steeler80

I am currently looking around to find the best car/deal for either a 924 or 944. I have owned a lot of classics over the years, but this would be my first foray into the world of Porsche. My question (and I'm sure it's ridiculously simple) is are all 924's after 1987 a 'S' car? I have found a decent example of a 1987 Porsche 924 that I was thinking of checking out but it is listed as a Porsche 924 and not a 924S. Thanks for helping out a newbie and not making too much fun of me!

PaulD_944S2

"My question (and I'm sure it's ridiculously simple) is are all 924's after 1987 a 'S' car?" Yes.

Porsche 924S's were sold in the US in 1987 & 1988. Both years use the same engine as the 944.
The '88 model year was slightly more powerful due to higher compression and minor DME firmware upgrade to take advantage of the high compression.

Jfrahm

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Porsche_924

If you are in the USA then the 87 and 88 are 2.5L 924S and the 2.0L 924 cars are 1976-1982

steeler80

Thank you for the replies! A quick follow-up question (and I'll do some searching on this as well) but are there chips to boost the 87 models? Just wondering as I know BMW's often have chips available so I'm assuming Porsches are the same.

DSMblue

Yes, there are chips available. That being said, you are much better off in the short run by taking care of normal maintenance items first such as timing belt, seals, etc. prior to attempting performance upgrades. Define how you intend to use the car, and let that be the guide for where to spend money. In general, if you are intending to track the car through DE events or PCA club racing or similar, upgrades to suspension and brakes will get you more rapid improvement than what you would get through a revised DME chip.

steeler80

Good advice! A chip would be long time off if ever type of thing. I was just wondering about availability. If I get it, it would be a weekend cruiser (no plans to race) so I would probably never need to get a chip. Like I said, I've owned several classics in the past, but those have all been old American cars (Mustangs, Fairlanes, Camaros, etc.). So, while I have some experience, I'm assuming that the land of Porsches is a whole other ballgame compared to what I'm used to and I'm trying to get the lay of the land before plunging in.

Wisconsin Joe

Welcome.

Smart to be asking around before you dive in.

But they really aren't all that different. It's a 30+ year old car. Stuff wears out, stuff breaks, stuff gets old & brittle. But it's still just 'parts bolted to parts.'

You might want to check out Clark's Garage. It's one of the better sites for owners. Lots of writeups and info for the DIY owner.

Chips aren't all that common. You really can't get that much power out of that motor. And Porsche did what they could to get as much as they could. You can change a few things a bit, but you start running into the 'performance vs longevity' curve. What power Porsche did leave 'on the table' was to make sure there was a safety factor for bad gas, worn parts, ect.
If you want a lot more power, go for an LS swap, a turbo or a 928.

That's not to say these cars are underpowered. For their time they were pretty good. And even for today, the handling is stellar.
THAT is where these cars shine. You can't beat a Kia off the stoplight, but you can go through a roundabout at speeds that will leave them in the dust (or up on the curb - BTDT).