OT: 1987 924S, What to look for? Problem areas? Options

[clapeza]

Found a 1987 924S for sale. 67k miles, idles smoothly, AC works, brakes evenly, shifts good. Dash has usual cracks at leading edge. Rear glass looks good. Guy wants $6k for it.

Found some water (!) in the rear pocket behind the passenger right wheel - leaking sunroof drain hose?

Anything in particular that needs to be checked on these cars? What's their "Hell hole"? I know these use the same block as the 944 and maintenance is similar as a 944.

Thanks!

[Ferg]

Clutch, Timing Belt and Water pump are the biggest maintenance items. If there are records addressing those items recently then it may be a decent deal. Any of those items is more than half the purchase price to have a shop do...

[dr914@autoatlanta.com]

Found a 1987 924S for sale. 67k miles, idles smoothly, AC works, brakes evenly, shifts good. Dash has usual cracks at leading edge. Rear glass looks good. Guy wants $6k for it.

Found some water (!) in the rear pocket behind the passenger right wheel - leaking sunroof drain hose?

Anything in particular that needs to be checked on these cars? What's their "Hell hole"? I know these use the same block as the 944 and maintenance is similar as a 944.

usually the leak is a sunroof drain clogged but could be the rear hatch leaking, have to check that because the glass frame separates sometimes, and is not easy to repair.

You need to make sure that the timing belt has been changed and properly tensioned. The car is galvanized so there is no problem (usually) with rust, although you must check the drains at the cowl under the hood as the battery acid could eat a hole through because of standing water and leak into the pass compartment, and on the other side render the wiper motor useless if it gets water logged.

the 924 s is a really good car, you may want to get the 924 944 tech tips book for some further advice and information.

Thanks!

[Racer]

http://www.clarks-garage.com/

944 drivetrain in narrow 924. Nice car. 1987 had 158hp. 1988 has 10 more hp.

Clutch, WP/Belts, Sunroof.

Power steering reservoir will leak

Battery is under the hood, above passenger foot well. Check for rust. If the rear footwell is wet, check the front too as the drains up there clog as well.

Its old.. so try all the switches and make sure they work. They are old plastic and brittle and will break at somepoint.

Odometer, iirc, is only 5 digit. So.. see if there are any records to support mileage claims.

Rear hatch can delaminate, which can cause issues. If hatch struts are old and soft, don't rush to replace as they will re-stress the rear window frame or acccelerate delamination.

[ConeDodger]

If the miles are real, it’s possible the clutch is original. That’s about $2500 to replace. If the timing chain hasn’t been done, it’s due. $1000 or so. That’s pretty high for a 924S. Unless you’re willing to pay a premium for what might be a low mile car, you can find one for less for sure...

[Dion]

(IMG:style_emoticons/default/agree.gif) with all the above. Also that water in compartment may also be due to the rear
hatch glass shifting in its frame. My sons 944 had that issue. Glass had to come out and be resealed.

[Tdskip]

I had one of these, quite a good car if understated and or is it towards confidence rather than thrills. I’d strongly suggest buying on body and interior condition rather than mechanical. As others have noted it’s basically a 944 in a narrow body form, parts are widely available but that’s not the most expensive thing to put right if the first two are

[Ansbacher]

I owned an '88 924S for 13 years before it was rear ended and totaled. Major problems I had were steering rack failures, power steering pump leaks, clutch failures, and rear hatch rattle (really annoying). Engine wise, it never missed a beat. Wish I still had it. As far as the comparison to a 944, yes, same engine but the car does not handle like its cousin. The 944 is a rock solid sled that feels stiffer and can turn on a dime, while the 924S has a more spongy, floaty feeling suspension, probably due to the narrower track of the rear wheels. Wish they had kept the non-power steering of the regular 924 in it.

Ansbacher