An introduction and a request.

[Guest]

Hullo all,

After much searching I located this fine web-site which was good enough to accept me as a member. This has pleased me enormously on account that I do not own a Porsche, nor have I ever driven one. And this is where my request comes in....

As a 30something husband and father of 2 young children (ages 5 & 9) I have decided to become a little selfish for my forthcoming new year's resolution. To this end I have decided also that this selfishness will take the form of a Porsche sitting outside of my abode. Now, having never driven a Porsche and having very little technical knowledge about the marque, I've decided to enlist you to help me make a choice. Budget-wise I will not have alot to play with, possibly about 3K at the very, very most, but I want as much car as possible for my money.

The 'choice' comes down to 2 models; The 924 and The 944. I like the look of both of these and have noticed that they tend to be rather cheap and cheerful for the older models, which is ideally suited to me.

Being completely ignorant of both these models, I'd like your opinion on which would make the better car for me to own. It would be a second car, primarily for weekends or occassional drives to work. Something that I could lavish a wee bit of care and love onto.

I'm not too sure of the costs involved in owning a Porsche i.e. insurance groupings, running/servicing costs, what to look out for when purchasing just such a machine etc, but I'd prefer to steer clear of 'projects' as I'd like to drive the vehicle from day one.

Any and all advice will be greatly appreciated. I will take note of all the information that is imparted and hopefully put it to good use in the new year when I hope to make my purchase.

Many thanx in anticipation....

Paul.

ps...I've copied and pasted this message and put it on both the 'general' and '944' forums - just so you don't think you're seeing things!

 

[PaulHere]

Hello Paul

Welcome to the forum []

Being the 924 Register Secretary I am obviously biased [] but I would opt for a 924 2.0 model (1976-1985), £2000 will get you a decent example, keep the money you have left over to pay for future services and repairs.

Do spend a bit of money getting a potential car checked out at a Porsche Centre or a good Porsche specialist. And look for a seller who is a Porsche nut!

I have a 924 2.0 myself and find it fantastic fun.

 

[Guest]

Thanks for that Paul - it's good to be on board.

I do detect a smidgen of bias in your reply, but hey, you go with what you know. Certainly of the 2 models I've elected, the 924 appears to be the cheaper option - at least according to the likes of Auto-Trader and Exchange & Mart. I'll admit to being more than a little surprised to find models available for under £500 with MoT's too!

I tend to be wary when I see something so prestigious going so cheaply, but this really appears to be of the norm. Why is this model so cheap? What inherrant problems are there with it?

Like any new enthusiast I'm full of questions about the pitfalls that may be out there when buying the likes of a Porsche. I'm all too familiar with everyday cars, but having never owned a 'supercar' I'm a tad out of my depth - initially at least. I want to make an informed choice and be happy in the knowledge that my eventual purchase will spend more time on the road with me, than in the shop costing me a blind fortune.

Your advice about involving a Porsche specialist is extrememly sound - I will possibly endeavour to trace such a being when the time comes, but am unsure of my nearest Porsche dealership - Yell.com should help there.

Many thanx again for your warm welcome. I will be sure to keep you all informed about my quest to attain my wee piece of German heaven.

Kind Regards,

Paul.

 

[Diver944]

Which area of the country are you in Paul? I'm sure someone can recommend a Porsche specialist nearby?

 

[Guest]

Hullo Paul-S,

I'm in Ayrshire, Scotland about 40 miles South West of Glasgow. I've read your reply to my post on the 944 forum and want to thank you for such invaluable information and help. This is not something I plan to jump into - I intend to take my time deliberating and collating as I go. I'll also use the time to put away a little more money, just in case my budget needs stretching!

I agree that the 2.5 924S would be an ideal starter model for me - there's a wee belter of one advertised in Exchange & Mart for just under £3K on a 1987 D plate. It's black with 87000 on the clock and appears in pretty good nick. Another black one - a Le Mans special edition with 140K on the dial, but with a fair amount of extras (including Cat-1 alarm/immobiliser, PAS, 6months Tax and 12months MoT plus CD player) is advertised for £2500 - it's a year younger than the previous one, being on a 1988 E plate, but again looks in cracking nick. I'll keep all of this in mind for when I venture out with cash clutched firmly in hand, I'm still wise enough to know that the camera can be taught to lie!

Tell me, what size of wheels are the norm on a 924? Are there certain things I should make sure are present when I go view one (other than the bag for the sunroof)?

Cheers again for all your help. It looks like I've come across a fantastically helpful site.

Paul.

 

[geoff Ives]

Being the 924 Register Secretary I am obviously biased

As Director responsible for all Registers I have to be a bit careful. However our 'Other' Porsche is a 1982 924 Lux. We have owned it for 5 years and it is my wifes daily driver. I often use it in prefrence to the 911 on Club business.
Whatever model you decide on there is one rule 'CONDITION, CONDITION, CONDITION'. On either model make sure that a previous owner has NOT been tinkering with the electrics.
As this will be a second car I reccomend that you get 'Classic' insurance through one of the advertisers in Porsche Post. This wuill linit you to a maximum of 6,000 miles a yaer but that should suffice for a second car.
___________________________________________________________________
Geoff Ives. Register Director. Classic & Heritage Group Secretary.

 

[Guest]

Thanx for that Geoff.

In my recent investigations into 924's I've asked several questions of the owners about the state of the electrics - I've been reading up on FAQ's and it appears that the electrics can be a bit iffy when tampered with. I will also bear in mind 'classic insurance' when I get my car. I don't envisage doing anywhere near 6000 miles per annum but may ask for it to be raised to 10000 for the first year as I can see me being very attached to it - especially if the weather is nice.

Since starting on my quest for a Porsche I've been bombarding sellers with loads of questions via e-mail - many will feel that they have been interviewed by the Inquisition!! But I want to be sure of any potential purchase before I drive the length and breadth of the country to look at their example.

I received an e-mail tonight about a 924 which sent alarm bells ringing. The ad stated that the 924 was a 1986 model with 55000 miles on the clock. Guards Red and recently resprayed as the paint was dulling. I had previously sent my list of questions and they were now answering them. One question I posed was 'What group insurance is the car in?' A fairly innocuous question. The reply started the bells - "we arent sure about the insurance for the car, as we haven't insured it." Call me old fashioned and paranoid, but this smells of a rat. I was also told that there was only 'recent history' available which therfore calls into question the validity of the extremely low mileage. I've addressed all these points in a return e-mail and am awaiting a reply. I don't know whether I'll get one as my parting note was to criticise the £2500 asking price and suggest it is lowered drastically to compensate for the 'grey areas'. I've asked them to consider around the £1000 mark.

I'll keep you posted on how I get on - don't anyone hold their breath though!

Cheers....


Paul.