Just bought a cheapo 924 off ebay...
Discussion
after umming and aahing about buying a good 944 or a cheap 928, i've bought a really cheap (1000euro) 924 off ebay on a whim 
I can always shift it on again if it's a dog (bloke round the corner appears to have wrecked his, maybe i'll just talk him into replacing it) but i've had a quick look at it and it seems pretty together
'81 with original plus turbo alloys, slightly lowered, 'sports' exhaust. bodywork pretty good, one little light scrape, panel fit ok
anything in particular i should look out for?
I can always shift it on again if it's a dog (bloke round the corner appears to have wrecked his, maybe i'll just talk him into replacing it) but i've had a quick look at it and it seems pretty together
'81 with original plus turbo alloys, slightly lowered, 'sports' exhaust. bodywork pretty good, one little light scrape, panel fit ok
anything in particular i should look out for?
i'm having my first drive of a 924s today as a loan car whilst the 968 is being mended. i'm quite surprised at how nippy and nimble it is. my one overriding impression however is "omigodwhathappenedtothebrakes?" followed by a small amount of soiling. Praps ive been spoiled - the 968 brakes are brilliant - but even so, drive carefully to begin with!
Shouldn't have turbo alloys, turbo's were 5 stud 924 2.0 N/A were 4 stud, they did do a turbo look wheel though.
Sports suspension is to taste, I never had any issues with my standard suspension tbh, and must say a 924 is probably the best handling car I've ever driven from a technical point of view, very very high cornering speed ability, and the negative roll radius steering is gorgeous!
Things to watch out fo:
Change the cambelt and tensioner when you get it, it takes 10 minutes and is easy to do.
Change the oil and filter using very good quality mineral / semi synth 10/40 oil.
924's are not heavy on brake pads, disks or tyres but check them all. N.B. changing rear shoes is a pig of a job as you need a special tool to get the big nut off the rear drums I advise you to check them a LOT of 924's are running with knackered shoes due to this!
Take off the air inlet trunking and clean the oil out of it (924's all spit oil back up the trunking) and do the same with the air box change air filter if required.
Have you got a problem with hot starts? If so its a common fault there are a couple of fixes ask if needed.
Check fusebox, if the screen leaks water it can run over fuse box corroding fuses and relays, and check operation of headlight motors, and the spotlights (these are driving lights and work with your headlights, they are not fogs) if the spots and or main beam aren't working properley or the relay is clicking like crazy or not clicking at all take it to audi, it costs half as much as from porsche and is the same part.
Basically just enjoy it, I think you've found the best starter porsche, you will get idiots take the mick out of you for it being a Vw etc, ignore them the 924 is a pretty car, and was designed by Porsche, let me know if you need any more info!
Sports suspension is to taste, I never had any issues with my standard suspension tbh, and must say a 924 is probably the best handling car I've ever driven from a technical point of view, very very high cornering speed ability, and the negative roll radius steering is gorgeous!
Things to watch out fo:
Change the cambelt and tensioner when you get it, it takes 10 minutes and is easy to do.
Change the oil and filter using very good quality mineral / semi synth 10/40 oil.
924's are not heavy on brake pads, disks or tyres but check them all. N.B. changing rear shoes is a pig of a job as you need a special tool to get the big nut off the rear drums I advise you to check them a LOT of 924's are running with knackered shoes due to this!
Take off the air inlet trunking and clean the oil out of it (924's all spit oil back up the trunking) and do the same with the air box change air filter if required.
Have you got a problem with hot starts? If so its a common fault there are a couple of fixes ask if needed.
Check fusebox, if the screen leaks water it can run over fuse box corroding fuses and relays, and check operation of headlight motors, and the spotlights (these are driving lights and work with your headlights, they are not fogs) if the spots and or main beam aren't working properley or the relay is clicking like crazy or not clicking at all take it to audi, it costs half as much as from porsche and is the same part.
Basically just enjoy it, I think you've found the best starter porsche, you will get idiots take the mick out of you for it being a Vw etc, ignore them the 924 is a pretty car, and was designed by Porsche, let me know if you need any more info!
i fancy that, do you need anything from germany as a swap? 
picked it up and registered it today, got a cool number D:MY924
topped it up with fuel and the car started to stink of fuel, i've read about this as a common problem, change the filler hoses, then when i stopped i noticed fuel dripping out, from somewhere high up on the left side of the transaxle (opposite the filler) by the time i got it back home i'd used a bit more fuel and it seems to have stopped leaking
lights and stuff work fine, dials work except odometer, oil pressure just over 4 bar. leccy meter thing was going a bit low by the time i got home, about 10 volts, does this mean it's not charging? is the alternator a vw/audi item?
brakes seem a little bit weak, maybe i'm just not used to older car any more (used to drive an old '62 hillman minx)
revs well, started from cold and starts when hot no prob
no funny noises on the road
that cambelt does look easy to change right enough, i'll change that to be on the safe side
picked it up and registered it today, got a cool number D:MY924
topped it up with fuel and the car started to stink of fuel, i've read about this as a common problem, change the filler hoses, then when i stopped i noticed fuel dripping out, from somewhere high up on the left side of the transaxle (opposite the filler) by the time i got it back home i'd used a bit more fuel and it seems to have stopped leaking
lights and stuff work fine, dials work except odometer, oil pressure just over 4 bar. leccy meter thing was going a bit low by the time i got home, about 10 volts, does this mean it's not charging? is the alternator a vw/audi item?
brakes seem a little bit weak, maybe i'm just not used to older car any more (used to drive an old '62 hillman minx)
revs well, started from cold and starts when hot no prob
no funny noises on the road
that cambelt does look easy to change right enough, i'll change that to be on the safe side
Nice left hooker 993 convertible would go down well!
Just trying to think, I could do with O/S sill cover clips and shark fin clips for 964, and the seal that runs between but guess you won't have them sat around?
Other than that nowt around that price matey, alternator is just an Audi one from memory, I might have a spare.......
Oil pressure sounds fine, is it the entire speedo thats faulty or just the mileometer?
Brakes do need a reasonable stamp, but because of that have lovely feedback, but check the pads, disks, drums and shoes as you will prob find if they are weak then rear shoes are having next to no effect, when set up right they will pull you up brilliantly!
Petrol tank could have a leak by sounds of it, have a look underneath you will easily see where the leak is follow the damp patch!
From memory I still have wheel centre caps which wont fit your wheels anyway, wheel stud covers which will, a 4 speed box, heater box (very useful as a spare as the heaters go down eventually!), and full fuel injection set up, so if you need any parts of that lot let me know.
Just trying to think, I could do with O/S sill cover clips and shark fin clips for 964, and the seal that runs between but guess you won't have them sat around?
Other than that nowt around that price matey, alternator is just an Audi one from memory, I might have a spare.......
Oil pressure sounds fine, is it the entire speedo thats faulty or just the mileometer?
Brakes do need a reasonable stamp, but because of that have lovely feedback, but check the pads, disks, drums and shoes as you will prob find if they are weak then rear shoes are having next to no effect, when set up right they will pull you up brilliantly!
Petrol tank could have a leak by sounds of it, have a look underneath you will easily see where the leak is follow the damp patch!
From memory I still have wheel centre caps which wont fit your wheels anyway, wheel stud covers which will, a 4 speed box, heater box (very useful as a spare as the heaters go down eventually!), and full fuel injection set up, so if you need any parts of that lot let me know.
petrol tank has a leak 
i thought it had stopped, cops came round knocking at my door at 1030 last night, telling me to get it out of the underground garage (the whole place stank of fuel from just a few drops), and said it couldn't stay in the street either. had to get it towed. ah well
couldn't see where the leak started, must be high up towards the front
nice trick that, galvanising the body and leaving the tank to go rusty
i thought it had stopped, cops came round knocking at my door at 1030 last night, telling me to get it out of the underground garage (the whole place stank of fuel from just a few drops), and said it couldn't stay in the street either. had to get it towed. ah well
couldn't see where the leak started, must be high up towards the front
nice trick that, galvanising the body and leaving the tank to go rusty
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