Timmyboy

Hey everyone, first time posting here,but i may be owning a porsche in the future.

I currently drive a 1987 bmw 325i and i love the car, brand new clutch, 5 speed, the works.130k mi

Theres a guy nearby who owns a 1987 Porsche 924s and it looks mint from the pics ive seen 64k miles, clutch with 3k on it says it runs and drives great.

Everyone on the E30 form says this is the worst mistake i could ever make and that these cars are POS's ,but I just wanted to see what the actual porsche owners have to say and if the maintenance is really expensive and hard to manage. im being told the belt tool is like $600! so let me know if this is a wise choice! Thanks!

James Chimney

The 924 is a good car for what it was and is, it was updated to the 944 and other model updates, keep in mind it is a 25 year old car, get it checked out, check all records that come with it and then like any used car, test drive it, if you like it get it, if it breaks fix it your self (lots of help here and Clacks Garage) or find a good shop, you will love the way it handles and drive, not very fast but holds the road very well.

Mueller944s2

I live in Mandeville and I actually looked at a really low mileage 924S for sale a couple years ago. Wonder if it's the same one...

Van

Parts and maintenance will be about the same as the BMW. This is a decision you make based on emotion, not logic.

Ky944TurboNewbie

I don't have direct experience with the 924s, I have more experience with the 944 Turbo. I will stay away from specifics about the model as a result.

As to the maintenance... There are some special tools needed. The factory belt tool is about $600. However, no one uses that tool. Getting the belts tensioned correctly can be done several ways without the factory shop manual tool. There is a tool made by ArnnWorx that is very similar to the factory tool. It is not cheap, but at $160, can be justified. Many people use the twist/water pump method to check tension. No tools are needed for this.

I bet the costs for regular maintenance items on the Porsche 924 and BMW 325 would be similar. Both would be expensive. Not sure what kind of resources there are for the 325, but there are many reputable dismantlers for the Porsche that make used parts plentiful and affordable.

The tough repair for the 944/924 is the clutch. That is a big job. Other things to look out for include anything made out of rubber. Suspension, vacuum lines, o rings, fuel lines, etc... If it hasn't been replaced, it probably needs it.

The achilles heel of the 944 and 924s is the timing belt. If it breaks, the interference engine will bend valves. Change the belts every 30k - 35k miles or 3 - 5 years - whichever is sooner. Change the FOES (Front of engine seals) and water pump every other belt change. If you don't have documentation for the last time they were done, it needs to be done as soon as possible.

Other problem points are the motor mounts. They can fail and cause excessive vibration.

The good news is great support from many forums and vendors to keep things running with reasonable costs.

If I were to handicap who will get the better deal in your trade, I would say whoever ends up with the car that has been maintained the best to this point. Catch up maintenance is expensive.

lovemyp-car

run a carfax on the car to see if it is a true, original 64K car...the 924S uses the early style interior including gauges, which means the odometer is only 5 digit...so without documentation to tell you the car is truly at 64K, you would be better off assuming it is at 164K.

Cheers, and good luck!
Ethan

Reimu

Its simple logic that Porsche is a step up from BMW

MAGK944

No, no, no, I normally am in agreement with Van but truthfully, expect two pay 2 to 3x for Porsche OEM parts compared to BMW.

See my post here if you think you are not getting fleeced by having a Porsche:

https://rennlist.com/forums/924-931-...l#post10152825

Van

OK - I stand corrected!

Dougs951S

As stated above, this is an emotional decision. That being said, one of my previous cars was an E30 M3. At the time I owned it, I also owned a 2450 lb, slightly breathed on 944 that even with 160 hp, was WAY faster than the M3 and handled and stopped better. I sold the beamer to buy a 944 turbo and have never looked back. My 944 turbo is the best car I've ever owned by a long shot. There is no substitute for an excellently running porsche. Even more so if you put a few bucks into the suspension.

Timmyboy

well Thanks everyone for their input and please continue to! I meet the guy sunday and we shall see what happens!

william_b_noble

I have put 250K on a 944, I bought it new. I doubt that I've put $5,000 of repairs in it over the years, counting tires, oil, and all other items including accident repair. I have a spreadsheet somewhere with the data.

divil

I think you are in for a surprise when you add it all up...

curtisr

I have two 1987 924s and I love them. And while I wouldn't think this model represents a 'step-up' from your BMW by any stretch of the imagination, I would say that it represents a low-cost option for gaining all that's good about the Porsche brand.

An article in the May, 2013 issue of GT Porsche magazine concludes 'the 924s is a better buy than a Boxster'. :-)

Mueller944s2

I'm kinda wondering what you're doing with it! Thats $1,000 more than the annual average to keep mine running...