Rare Porsche 924S SE Started for First Time in Years

Porsche only sent about 500 of these 924S SE sports cars to the U.S. and this example, like most, was forgotten about for years.

Mention to someone today that you have a 1 of 500 classic Porsche in your possession and most will think that you are sitting on a gold mine. Porsche is building more than twice as many of the new 911 S/T models and they will trade hands for around half a million dollars. So, a classic Porsche built in far fewer numbers must be worth far more than that, right? Even in poor condition old air-cooled 911s bring strong money. Well, not so fast. This is a rare Porsche, but it is not a 911. It is not a 914-6, or a 928, or even a 944. Nope, what we are talking about is a 924. Well, a 924 Carrera GTS Club Sport is worth quite a bit of money. Yeah, well it isn’t that either. This car is a 1988 924S SE. Remember those? Didn’t think so.

Porsche built less than a 1,000 924S SE models and only 500 made it to the U.S. The 924S SE was similar in specification to the Le Mans Edition that was offered outside of the U.S. market. Thanks to a bump in compression for the 1988 model year it made 160 horsepower, which is the same as the regular 924S. But the 924S SE was a more focused sporting machine. It had the M030 sport suspension, and the air conditioner and power windows were deleted to save weight. The car was available in just two colors, black and white. However, like most Porsche 924 models, these cars were quickly forgotten. The one you see here has not been on the road since around 2015. But as you can see in the video posted on the 5150mxVW YouTube channel it is starting its road to recovery.

The First Start

The car is obviously not in great shape. It appears to have been left out in the elements for years. But looks are not the main concern right now. The team is just trying to get the thing to start. To get to that point the crew installs a new fuel pump, fuel lines and a battery. After that, they push it out of the shop and attempt to fire it up. After a bit of coaxing the old girl does finally start. She doesn’t sound great, but that is not unexpected for a car sitting this long. The clutch feels good, the brakes work, and overall things don’t seem too bad given the years of neglect.

Next Up

The car is running again, which is good news. But it needs more work to get it truly road worthy. And that is what is planned next. The crew will continue to work on reviving this car to get it back to its former glory. After that, the car will likely get sold. A 924S SE in good condition is likely worth somewhere around $10K or so. So, this is not going to make the guys working on this car rich. However, once it is done and hits the market, this might be a good buy. Where else are you going to find a rare, classic Porsche for so little money?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FVz9J76Q-n8

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Joe Kucinski

Joe has been obsessed with cars since he got his very first Matchbox toy in the ‘70s. In 2003, he found a new obsession in track days that led to obtaining his SCCA competition license in 2015. In 2019, he became a certified driving instructor for the National Auto Sport Association. His love for all things four wheels has never wavered, whether it's driving some of the best cars in the world on the racetrack, tackling 2,000-mile road trips in 2-seat sports cars or being winched off the side of a mountaintop in a Jeep. Writing for the suite of Internet Brands Auto Communities sites, including Rennlist.com, Ford Truck Enthusiasts, 6 Speed and more allows him to share that knowledge and passion with others.