Porsche 924 Turbo S2 with Carrera GT parts
Discussion
After buying my 924 a few years ago at University, it got under my skin and I never thought I would sell it.
A few weeks ago, I was browsing the 924OC forum and saw something for sale that caught my eye and things began to fall into place.
Through my 924 I was introduced to the owners club, which has always been a fantastic help, although I am less active online these days. I met lots of great people and got into the wider transaxle Porsche thing as a whole and this is when the seeds were sown. Back at the start of 2013 I photographed a stunning 944 Turbo for Retro Cars/GT Porsche and the owner took me out for a drive afterwards. A month later I was in Sweden, driving a 924 Turbo on a frozen lake. That was it, I knew I was going to have a turbo at some point.
Landing my first proper job since University, I found myself with the funds to (hopefully) run a turbo. Initally I started buying parts for my NA; coilovers, engines, brakes and so on. However when this car came up for sale, I realised it was just what I wanted, complete, in front of me. Surprised to find the insurance was a mere £20 more, I put a deposit down...
For sometime I felt sad about selling my NA and wondered if I should rent a council garage to keep it in. However, realistically, it would just sit there and decay and so selling it for someone else to enjoy was the best option. I put it up for sale at a low price and a deposit was placed after a few hours. I simply couldn't keep it at my address since my girlfriend has a car and we've got a T25 camper, so there wasn't the space for another one!
Moving onto the car itself, it's based on a 1981 924 Turbo S2. It is now a convincing Carrera GT replica. The respray is thorough, with only a few traces of the original green colour on the chassis legs by the engine. Mechanically, it is very similar to a real Carrera GT.
The specification includes:
Staggered 16” Fuchs wheels
Carbon fibre front arches
Genuine Carrera GT rear bumper (Much deeper than others)
Genuine Carrera GT spec Langerer & Reich intercooler
Adjustable Koni shocks
Aside from a set of forged pistons, there's really very little between my replica and a genuine version. The S2 runs about .65 bar boost, but with the intercooler, I should be able to turn up the wick if I so desire. Previous rolling roads suggest a poorly fitted intercooler is good for around 25bhp and so the car should be putting out about 200bhp. Coming from a 125bhp NA this is a fair whack more! 0-60 is around 6 seconds and top speed 150ish. Not bad for a car from 1981! Consider a 944 Turbo weighs more, has .5 litre more capacity and pushes out only another 20bhp.
As anyone who has driven a 924 knows, steering feel and handling are the true joys of the cars, but they cannot be quantified so easily. The extra power should be fun though, especially in that 80's turbo style. To me, the Carrera GT line is the holy grail of the transaxle cars, you can keep your 968 club sports, I'll take the undiluted beginnings.
I will be using the car as a daily driver, although I'm a keen cyclist and so will probably cycle to work mostly! Still, expect to see it at the top end of a supermarket car park soon.
This year I plan to iron out any issues that rear their head and if it behaves then perhaps a trip to Spa 6 hour historic is on the cards. I'm being realistic, it is a 33 year old turbocharged Porsche which has been modified by a man in a shed somewhere, so it's not all going to be plain sailing.
Although a replica, I think it has enough DNA from the real thing to be worthy in its own right and the quality of work is very high. Likewise, if I was to use a real CGT daily, would I enjoy it so much? Fears of piling on miles, little scratches and having to wait a long time for parts or compromise originality would be at the forefront of my mind. With this car I can enjoy it for what it is.
I look forward to collecting it on Tuesday evening!
A few weeks ago, I was browsing the 924OC forum and saw something for sale that caught my eye and things began to fall into place.
Through my 924 I was introduced to the owners club, which has always been a fantastic help, although I am less active online these days. I met lots of great people and got into the wider transaxle Porsche thing as a whole and this is when the seeds were sown. Back at the start of 2013 I photographed a stunning 944 Turbo for Retro Cars/GT Porsche and the owner took me out for a drive afterwards. A month later I was in Sweden, driving a 924 Turbo on a frozen lake. That was it, I knew I was going to have a turbo at some point.
Landing my first proper job since University, I found myself with the funds to (hopefully) run a turbo. Initally I started buying parts for my NA; coilovers, engines, brakes and so on. However when this car came up for sale, I realised it was just what I wanted, complete, in front of me. Surprised to find the insurance was a mere £20 more, I put a deposit down...
For sometime I felt sad about selling my NA and wondered if I should rent a council garage to keep it in. However, realistically, it would just sit there and decay and so selling it for someone else to enjoy was the best option. I put it up for sale at a low price and a deposit was placed after a few hours. I simply couldn't keep it at my address since my girlfriend has a car and we've got a T25 camper, so there wasn't the space for another one!
Moving onto the car itself, it's based on a 1981 924 Turbo S2. It is now a convincing Carrera GT replica. The respray is thorough, with only a few traces of the original green colour on the chassis legs by the engine. Mechanically, it is very similar to a real Carrera GT.
The specification includes:
Staggered 16” Fuchs wheels
Carbon fibre front arches
Genuine Carrera GT rear bumper (Much deeper than others)
Genuine Carrera GT spec Langerer & Reich intercooler
Adjustable Koni shocks
Aside from a set of forged pistons, there's really very little between my replica and a genuine version. The S2 runs about .65 bar boost, but with the intercooler, I should be able to turn up the wick if I so desire. Previous rolling roads suggest a poorly fitted intercooler is good for around 25bhp and so the car should be putting out about 200bhp. Coming from a 125bhp NA this is a fair whack more! 0-60 is around 6 seconds and top speed 150ish. Not bad for a car from 1981! Consider a 944 Turbo weighs more, has .5 litre more capacity and pushes out only another 20bhp.
As anyone who has driven a 924 knows, steering feel and handling are the true joys of the cars, but they cannot be quantified so easily. The extra power should be fun though, especially in that 80's turbo style. To me, the Carrera GT line is the holy grail of the transaxle cars, you can keep your 968 club sports, I'll take the undiluted beginnings.
I will be using the car as a daily driver, although I'm a keen cyclist and so will probably cycle to work mostly! Still, expect to see it at the top end of a supermarket car park soon.
This year I plan to iron out any issues that rear their head and if it behaves then perhaps a trip to Spa 6 hour historic is on the cards. I'm being realistic, it is a 33 year old turbocharged Porsche which has been modified by a man in a shed somewhere, so it's not all going to be plain sailing.
Although a replica, I think it has enough DNA from the real thing to be worthy in its own right and the quality of work is very high. Likewise, if I was to use a real CGT daily, would I enjoy it so much? Fears of piling on miles, little scratches and having to wait a long time for parts or compromise originality would be at the forefront of my mind. With this car I can enjoy it for what it is.
I look forward to collecting it on Tuesday evening!
Thanks all! If ever I sell it, I'll let you know.
It was built by someone called Jon/CrowMagnum. It was well known in the 924 club. Here it is in 2007:
And a few years ago:
And here's a bit more info on the Carrera GT line:
http://924gt.com/
It was built by someone called Jon/CrowMagnum. It was well known in the 924 club. Here it is in 2007:
And a few years ago:
And here's a bit more info on the Carrera GT line:
http://924gt.com/
Hey Mike,
That's neat, were you in the Seat?
Thanks all for the comments.
Leins - I agree about the prices. The seller of the replica just snapped up the Carrera GTS that Freisinger had and I think it must be a bargain. I even managed to sell my NA for 150% of what I paid after 3 1/2 years and about 35k miles extra on the clock.
The drive home was stunning. It was a bright summers evening, from West Wales to South Wales. The car is a different animal to my last one. I'm still finding my way around the dogleg gearbox but 2nd to 3rd is a cinch. The turbo starts spooling up at 2k rpm and is on full boost around 3k rpm. It's not as laggy as the S1 turbo I have driven. The first time I took it up to 5k rpm in 2nd gear was fantastic! The ride is nice too, compliant on the bumps but not crashy. It feels an altogether well assembled car. Surprisingly refined with the windows closed too.
There's a few niggles to sort out at the moment, one of the sunvisor clips snapped and the Corbeau bucket seats are far from comfy. Having the headlights on also pulls a lot of volts and it seems the alternator doesn't pick them up again. Hopefully it's just a dodgy earth. Either way, it's all typical 924 stuff.
I'll have to get clued up on car cleaning too, I want to keep the black paint shiny but it's covered in bugs at the moment. I don't have a hose pipe, is Morrisons pressure washer the best bet? Or any other tips?
Still can't believe it's sat outside on the drive! I'll make some photos of it this evening.
That's neat, were you in the Seat?
Thanks all for the comments.
Leins - I agree about the prices. The seller of the replica just snapped up the Carrera GTS that Freisinger had and I think it must be a bargain. I even managed to sell my NA for 150% of what I paid after 3 1/2 years and about 35k miles extra on the clock.
The drive home was stunning. It was a bright summers evening, from West Wales to South Wales. The car is a different animal to my last one. I'm still finding my way around the dogleg gearbox but 2nd to 3rd is a cinch. The turbo starts spooling up at 2k rpm and is on full boost around 3k rpm. It's not as laggy as the S1 turbo I have driven. The first time I took it up to 5k rpm in 2nd gear was fantastic! The ride is nice too, compliant on the bumps but not crashy. It feels an altogether well assembled car. Surprisingly refined with the windows closed too.
There's a few niggles to sort out at the moment, one of the sunvisor clips snapped and the Corbeau bucket seats are far from comfy. Having the headlights on also pulls a lot of volts and it seems the alternator doesn't pick them up again. Hopefully it's just a dodgy earth. Either way, it's all typical 924 stuff.
I'll have to get clued up on car cleaning too, I want to keep the black paint shiny but it's covered in bugs at the moment. I don't have a hose pipe, is Morrisons pressure washer the best bet? Or any other tips?
Still can't believe it's sat outside on the drive! I'll make some photos of it this evening.
Thanks for the kind offer Benjj, I'll drop you a PM.
Dropped into Porsche Cardiff this evening to see their new 924S project car. Took the parts manager for a spin and booked it in for a quick look over and to sort a few niggles.
I find myself peeping out the curtains at night to catch a glimpse in all its fly covered glory.
Dropped into Porsche Cardiff this evening to see their new 924S project car. Took the parts manager for a spin and booked it in for a quick look over and to sort a few niggles.
I find myself peeping out the curtains at night to catch a glimpse in all its fly covered glory.
I had to visit my sister up in Leeds this week and so this has taken my mileage to over 1000 in less than 7 days! Engine pulls very well and it's a great cruiser on the motorway.
I booked it in at OPC Cardiff for a full inspection just to see what I have and it was pretty good news. The car looks great underneath and the engine appears in good health. The only mechanical issue seems to be an oil leak where the gearbox meets the torque tube. This has the potential to be quite a big job but I'd rather the gearbox leak than the engine. Anyway, I've loved every mile I've put on it so far!
I booked it in at OPC Cardiff for a full inspection just to see what I have and it was pretty good news. The car looks great underneath and the engine appears in good health. The only mechanical issue seems to be an oil leak where the gearbox meets the torque tube. This has the potential to be quite a big job but I'd rather the gearbox leak than the engine. Anyway, I've loved every mile I've put on it so far!
I've been having troubles with the gearbox lately. 5th gear would pop out, then a few minutes later it was almost gone. There's a horrible rattle if I reverse and then dip the clutch.
Parked up, the car shifts nicely, and it doesn't grind gears on the move either, so I doubt it's synchros. Linkage would be another possible culprit but it's that sound of little pieces of metal floating around that leads me to believe the 5th gear dog ring is fatally wounded.
I still have the low miles 924 NA engine in a garage and managed to do a part exchange for this, a rebuilt G31 dogleg gearbox with paperwork to support. It's been sat under a work bench for a few years and was bought as a spare for a 924 Turbo rally car.
It came with gearbox mounts which look to be in excellent condition. It'll be going to OPC Cardiff early this week to be swapped over and I might as well have the linkage refreshed at the same time. My manual sports seats are at the trimmer getting a bolster repaired too. Hopefully next weekend I'll be mobile again!
Parked up, the car shifts nicely, and it doesn't grind gears on the move either, so I doubt it's synchros. Linkage would be another possible culprit but it's that sound of little pieces of metal floating around that leads me to believe the 5th gear dog ring is fatally wounded.
I still have the low miles 924 NA engine in a garage and managed to do a part exchange for this, a rebuilt G31 dogleg gearbox with paperwork to support. It's been sat under a work bench for a few years and was bought as a spare for a 924 Turbo rally car.
It came with gearbox mounts which look to be in excellent condition. It'll be going to OPC Cardiff early this week to be swapped over and I might as well have the linkage refreshed at the same time. My manual sports seats are at the trimmer getting a bolster repaired too. Hopefully next weekend I'll be mobile again!
Thanks all!
I just had an email from OPC Cardiff to say it'll be ready tomorrow after a final road test but was a bit of a challenge due to a bolt being seized in the rear axle carrier, your new gearbox required some fettling with the output flange threads requiring tapping out due to stripping and corrosion.
It's great fun to drive, the turbo lag only serves to make it feel faster when it does finally spool up, the dogleg box is rubbish around town but wonderful on the move and the handling is supreme.
Hoping to be at the Bristol Queen's Square meet this Sunday!
I just had an email from OPC Cardiff to say it'll be ready tomorrow after a final road test but was a bit of a challenge due to a bolt being seized in the rear axle carrier, your new gearbox required some fettling with the output flange threads requiring tapping out due to stripping and corrosion.
It's great fun to drive, the turbo lag only serves to make it feel faster when it does finally spool up, the dogleg box is rubbish around town but wonderful on the move and the handling is supreme.
Hoping to be at the Bristol Queen's Square meet this Sunday!
To build one I think you would need:
Base 924 Turbo in average condition: 2.5k
Wheels: 1k
Reproduction intercooler: 1k
Reproduction body panels: 600
So a little over 5k on parts, then you've got to fit the body panels (a nightmare apparently) and paint it.
Consider mine has some genuine body panels & well fitting carbon fibre wings plus a genuine intercooler. All the 924 Turbo bits are taken care off too with a rebuilt engine, turbo and new clutch in recent years. It's probably one of the most expensive bog standard 924's around :P
Picked it up today, came to 9 hours in the end, ouch!
The Technician apparently stayed on 2 1/2 hours late to see it finished and not have to sleep on it!
In the short journey home it was very, very quiet. Shifting is as sharp & precise as a new car, only with that proper mechanical feel, let's hope it stays that way!
Base 924 Turbo in average condition: 2.5k
Wheels: 1k
Reproduction intercooler: 1k
Reproduction body panels: 600
So a little over 5k on parts, then you've got to fit the body panels (a nightmare apparently) and paint it.
Consider mine has some genuine body panels & well fitting carbon fibre wings plus a genuine intercooler. All the 924 Turbo bits are taken care off too with a rebuilt engine, turbo and new clutch in recent years. It's probably one of the most expensive bog standard 924's around :P
Picked it up today, came to 9 hours in the end, ouch!
The Technician apparently stayed on 2 1/2 hours late to see it finished and not have to sleep on it!
In the short journey home it was very, very quiet. Shifting is as sharp & precise as a new car, only with that proper mechanical feel, let's hope it stays that way!
It's not fair to call this car a problem child, although I've picked it up after a few days away once more.
After the gearbox was fitted, a well meaning valeter pressure washed the bonnet. Paint was bubbling and sadly a bit came right off! Happily, the contracted valeters for OPC had insurance and the bonnet was resprayed. I felt like I came out of it well, the bonnet would've needed painting and due to this little accident I got a resprayed bonnet for a very small contribution. I don't mind paying towards it since it's come back a lot better than I initially left it!
So far during my ownership it has spent about half the time away at Porsche or without 5th gear but it hasn't bothered me in the slightest. I'm in for the long haul and will take the rough with the smooth. I didn't manage a road trip last year, but tickets for the Spa 6 hour historic have been purchased and in a month I'll be there!
Working shift and getting 2/7 weekends off means I have to make my own entertainment during the week whilst missing out on most other meetings, so it's going to JMG Porsche on Wednesday to flirt with boost pressures and have a good tune-up & check over ahead of Spa.
In a rare weekend off, I'm looking forward to heading up to Oulton Park to support a friend in the 924 championship and then indulging modified cars at Retro Rides on the Sunday.
Some long over due photographs of this evenings enjoyment:
After the gearbox was fitted, a well meaning valeter pressure washed the bonnet. Paint was bubbling and sadly a bit came right off! Happily, the contracted valeters for OPC had insurance and the bonnet was resprayed. I felt like I came out of it well, the bonnet would've needed painting and due to this little accident I got a resprayed bonnet for a very small contribution. I don't mind paying towards it since it's come back a lot better than I initially left it!
So far during my ownership it has spent about half the time away at Porsche or without 5th gear but it hasn't bothered me in the slightest. I'm in for the long haul and will take the rough with the smooth. I didn't manage a road trip last year, but tickets for the Spa 6 hour historic have been purchased and in a month I'll be there!
Working shift and getting 2/7 weekends off means I have to make my own entertainment during the week whilst missing out on most other meetings, so it's going to JMG Porsche on Wednesday to flirt with boost pressures and have a good tune-up & check over ahead of Spa.
In a rare weekend off, I'm looking forward to heading up to Oulton Park to support a friend in the 924 championship and then indulging modified cars at Retro Rides on the Sunday.
Some long over due photographs of this evenings enjoyment:
It failed the day before I was due to sail, so I took it down to OPC Cardiff and borrowed a Renault Megane diesel for the trip. Better that way I suppose.
JMG suspected the HG, flushed the coolant and told me to keep an eye on it. It was driving fine but then started missing at idle a couple of days later and that was that!
The 924OC are fantastic as ever and very generous with help and spares. I've now got another head waiting if I need it and have been offered a 937/Carrera GT ignition DITC, which I'll have to get! It should make the most of the intercooler and I do like a rare part!
Some parts are a little harder to find than I was expecting, cylinder head dowels, exhaust manifold studs & lockrings are all NLA from Porsche. Even getting a spare head could've been troublesome, there's only about 60 924 Turbos on the road, and consider this includes S1, S2 and CGT variants. With this leaving only a handful of each, I imagine it's better now to put one on the road than break it with such a small market.
JMG suspected the HG, flushed the coolant and told me to keep an eye on it. It was driving fine but then started missing at idle a couple of days later and that was that!
The 924OC are fantastic as ever and very generous with help and spares. I've now got another head waiting if I need it and have been offered a 937/Carrera GT ignition DITC, which I'll have to get! It should make the most of the intercooler and I do like a rare part!
Some parts are a little harder to find than I was expecting, cylinder head dowels, exhaust manifold studs & lockrings are all NLA from Porsche. Even getting a spare head could've been troublesome, there's only about 60 924 Turbos on the road, and consider this includes S1, S2 and CGT variants. With this leaving only a handful of each, I imagine it's better now to put one on the road than break it with such a small market.
The head is back, was hoping to have the car back by the end of the week but it'll definitely be ready to drive to the NEC!
Hoping I'll be able to drive it without any issues then, a gearbox & headgasket has been a baptism of fire with ownership so far! Contemplating swapping for a 968, thoughts?
Hoping I'll be able to drive it without any issues then, a gearbox & headgasket has been a baptism of fire with ownership so far! Contemplating swapping for a 968, thoughts?
Collected it yesterday!
Went for a quick and almost literal spin when I came to pick it up!
Lots of work done to it. Very slightly skimmed head, new valve guides, cylinder head gaskets, the works on the head basically. I got a Carrera GT DITC module from someone in the 924 club and that's fitted too. There's probably more Carrera GT in this than a real one that has been modified! It was a bit of a challenge for OPC, but it's not everyday they see a 924 Turbo for major work.
It drives nicely on/off boost and the transition between the two is smoother. It could be down to the engine work or the Carrera GT DITC it's now sporting. It's a fast car and handles wonderfully, it's fantastic to be back in a 924. Yesterday in the rain it spun the back wheels up in 3rd gear accelerating up a slip road, oops! Being without it for a couple of months and climbing back in makes me appreciate all those silly old car things again. You know, crap heater, useless headlights etc
Hoping it goes for a while before any issues, it'd be nice to trust it enough for a euro road trip next year and a couple of track days.
MOT in 3 weeks now...
Went for a quick and almost literal spin when I came to pick it up!
Lots of work done to it. Very slightly skimmed head, new valve guides, cylinder head gaskets, the works on the head basically. I got a Carrera GT DITC module from someone in the 924 club and that's fitted too. There's probably more Carrera GT in this than a real one that has been modified! It was a bit of a challenge for OPC, but it's not everyday they see a 924 Turbo for major work.
It drives nicely on/off boost and the transition between the two is smoother. It could be down to the engine work or the Carrera GT DITC it's now sporting. It's a fast car and handles wonderfully, it's fantastic to be back in a 924. Yesterday in the rain it spun the back wheels up in 3rd gear accelerating up a slip road, oops! Being without it for a couple of months and climbing back in makes me appreciate all those silly old car things again. You know, crap heater, useless headlights etc
Hoping it goes for a while before any issues, it'd be nice to trust it enough for a euro road trip next year and a couple of track days.
MOT in 3 weeks now...
Edited by FelixP on Saturday 22 November 19:49
Got through a tank of fuel now. What a difference! The CGT DITC apparently advances the timing off boost more, and it makes it a lot more drivable. There's still a big kick when the turbo comes in, but it's not flat off boost like it was before. Of course, a top end rebuild will be helping too.
It's a fast car now, 2nd gear in the damp sees the rear wheels spinning, if it's wet, change into 3rd and do it all again. In 5th gear on the motorway it's just starting to pull when you need to slow down. Speed isn't everything though, and there's plenty of whooshing sounds at low revs as you look over that bonnet scoop. Check the mirrors, see the arches. If you're lucky, change up and get a bang from the exhaust. Not too often to be annoying, but enough to entertain.
Swapped out the Corbeau seats for my manual sports seats, both comfier & more supportive. It's just fantastic to be back in a 924 again. I've been driving around the lanes like Walter Rohrl!
It's a fast car now, 2nd gear in the damp sees the rear wheels spinning, if it's wet, change into 3rd and do it all again. In 5th gear on the motorway it's just starting to pull when you need to slow down. Speed isn't everything though, and there's plenty of whooshing sounds at low revs as you look over that bonnet scoop. Check the mirrors, see the arches. If you're lucky, change up and get a bang from the exhaust. Not too often to be annoying, but enough to entertain.
Swapped out the Corbeau seats for my manual sports seats, both comfier & more supportive. It's just fantastic to be back in a 924 again. I've been driving around the lanes like Walter Rohrl!
Time for an update!
Radiator hose was indeed past it, replaced and now not using any coolant!
Took it for MOT at a local Indy and it went straight through after tweaking the handbrake & headlights. With an MOT friendly headlight cover after I lost the other one at speed.
Pinched this from our T25 camper. I built up a decent collection of tapes with my old NA and love how clunky the buttons are, so it must be fitted soon!
Found a set of black headlight covers, so the smiley face can join the spares pile. Also got a replacement dipstick as the rubber boot had split on mine and made it awkward to judge the oil level, since you could slide the dipstick down as far as you wanted!
Picked up a set of centre caps and some steel nuts to replace the factory aluminium ones that had seen too many windy guns.
Made it to the Ace Cafe for a 924 meet. I'd been looking forward to it for ages, having not been to many car things lately! As always it was nice to meet up with the 924 owners and get a decent breakfast at the Ace. It was a bit of a mojo boost too, with even Ricky Caeser impressed! On the way home I got stuck in stop/start traffic for 90 minutes, didn't overheat and then blasting home along the M4 I arrived with all my coolant! It's the first time I've been on a long motorway run after the work has been done, and it pulls very well at those speeds. Picked up a replacement door seal and a factory airbox with all the fittings for the price of a breakfast too, the generosity & helpfullness of the 924OC knows no bounds!
I gave the airbox a quick rub down and paint. I was surprised how expensive an OE filter is for it! Anyway, it really finishes off the engine bay nicely and is a lot more subdued than the K&N cone filter it replaces. I've cheated with the straps for now but a 924OC member is kindly making a set of metal ones with a rubber backing. I washed off the remnants of my coolant leaks too.
It's like the ship of Theseus:
Interior wise, I have a new door seal, what a difference that made! The old one was in two pieces and couldn't grip the door anymore. Now it's very refined inside. I sniped a mint condition arm rest for £20 on eBay and picked it up locally which was a result. I had a Momo wheel in my NA and liked how much stiffer & more taught it made the steering feel. I picked up a period Momo Racing Line wheel, which had a genuine Momo Porsche boss left on, all for £40! It's a little chunkier and more comfy than the 3 spoke, even if it's not to everyone's taste. I will have to get rid of that yellow horn button though! So an MOT and a few inexpensive changes that have made a real difference, happy motoring!
Should I do the Carrera script on the front wing though?
Radiator hose was indeed past it, replaced and now not using any coolant!
Took it for MOT at a local Indy and it went straight through after tweaking the handbrake & headlights. With an MOT friendly headlight cover after I lost the other one at speed.
Pinched this from our T25 camper. I built up a decent collection of tapes with my old NA and love how clunky the buttons are, so it must be fitted soon!
Found a set of black headlight covers, so the smiley face can join the spares pile. Also got a replacement dipstick as the rubber boot had split on mine and made it awkward to judge the oil level, since you could slide the dipstick down as far as you wanted!
Picked up a set of centre caps and some steel nuts to replace the factory aluminium ones that had seen too many windy guns.
Made it to the Ace Cafe for a 924 meet. I'd been looking forward to it for ages, having not been to many car things lately! As always it was nice to meet up with the 924 owners and get a decent breakfast at the Ace. It was a bit of a mojo boost too, with even Ricky Caeser impressed! On the way home I got stuck in stop/start traffic for 90 minutes, didn't overheat and then blasting home along the M4 I arrived with all my coolant! It's the first time I've been on a long motorway run after the work has been done, and it pulls very well at those speeds. Picked up a replacement door seal and a factory airbox with all the fittings for the price of a breakfast too, the generosity & helpfullness of the 924OC knows no bounds!
I gave the airbox a quick rub down and paint. I was surprised how expensive an OE filter is for it! Anyway, it really finishes off the engine bay nicely and is a lot more subdued than the K&N cone filter it replaces. I've cheated with the straps for now but a 924OC member is kindly making a set of metal ones with a rubber backing. I washed off the remnants of my coolant leaks too.
It's like the ship of Theseus:
Interior wise, I have a new door seal, what a difference that made! The old one was in two pieces and couldn't grip the door anymore. Now it's very refined inside. I sniped a mint condition arm rest for £20 on eBay and picked it up locally which was a result. I had a Momo wheel in my NA and liked how much stiffer & more taught it made the steering feel. I picked up a period Momo Racing Line wheel, which had a genuine Momo Porsche boss left on, all for £40! It's a little chunkier and more comfy than the 3 spoke, even if it's not to everyone's taste. I will have to get rid of that yellow horn button though! So an MOT and a few inexpensive changes that have made a real difference, happy motoring!
Should I do the Carrera script on the front wing though?
After much soul searching, I've realised this car just isn't me. I miss the days of blatting around in a simple NA, using it all the time and not polishing it very much.
I've bought a 1988 924S with the full fat 944 engine and so it's time for the turbo to go. I'm glad I had the opportunity to own it though! I'm asking £9k, which is what it owes me, that's about £40k off the price of a real one for the sake of a VIN number...
I've bought a 1988 924S with the full fat 944 engine and so it's time for the turbo to go. I'm glad I had the opportunity to own it though! I'm asking £9k, which is what it owes me, that's about £40k off the price of a real one for the sake of a VIN number...
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