924Board.org

[Jamel]

Greetings, all! I hope to soon join the ranks of 924 owners, ...depending upon how a pending transaction goes. I've been doing a lot of reading about the 70's 924 and I'm very excited about owning one, but I want to be sure that the car that I buy isn't going to be an absolute money and maintinence nightmare. I certainly understand that a 20+ year-old car is going to require more attention than something a bit newer, and I'm fine with that. What I was hoping to learn from you, the more experienced owners, is what specific mechanical issues should I be mindful of when I go to check out this car? The body is in excellent shape, but the interior is a bit rasty. I can deal with the interior. What should I look for mechanically? Thanks for the comments.

[Paul T.]

Make sure the engine is in good condition, this is of utmost importance! Ensure that oil pressure is where it is supposed to be and there are NO strange sounds (knocking, thumping, pinging) from under the hood. An engine rebuild on one of these monsters is not cheap! Check all of the mechanicals and ensure they are all good. Parts for this beast can get very costly. Other than that, they are a BLAST to drive.

[marky522]

find out if any clutch work has been done, i bought a 924 and it needed a clutch and it has been a nightmare.

Mark

[eturbo924]

Well there are so many things that can go wrong with any car but I have a few tips.

Get one with as much maintenace history as posible.
If the car has more than 100K miles make sure the clutch was changed.
Inspect all the wires and hoses under the hood for crackes and proper fit. Run and drive the car. Listen and feel for surges and vibrations. Check the play in the front suspension... ball joints and tower bearings. Take the battery out and inspect the battery tray for corrosion and holes into the passenger cavity. Take the sun roof out... if it has one and inspect the areas around the drain holes. These can plug and collect moisture and cause leaks and corrosion. Make sure these are clear. Check in the wheel wells (rear hatch) There are storage compartments under the mat. Check that these are clear of water.

Inside the car inspect the fuse and relay pannels. Take a look at the fues and make sure the proper ones are in place... I.E. if a 30 amp fuse is in a 15 amp location.... is there a circuit that is drawing to much current and is about to quit?

Engine. Check the belts, alternator output and waterpump for noise. Take the valve cover off and inspect the cam and the followers for pitting or excessive wear. Cam and followers can be costly! Followers... you need 8 and the best price for new that I have ever seen was $40 a piece! Cams in these cars frequently do not get enough oil when ..... the car is not properly maintained.

I could go on and on. Of course you want to see if the car was ever repainted and has had any major body work.

If you want to e-mail me I can go over any other issues as they arise... if you want.

All in all if you properly inspect a 924 it can be a great car to have.

Eric
Eric.Lynch@itt.com
http://www.geocities.com/eturbo924

[Rick MacLaren]

Oil leaks?

[Jamel]

Awesome tips, guys! I hope to take the car out for a drive and inspection this Wednesday. I'll post my observations here afterwards. Thanks a lot for the great advice.

[MAS]

Also, have a look at any 924S's that are in your area

-MAS