1986 924S; is it worth £2295 with minimal history?

[Guest]

Hi.

I am planning to go & see this car tomorrow http://www.pistonheads.com/sales/126093.htm. I'd appreciate any initial thoughts you have on what you think i should offer, based on the car only having any notable history for the last two years (the length of time the seller has had the car).

The aerial doesn't work & the boot release can be temperamental. There is no rust on the car at all & no leaks at all. There is a small dent on the driver-side sill just aft of the front wheel arch where somebody was supposed to have tried to jack the car incorrectly.

I need help!! I am planning to drive from Berkshire to Cornwall...... am I mad?

 

[Guest]

Also, can anyone tell me if this car can run ok on unleaded? On the FAQ's I think it says the '88 version is the unleaded version of the S, but it is not very clear.

Thanks in advance for any help proferred. Help me to be a PCGB member again!

 

[Alan Woods]

You can run unleaded on all S models. The '88 has the full 160bhp 944 engine (as opposed to the 'detuned' 150). Great car I just sold my 2

Prices seem all over the place, can be hard to sell due to supply and low-ish demand. There is a big chasm between what they 'should' be worth and what they actually end up selling for. I would say that this one is at the high end of the price scale at the minute... As a buyer I would be tempted to come in with quite a bit lower bid Make sure you have proof of belts being done. Oh and check the sills closely, could do with getting it up on a ramp ideally.

Alan

 

[geoff Ives]

Taking your questions in reverse order.

Yes you can use unleaded I use standard unleaded in mine. No problems.

History. The recent history is what matters. Early stuff is just ... History[8|]

Price. Yes the car is worth the price but you shouldn't need to pay it. Offer £1750 and expect to pay £2K.

BELTS. Ensure that it has had a recent belt change and ideally that should include. Cam belt... Ballance shaft belt... tensioner and, with luck, a new water pump. Make sure that the belts were fitted by a specialist as tensioning is not a DIY job. Cam belts should be changed at 30K miles with tensioners at every other belt change, same goes for water pump as a siezed water pump will rip the belts off.

Keep an eye on the 944 forum pages as they are more relevant to the 924S as it is really a slimline 944.

Dobn't buy a 924 Haynes manual as nothing in it refers to you intended car instead get a 944 manual.

Good luck. The 924S is one of Porsches finest.

 

[Guest]

Just one thought. I would want cast-iron proof of the 'low mileage', rather than the usual vague " .... it must be true because the body has so little rust .....".
The Porsche sellers world seems to be jam packed full of people who, because the speedo shows 30k 45k 70k or whatever, claim that as the total mileage.
The reality is in many cases much more likely to be 130k 145k or 170k. Be very careful before parting with a bigger pile of money because of 'low mileage'.

 

[Guest]

Hi guys.

Thanks for the replies. I have just got back from seeing the car (a nine & a half hour round trip from Maidenhead to Penzance!)& thought I'd fill you in.

Mechanically the car has had all the belts, etc. replaced in 2005. Also the suspension was refurbished at the same time along with the clutch, steering rack, bearings, seals, etc. The seller has an invoice for this work. It has, however, been 'serviced' based on mileage by a local chap who is a farmer that is handy with machines. The invoices for this service is on a scrap of paper; not very confidence inspiring. All fluids in the engine bay are at the correct levels, although the oil definitely needs a change. No white stuff on the oil filler cap either.

The car drives very well, I must admit. Clutch is light & doesn't snap, gearbox changes nicely although it is a bit lacking in self-centering (kind of like with a 915 gearbox in a 911). No bearing rumbles, rattles or the like. Car brakes straight & true with a good feel to the pedal. Steering is good with no play & the car handles well in the corners with no undue/sloppy roll.

Cosmetics & structural now; No rust on the car at all. There are some lumps under the rubber rear spoiler; could this be aluminium corrosion?? Has anyone seen this before? The nearside sill appears good with no corrosion. However, the offside sill looks like a puppy was gnawing away at it; well, it looks like somebody dragged the sill off something as it is uneven & kind of serrated; but there seems to be no corrosion there. It does ring an alarm bell in my mind though.

Underneath, the car looks very clean & has been looked after. Tyres are mismatched; Avons & some own-brand. Teledial wheels are ok but could do with refurb. Tyres will need to be replaced as they look old.

Bodywork-wise, the paint is kind of ok-ish with plenty of chips & little dings & scratches. Nice, bright colour with minimal fading & there are signs the car was repainted in the past. There are a couple of small parking dents. For me to be happy, I'd want to give it a respray...

The interior of the car is lovely, almost like new (almost). The leatherette has split on part of the driver side bolster, no splits on the dash, headlining is in excellent condition (the car has no sunroof).

Now for the details! The seller wanted £2395; I offered £1700 ( factor in a service at Northways & tax and you're looking at £425 on top of that again). He refused & said he'd go no lower than £2000. I said I'd do some maths to work out the cost of tidying the car up & bearing in mind the almost total lack of history, which I did in the car on the way home. I don't think the car is worth buying at anything over £1850 as I'd also have to get the sill fixed because it would drive me mad the way it currently is!

I am planning to call the seller during the week once I've gathered some more info together. What do you guys think of the car from my description? Am I being overly critical in my appraisal? Is the car worth £2k?

I'd really appreciate your input. One thing is for sure; WOW, the 924S is a fantastic drivers car! I had a ball in it today. I owned an '86 911 3.2 Sport before & I can say, hand on heart, that the 924 is in every way a true Porsche. I can't wait to get my hands on one.

Look forward to hearing your thoughts.

Ray.

 

[Guest]

A mistaken in the above post; the seller wanted 2295; not 2395.

 

[geoff Ives]

You seem to think that the price should be £1850 tops. Offer him that and stick to it.
There are a lot more cars out there. I bought a very nice 924S (1986) for £900. OK it needed new belts but I took that into account.

 

[Alan Woods]

It doesn't sound like its worth that, I sold mine for £1700 and mine prob' was a better car from yr description. Unfortunately what we as owners think theyre worth is different to reality and sadly I am sure he wont have a queue for it... I'd hang in there with that bid and wait, there are still lots out there, it's not like it's a 2.7 RS.

 

[Guest]

The Isle of Wight 1988 car on pistonheads at £2100 sounds a better prospect.

"102,000 miles, An excellent example, really very good condition indeed. Previous owner spent just under £2000 in a year and a half, including new cambelt and clutch, have receipts." At £2000 it sounds like proper garage work - rather than an agricultural 'specialist'. A new clutch is quite a bonus as it is one job you would not want to DIY.

Was the low mileage of the Cornish car 'proved beyond reasonable doubt' by the way ?

 

[Guest]

Hi.

I did an HPI check on the Cornish car & it came back as ok on the mileage (i.e. no discrepancy, as they put it). But I would say that even this does not put it 'beyond reasonable doubt'. I guess only a full service history with every MOT could do that. So, another doubt in my mind!

I agree with you that owners attribute a higher value to their cars but I also understand that the cars are seriously undervalued by the general public; they should be worth more because they are beautiful to drive. Being selfish I am glad, as a buyer, that they are undervalued.

The IOW car has grabbed my attention but it is another long trek to see the car & it may turn out to be another wasted journey. I am seriously willing to pay up to £3,500 for the right car (but for this it would need to be mint) as I am a fussy git. I cannot tell you how badly I want one since driving them. I have a one owner mint W124 Mercedes at the moment, bought in a rare fit of sensibility. But sensible cars are not for me. Not sure if I should sell it & use the 924 every day.

If any of you guys hear of any coming up for sale in excellent condition, I'd really appreciate if you would let me know. My number is 07909-532614.

In the interim, I will keep on looking & keep you posted (if you're interested). Thanks again for the advice so far.

 

[Guest]

I was thinking about your description of the sill as " kind of serrated". That is a perfect description of one of the sills on my recently acquired n/a 924. On close examination it has had a new sill welded on, and then the Mig welding has been dressed down, leaving a "serrated" edge. Not as Herr Porsche did it, not neat, but seems structurally strong.
I'm unsure how HPI can check mileage, short of contacting all previous owners. Do they have access to/rely on that optional mileage box on V5/2 section ? That is pretty useless if it has only been filled in for the last ownership change or two and not for all earlier changes ( probably was not introduced until fairly recently?).
Good luck in your quest anyway.

P.S. on a lighter note I saw a 924 up for sale this week with a key selling point - it "has no leeks" ..................

 

[Guest]

Regarding the HPI mileage check, I reckon you're spot on. HPI can only be basing the check on the optional box in the V5c, which is not really useful if not everyone has filled it in.

Interesting what you say about the sill on your car. Yours does sound like it was deliberate whereas the sill on the car I looked at looked like someone ripped the metal apart & then tried to clamp it back together as best they could.

I am itching to buy a car & would prefer to buy a 924S but have now decided to hedge my bets & look at 944's too. I tried to find a car last year from September to December & eventually gave up & bought the Mercedes as a bit of a change. But the Porsche bug is still in my system....