Dawson's 924S

Well, I registered on this site years ago. Had the itch to fix the car that brought me here in the first place and I lost the drive.

I'll give a rundown of events.

My friend had an 88 924S that blew a head gasket. Rather than leaving it to rot in his backyard, he decided to give it to me to do whatever I wanted. I immediately pulled it home and cleaned it up. I pushed it under the carport where the repairs were going to be done. I researched parts and procedures. Weeks turned into months, months into years. Finally, today I start cleaning up around the car because it was a mess and I started thinking, "hey, I want this car to run".

Now I'm considering my options. Car hasn't run in years. The head has been off of it for years now. I've forgotten where stuff goes. I've taken cam and balance belts off of it. Etc....

A little about the car. It's black on burgundy. Apparently it's some sport model because it has no power seats, windows, rear wiper, etc. Front coil overs and no passenger side view mirror(not sure if that is on all 924Ss). 104,000 miles on the clock. The body is decent but in need of repair. The interior is worn but not destroyed.

I realize the task in front of me should I decide to repair is not easy. I have enough mechanical experience I could tackle it I'm sure. I just don't know if it's really worth my time. I've wanted this car since the first time I saw it and the only time I've been behind the wheel was when it was getting towed to my house.

Any suggestions are greatly welcomed.

Mike

J Silverman

Thats one of the 500 SE 924s broght to the US in 88. www.clarks-garage.com will help with anything you could need to do to the car.

Dawson's 924S

"Sorry, but this username has been disallowed."

I've tried registering there but continually get this error. But thanks for the link.

Dawson's 924S

So I'm assuming the link to the clarks-garage website was your way of saying "fix it"!

moorepower

That car is absolutely worthless. Don't waste your time on it. In fact, I'll help you out and take it off your hands. I won't even charge you to tow it away. I know, I'm a great guy, right?

moorepower

Seriously, check out www.the944.com. Some really good info there. Especially at the bottom of the menu on the left.

LeMans71

+1 on Clark's Garage. You don't have to register - it will come up on any search engine, and is a wealth of 944 info. Not preaching here, but I think only you can really answer your question. If your strongest impulse is "I want it to run," then start taking steps to make that happen. The info is out there, and if you are mechanically inclined then all that is required is action on your part, and the expenditure of some money on parts. My best friend is fond of saying that making progress on big projects is much the same as a river carving a canyon: it gets done by "time and pressure." On the other hand, if what you really mean is "I wish it would run," but your priorities are elsewhere, then sell it and move on. Sounds like it would be a great basis for a 944Spec project. Dive in and resurrect it, or pass it on - either path will bring you some internal peace, you just have to decide which one.

One thing's for sure, though - that car should be back on the road, or track! It's worth someone's time, if you decide it's not worth yours. Wish it was closer to me - I'd make you a better offer than Dan did!!!

Good luck with it. Let us know what you decide.

Dawson's 924S

I only wanted to register so I could post in the forum. But I can read for now.

Thanks for opinions everyone.

Sterling Doc

You have a very unique car that's worth saving, either by you or another nostalgic Porsche enthusiast. As mentioned above, this makes a great start for a 944 Spec car. You've got the short 5th gear, the high compression pistons, lightweight body without the sunroof, and that special cool feeling of owning a Lemans edition/SE.

Dawson's 924S

What is the definition of "944 Spec"? I'll be looking in the meantime. Also, where is some info on this "lemans" edition I see is being called an SE?

Preliminary searching shows that I don't have a Lemans edition.

J Silverman

944 spec is a NASA racing class for 2.5l 8v 944/924Ss. Your car is 1 of 900 cars built to celebrate porsches victory at LeMans. 500 came to the US and were known as Special Edition 924s. They have manual windows/locks, lightweight interior fabrics, a single side view mirror on the drivers side only, and M030 suspension package. The sunroof and mud guards were optional. Mine has both unfortunately. The SE edition 924S was denoted by option code 756 on the sticker in the hatch.

Dawson's 924S

Thanks for the info. Guess I do have it then.

I've decided for now to fix and enjoy it. It will be a slow start I believe as I work a lot and have no garage so a lot of late nights under the carport will be the answer. I cleaned it up a bit today(under the hood). It was pretty filthy as it has been sitting for years collecting pollen, dust, dirt dobbers, etc. Took some phone pics so forgive the quality. Can't see much.

timo944

Where do you live in NC? I live near Asheville and have good experience with 944's and 924's. I would be willing to lend a hand to get you going.

Dawson's 924S

I appreciate the offer but I live hours east of you in New Bern. It's about an hour from the coast.

I've got some other things around the house that need to be done as well, so engine work hasn't started yet. Wish I could find my old list I made years ago which had the parts I needed. My biggest concern is how the crankcase looks. It was oil/water mix which I drained and I hope the internals don't have a layer of rust on them. Hope it isn't too aggravating to take the oil pan off.