Is the 924 Turbo a maintenance headache?
05-16-2006, 06:08 PM
#1
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Is the 924 Turbo a maintenance headache?
I'm looking at a 1980 924 Turbo that's for sale in Dallas. I don't know much about these cars and I was wondering if they are a maintenance headache like what I've been told by certain people.
I know that a lot of times, the conventional wisdom about a car is flat out wrong or wildly exaggerated, and maybe that's the case with the 924 Turbo. I have a Maserati Biturbo and that car is very maintenance intensive but I can still handle it since I dont' put that many miles on it, and it's a backup car.
So what's the scoop from people who actually know a lot about these cars? Are they reasonably reliable if maintained properly, or will it be an ongoing hassle?
edit: asking price on the 1980 924 Turbo is $2600.
I know that a lot of times, the conventional wisdom about a car is flat out wrong or wildly exaggerated, and maybe that's the case with the 924 Turbo. I have a Maserati Biturbo and that car is very maintenance intensive but I can still handle it since I dont' put that many miles on it, and it's a backup car.
So what's the scoop from people who actually know a lot about these cars? Are they reasonably reliable if maintained properly, or will it be an ongoing hassle?
edit: asking price on the 1980 924 Turbo is $2600.
Last edited by austin944; 05-16-2006 at 06:49 PM.
05-16-2006, 06:44 PM
#2
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Fuel distributors are NLA, turbos have a very short lifespan, other parts NLA. The NA 924 is as close to bulletproof as you can make a car, but the turbo is more troublesome.
05-16-2006, 08:09 PM
#3
Burning Brakes
Yeah man, i think it has K-Jetronic...ew. I'd say it's a car you could probably make more reliable with application of modern systems...such as the turbo, which I believe is oil cooled, and I don't know if it has a blow off valve, which would surge the sh*t out of the compressor wheel (the Mitsu Starion and Chrysler Conquest didn't!).
Just remember, mechanical fuel injection is alright when it's working and horrible when it's not. I had a 1980 Saab 99 GLi with K-Jetronic, and it took hours of cleaning, moving set screws, and other adjustments to get it to even idle on all four cylinders...and it was a clean, 80k mile car.
Hey, and it's the van engine!!!
Just remember, mechanical fuel injection is alright when it's working and horrible when it's not. I had a 1980 Saab 99 GLi with K-Jetronic, and it took hours of cleaning, moving set screws, and other adjustments to get it to even idle on all four cylinders...and it was a clean, 80k mile car.
Hey, and it's the van engine!!!
Last edited by Swagger93; 05-17-2006 at 12:46 PM.
05-16-2006, 11:56 PM
#4
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I've owned a 1980 924 Turbo since 1993. It is no worse than my 1987 924S. Parts are cheaper than ones for my 01 986.
Like most Porsches, these cars love to be beat, baby them, let them sit, or ignore factory recommended maintenance schedules, they will punish your wallet severely.
More info can be found at:
www.924board.org
Like most Porsches, these cars love to be beat, baby them, let them sit, or ignore factory recommended maintenance schedules, they will punish your wallet severely.
More info can be found at:
www.924board.org
05-17-2006, 12:05 AM
#5
Race Director
like swagger said , if you pick it up get a bypass valve.....the turkey gobble is f'in annoying and will put the hurt on your turbo..
1st buy on my conquest was a bov because even at 7psi the gobble was loud
1st buy on my conquest was a bov because even at 7psi the gobble was loud
05-17-2006, 03:10 AM
#7
Three Wheelin'
Originally Posted by Swagger93
Hey, and it's the van engine!!!
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05-17-2006, 06:12 AM
#8
RL Community Team
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Wow. That's a boatload of power from a dinky vw engine. But if you do the same kind of race improvements and upgrades to the 968 engine, you can get a lot more than 375hp.
05-17-2006, 06:55 AM
#9
Drifting
The 968 is also a 3.0L and much more modern in design, so I would hope it would outpower the 931. If you like the car and can afford the upgrades to make it easier to work on and more reliable, I say go for it.
05-17-2006, 09:33 AM
#10
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They're not a maintenance headache IMO - once you get them properly restored. My '82 is my daily driver in the summer, and I love it - hard to give up the keys to my wife. Unfortunately, it seems, the (plat) silver color of mine is a liability; it was hit while parked for the 4th time yesterday, while I was out of town. Argh.
Anywho, back on topic... you can spend a lot of time, even more than money really, debugging all the stuff from neglect. Electrical, boost leaks, worn turbos (life should be far better with synthetic oil and proper cool-down procedures), that kind of stuff. I also don't find mine as refined as the later cars; have an '87 924S now, it really is a step forward, and I think ultimately I'll likely sell the 82 and the 87 and step up to an S2. Of course, I'm still keeping my '81 931 as an ultimate street monster! Aiming for 250+ hp and 2400lbs...
Anywho, back on topic... you can spend a lot of time, even more than money really, debugging all the stuff from neglect. Electrical, boost leaks, worn turbos (life should be far better with synthetic oil and proper cool-down procedures), that kind of stuff. I also don't find mine as refined as the later cars; have an '87 924S now, it really is a step forward, and I think ultimately I'll likely sell the 82 and the 87 and step up to an S2. Of course, I'm still keeping my '81 931 as an ultimate street monster! Aiming for 250+ hp and 2400lbs...
05-17-2006, 01:02 PM
#12
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Took another look, realized you're talking about an '80... at least, keep looking for an 81-82 - 944 brakes, better engine controls, transmission, etc...
05-17-2006, 01:09 PM
#13
Burning Brakes
Originally Posted by Raceboy
You're probably forgetting the fact that this van engine has very much potential and the most powerful of the 924/944/968 line-up cars was actually with that van engine: 924 Carrera GTR (375hp).
And I don't think the van engine is exactly the cheapest to modify.
05-17-2006, 02:55 PM
#14
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Yeah, it's the bread-van motor, no question about it. Other than the head, it's actually not that bad to mod, since it's nothing exotic... but the head limits breathing so much... that it's perfect for forced-induction!
