and combined with the unfamiliarity of a LHD FWD car with assisted everything, it wasn't the most relaxing of journeys.
To summarise driving in Turkey: Green lights mean go, amber means go, go, go and red means coaches jump the lights at about 70mph on the hard shoulder. This is because there are no sliproads on main roads, but sets of seemingly optional traffic lights!
After a few days my confidence improved and it was decided the hire car should be thoroughly abused for the sake of it. We drove up a mountain on a gravel road and didn't get a puncture or anything! Another day I had to pick up a model from her hometown, drive to the locations and take her back, 10 hours of driving in total. This was the hardest day of driving ever, and it's great to be back in the UK where people drive on the correct side of the road and obey traffic laws!
We had a GoPro too for some onboard shots, which were then made into a silly Drive parody and promptly uploaded to Facebook before I even knew about it.
On the last day we did manage a well deserved puncture. A screw went through the tyre and it was completely flat, just a few hours before we had to drive to the airport! Luckily, we'd befriended the staff at a restaurant (we went every night to eat and drink and drink) and we used one as a fixer. He directed us to a garage who removed the tyre off the rim, fixed the puncture and put it back on the rim for 5 Turkish Lira. That's £1.72
The car culture was very different, all the cars were very average but there was some ingenious modifying going on. The language barrier was a problem at times but I'd love to go back!
And what does this have to do with my 924? Well, the whole time I was there, I was wishing it was too! After 28 hours of travel connections from Turkey, I had a quick nap and then went out for a drive. The car started as always, and I hunkered down into the tombstone seats, battled with the heavy steering, fumbled with the clutch and smelt the oil. In the last 18 months I've driven my 924 and a 944 S2. Coming out of the Fiat Albea, which was gutless and handled like a plate of jelly, I have a whole new apprecation for the handling of the 924. Then there's the visceral feeling of controlling all the mechanical parts, I wouldn't change it! Expect maybe for a 924 Turbo...
Tomorrow I'm leaving once more, this time for Dijon and the Trophées Historiques de Bourgogne. Whilst I'm down that way, I'm going to make the most of it and return via Switzerland, maybe check out the Porsche museum, pass through Luxembourg and then up through Belgium back to the ferry. By the time I return on Wednesday my 924 will have been in 10 countries this year! Then November is MOT & Tax time and December I'll have owned it for 2 years.
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