924Board.org

timstar92404 · Joined: 22 Sep 2004 Posts: 2075 Location: richmond BC

i paid 2 grand for my 78 924 and its still sitting right now cus the water pump is leaking and i have to get that fixed. not really a big deal, 75 buck for the water pump 30 bucks for the belts and 100 bucks for a torque wrench and a weekend to do it. Anyway my car may also have a tranny problem the gears shift fine up to third... (well i havent' driven it much so i'm not certain) but once i tried shifting into 4th gear and it didn't get into gear it made a humming sound from the back and the car slowed down. so i quickly shifted back.

the thing is i go to college and i don't really want my car to break down every week. my engine seems pretty reliable and runs fine right now but i have no idea how much life the engine has left cus the milliage is unknown it is stuck on 89 k and i'm certain that thats not the first time so it is probably at over 200k kms.

i'm getting a 2000 or 2500 dollar college loaan i 2 months and i'm trying to decide whether to buy a more reliable daily driver like a civic or a mazda hatchback, like there is this 93 mazda 323 in good condition with 1 year warranty for 2600 bucks pretty good deal. of course i would like to drive my 924 instead of a honda but i don't know if i can afford to.

would 2grand for maintenance be more than enough to keep my 924 a daily driver keeping in mind i can't do major repairs like transmission swap or clutch change. for example if i find out my tranny needs replacement how hard is it to find a new tranny and how much will it cost to get a mechanic to install it?

i would buy a newer car instead but that would mean selling my 924 or leaving it to break down on my propert which i would feel bad to do.
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78 924 sold.
85.5 944

CMXXXI · Joined: 05 Nov 2002 Posts: 1939 Location: Vicksburg, MS

IMHO you sound ill-equipped to hold onto your 924. From the posts I've read it sounds as if you are "mechanically challenged" and don't have the funds (you're a student, it's understandable) to put a qualified mechanic on retainer. I think that your 924 is going to nickle and dime you to death, with no end in sight. In your position I honestly believe you are throwing good money after bad.

DO NOT BLOW YOUR COLLEGE LOAN ON A 'NEW' CAR (or maintaining a current one). I think anyone who's "been there" will agree that there are better, more important things to use that money on.
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'79 Eurospec 931

timstar92404 · Joined: 22 Sep 2004 Posts: 2075 Location: richmond BC

i've already made my mind to use the loan for a new car like a economy hb or maintaining my 924. i really need a car to get to college and work. bussing to school and work wastes a lot of my time and is very inconvenient for me. i would think 2 grand of work put into my 924 would make it a realiable daily driver. its seems to be running fine at the moment except fora water pump. small stuff like the water pump , belts, hoses etc i can attempt myself with the haynes manual and i can ask for help here.
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78 924 sold.
85.5 944

D Hook · Joined: 02 Nov 2002 Posts: 3158 Location: Omaha, NE

Get rid of it. You have plenty of time to find another when your finances allow.

My924gtc · Joined: 14 Aug 2004 Posts: 1362 Location: 248

Tim you have my sympathy. From what I've read and your responses to some friendly advice...I can only hope you find your way.

I won't go into how I can relate to your situation, but I guess it is more empathy, than sympathy.

You paid way too much for your '78 and you are insisting on throwing good money after bad.
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MJ
'81 924 2.0L T
'82 924 2.3L SC/EFI <---online fall '06

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Mannghi · Joined: 11 Nov 2002 Posts: 99 Location: Allentown, PA

If i were you I'd either sell the 924 and get what $$ you can or mothball it until after graduation. Keeping up with these old cars is something akin to a bad habit, we love it, but its not always good for us.
I'd wait for a steady cash flow before starting any bad habits.
Just my 2p.

924guy · Posted: Sat Oct 09, 2004 11:40 pm Post subject:

if your going to keep it, and it sounds like you really want too, just try and be smart about it. the water pump is fairly easy, but while youve got the front end apart replace the belts and hoses. spending a little more now will save you time and headache later, and you can always rent a torque wrench instead of buying. it may cost you more in the long run when you need it again, but if that makes the difference between replacing belts and reusing old ones, its worth it..
As for the tranny, it could be just a linkage issue, fairly common on early models, sometimes a bit of a pita to get right, but generally its just a loose securing bolt that plays havoc with the shifting..If it is a bad unit, the transaxel itself isnt any harder than doing the water pump for a simple swap out unless you strip or break some cv bolts (which is very easy to do) then it becomes much more frustrating, but not really any more difficult. Finding a replacement unit might be the real challenge, theyre fairly cheap generally, but heavy and expensive to ship if you cant find near you. its the clutch thats a real pita imho.. But i cant really see any reason that all of those problems couldnt be addressed fairly inexpensively with a bit of thought, some research, and a strong desire to get your hands dirty..a friend or two with some mechanical aptitude would help allot as well if you know anyone whos willing (treat them well, and feed them)
If your willing to put the effort in, you should be able to keep your 924 going and end up with a reliable driver, and be confident along the way should you have other issues with it that you can figure out how to fix them,. but dont go into it expecting everything will perfect all the time even after youve addressed the current problems, it very well may be, but these cars arent new, and things happen.. its a labor of love..if you want reliability and to just do routine maintenance, buy the Mazda...
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Eric
78 924
82 931 SE "smokey"
99' VehiCross
Y2K Honda Insight
http://www.cardomain.com/id/924Guy
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kye · Posted: Mon Oct 11, 2004 1:20 pm Post subject:

I think you have to remember that cars are complicated devices, and they're always a bit of a risk.
how well do you know the state of your car? obviously you're aware of what issues it currently has, but are you able to spot the signs of aging components? I ask this question because I know that i'm not, and so I get a few people I know to give me their opinion.. a friends dad gives great advice, and used to maintain a car fleet for the police department, so knows his stuff.
remember that many people will offer advice and help if you are courteous, ask nicely and feed them (either food, or drink.. buying someone a carton seems to go a long way). maybe get someone to drive the car and comment on the feel of the engine, gearbox, suspension etc, and to have a look around in the trouble spots they know about.
then you'll know if you're backing a wounded champ or a sinking ship..

and be equally careful about 'new' cars.. modern manufacturing isn't always what it is cracked up to be, and someone that drove a car for two years on the same oil can damage a car more than a well maintained car driven for a decade..
being tight on funds means you have a little less leeway than others, but if you're careful and try to get good advice for little outlay, you can still make good decisions and proceed with relative confidence.

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it's funny, but when they said "Anything is Possible", that's exactly what they meant....

Lizard · Posted: Mon Oct 11, 2004 4:47 pm Post subject:

I must agree with the spending of the college money on a car, not a smart move, if you take a loan out for school use it FOR school, the bus may yes be a PITA, however it will save you ALOT of money and ALOT of stress. having to worry about a car breaking down on you is a royal nightmare, ESP if you dont have a cash flow and a piggybank to break when you have to have it towed to a shop to have it fixed.

if I were having to do the water pump, personally I wouldnt use the torque wrench on my car, I would just tighten by hand, the only thing I use my torque wrench for is my head bolts. but I have alot of experience with mechanics in general and wouldnt worry about breaking the bolts or having them too loose.

I know that it will be more of an inconvience but either take the bus, or get a job to pay for a car, dont blow school money on one, that will drive you into debt FAST.
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3 928s,

Khal · Posted: Mon Oct 11, 2004 5:14 pm Post subject:

timstar92404, I have to agree with the other blokes here; It sounds like you simply don't have enough time or money to restore your car to good working order, much less properly maintain it.

Don't use your student loan on a project car. It's stupid.

If you really wanna keep the car, that's cool. Just store it until you've got some time/money. Work on it during holidays, etc...

A project car can be a good, fun thing to have but in your situation, it's gonna be a nightmare (sounds like it is already)

Stop worrying about bloody cars! Go and enjoy college!
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'80 924 Turbo

kye · Posted: Mon Oct 11, 2004 5:56 pm Post subject:

hehehe.. I enjoyed Uni! a bit too much actually.. it took me 10 years to finish the degree!

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it's funny, but when they said "Anything is Possible", that's exactly what they meant....

timstar92404 · Joined: 22 Sep 2004 Posts: 2075 Location: richmond BC

^^ shit 10 years....

college is not "fun" like many people tell me it is... i have to read 130 pages by tommorow then tom i have to do a big project and study for a law midterm doesn't sound like fun i'm falling asleep reading this crap.

i don't have to pay the college loan back until i finish school.. and thats going to be a while so it doesn't really matter. but obviously i don't want to waste it on a car that won't take me to school and back everday.

i might just get a little hb from a car dealership with a one year warranty. the 94 mazda hb is only 2600 bucks and looks like its in good condition don't know the miles but it comes with a one year mech warranty so that isn't too bad. plus if you neg you can probably lower it to 2 grand before taxes.

i'm going to get a job asap i've been to busy to look for a job since i got fired 2 months ago.....
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78 924 sold.
85.5 944

Chrenan · Joined: 15 Jan 2003 Posts: 3903 Location: Canada

I was in University for 6 years, 4 for the undergrad and 2 years for the grad degree, all without a car. It is a long haul, and the last thing you want to be worrying about when you have exams and other school stuff going on is your car. Try your best to survive without a car, it is possible. Can you use the loan to move to an apartment closer to campus? I had a friend who rented out the laundry room in a house for super cheap, not too romantic when he brought girls home, but it always made them laugh, that's a good start! Being a student is a fun time in your life, you want to be able to use your spare cash for things like beer and movies, not water pumps and timing belts. There will be plenty of time for cars (and project cars) later. Cars are a much more enjoyable hobby when money isn't as tight.
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1987 951 - M193 Version for Japan

kye · Posted: Tue Oct 12, 2004 4:47 pm Post subject:

well, uni sure is fun, but I guess there were people that took it seriously and were a little less overjoyed about the time.. I treated it kinda like a holiday and did about 2/3rds of it in the three years that they pay you for. then I had to get a job and start being productive. the last few years were doing it very very part time just picking up what subjects I had left.

I just felt that uni was great because I was free and treated like an adult for the first time in my life. no attendance required, not that much actual work (computer science is pretty easy if you're talented at programming and logic) so it was wonderful.
I didn't have a car for any of it either.. I rode a bike (in all weather) and even though I moved house a lot, I was normally about 20 mins ride away, which is a good distance.

do what you think is right for you.. if it's a mistake, then you'll learn from it and be a wiser person!

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it's funny, but when they said "Anything is Possible", that's exactly what they meant....