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'78 Porche 924 $600 Should I buy it?

30 messages,  Last post on Nov 01, 2011 at 6:35 AM

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Messages Page 2 of 3

#11 of 30 Ghulet: by jrosasmc

Jan 30, 2010 (1:39 pm)

Hey, how many miles do you think your mother's 944 has now? I remember when those cars were new in the late '80s, and they were not cheap. What model does she own? (i.e. base, S, Turbo)

#12 of 30 it's an '87 base 5-speed.... by ghulet

Jan 30, 2010 (4:21 pm)

....I don't know how many miles, it's my stepdad's daily driver; he's a traveling/contractor programmer, so it's been all over the country. I am certain it has over 250k, no engine rebuild, but I'm sure everything else a couple of times (and he hit a deer with it once, too). It's in surprisingly good shape, but they do take pretty good care of it, I guess, or it would have been long gone.

#13 of 30 Re: it's an '87 base 5-speed.... [ghulet] by hpmctorque

Jan 30, 2010 (6:48 pm)

Replying to: ghulet (Jan 30, 2010 4:21 pm)
Does your step dad or another family member do some of the maintenance and repairs on that 944, or do they pay to have it done?

#14 of 30 Re: it's an '87 base 5-speed.... [ghulet] by Mr_Shiftright HOST

Jan 30, 2010 (6:49 pm)

Replying to: ghulet (Jan 30, 2010 4:21 pm)
911, 944 and 928 engines are pretty indestructible if you do the maintenance required. 250K is not unusual on Porsches, I see this kind of mileage all the time.
 
The problem with 924s 944s and 928s is that, due to their relatively cheap prices as used cars, they ended up falling into the hands of people who did not have the means to care for them, and so are destroyed by neglect.

#15 of 30 Re: it's an '87 base 5-speed.... [hpmctorque] by ghulet

Jan 31, 2010 (7:17 am)

Replying to: hpmctorque (Jan 30, 2010 6:48 pm)
Gawd, no. I don't think either of them have touched so much as a lug wrench for the past twenty years. I wish they'd have kept the 300E, it's probably a better car (and a helluvalot more practical).

#16 of 30 Re: it's an '87 base 5-speed.... [ghulet] by hpmctorque

Jan 31, 2010 (9:57 am)

Replying to: ghulet (Jan 31, 2010 7:17 am)
Since the 944 is an expensive car to maintain they must take the attitude that they like the car, and it'll cost what it'll cost to maintain it.

#17 of 30 Re: it's an '87 base 5-speed.... [hpmctorque] by Mr_Shiftright HOST

Jan 31, 2010 (10:28 am)

Replying to: hpmctorque (Jan 31, 2010 9:57 am)
That's the only attitude you can have with a 924 or 944--your passion for the car has to be very strong, because it's a very expensive hobby.
 
I'm not personally a big fan of the 944 except for the 944 Turbo. That's the one to own---it is, if set up properly, a serious performance car that can hold its own with any modern automobile, and thrash quite a few of them on street or track.

#18 of 30 Re: it's an '87 base 5-speed.... [ghulet] by fintail

Jan 31, 2010 (11:46 am)

Replying to: ghulet (Jan 31, 2010 7:17 am)
Your parents must have been pretty cool in the 80s...a W124 and a 944...at that time my dad had a brown S-10 Blazer and my mother a bronze-ish Ciera.

#19 of 30 That Porsch V-8 by martian

Feb 01, 2010 (9:09 am)

Wasn't it based upon Jack Cole's abortive Vega engine (alloy block with silicon liner)?
It was (technically) a good idea, but durability was lacking. From what I understand, the aluminum block would corrode, blocking the water passages-at which point the heads would warp, the pistons score the walls, and the engine was kaput.
Was Porsche able to make this work? Or did the 928 engine meet the same gorey death as the Vega 4?

#20 of 30 Re: That Porsch V-8 [martian] by hpmctorque

Feb 01, 2010 (9:24 am)

Replying to: martian (Feb 01, 2010 9:09 am)
The short answer to your question is that Porsche was able to make it work, thereby avoiding the Vega's sorry fate, but I'll leave it to those that are more knowledgeable than me on the Porsche V8 to supply the details.
 
One important difference between the Vega engine and the Porsche V8 is that the former was air cooled, while the latter was liquid cooled. I don't think that was the primary factor for answering your question, although it may have been a contributing factor in explaining the relative longevity of certain engine components.
 
I believe the chief engineer of the Vega engine was Ed (not Jack) Cole.
 
 

Messages Page 2 of 3

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