TCL opinion needed. Porsche 924s collectible?

[crazywrenchfreak]

I recently stumbled upon a sweet deal on a 1988 Porsche 924S. I love the car, however There a few cosmetic aspects of the car i would like to change a bit. The car has 63000 miles and has been repainted once. So my question is should I change the car to closer fit my taste, or will i be ruining a future classic. What say you?

By crazywrenchfreak at 2012-04-10
Not actual car.

[Aperture]

I recently stumbled upon a sweet deal on a 1988 Porsche 924S. I love the car, however There a few cosmetic aspects of the car i would like to change a bit. The car has 63000 miles and has been repainted once. So my question is should I change the car to closer fit my taste, or will i be ruining a future classic. What say you?

By crazywrenchfreak at 2012-04-10
Not actual car.

The only way I could see a 924 become collectible is if it has extremely low mileage and original paint. The one you're considering has neither. I say scoop it up and tailor it to fit your needs.

[mac dre]

924 Turbo, 924GT and 924S will be the most collectible.

However, a repainted one will take a longer time to appreciate.

[RWD_only]

A 924 will likely never be a collector's item. Look to the 944 (951) and the 928 if you want a collectible FR Porsche.

The bright side is that you can buy one and modify it however you please and not worry about restorations and the market and non-original parts.

[mac dre]

A 924 will likely never be a collector's item. Look to the 944 (951) and the 928 if you want a collectible FR Porsche.

The bright side is that you can buy one and modify it however you please and not worry about restorations and the market and non-original parts.

Eh, I don't know about never. An early 924 will definitely have a harder time, except if it's extremely low miles and mint condition.

[TMH]

The only ones I have seen be described as desirable are the Martini editions.

I say have at it

[randyvr6]

You might want to check out this months issue of Hemming's Sport & Exotic Cars. Nice feature on a 924 as an unrestored "driveable dream" with a long term owner.

[crazywrenchfreak]

You might want to check out this months issue of Hemming's Sport & Exotic Cars. Nice feature on a 924 as an unrestored "driveable dream" with a long term owner.

Will do! I have had the car since January, It's been a fun car. From my limited knowledge I guess the 88 was the best year as it had the same power as the 944. The only things I would like to change is shaving the side markers and fitting a wider wheel. I would need to install wheel flare to go any wider.

[J-Tim]

The only regular 924 that would be somewhat collectible is a Martini Edition. The rest have sadly been overshadowed by 911s.

[randyvr6]

I don't think anything that you do will have any impact on future collectability. Not that I am a part of it, but from what I have heard the Porsche community is very accepting of tasteful mods and upgrades. It's not like you are modifying a vintage 356.

[ryanpend]

IMO, you don't buy these cars an an appreciating investment.

Unless it's a bone-stock 'special' car (ie. 924 CGT, 944 turbo s, 968 CS etc), prices have kind of stabilized.

Do you want this to be a driver?

For what that'll cost, I'd pick up a nice 944.
It's a vastly superior car.

[SVT2888]

The only regular 924 that would be somewhat collectible is a Martini Edition. The rest have sadly been overshadowed by 911s.

How rare are these? I remember seeing one at the junkyard years ago. Which is how I discovered they even existed.

[Air and water do mix]

For what that'll cost, I'd pick up a nice 944.
It's a vastly superior car.

This is a 924S. In other words it is a 944. The differences are the narrow fenders and the dashboard, which is also like an early 944.

I would enjoy the car as you see fit, especially since it's been painted once.

[novws]

I like the 924S. It's a slim body 944. But, as others are saying, it will never be particularly collectible. Do whatever you want to it without worry.

[BattleRabbit]

I don't think anything that you do will have any impact on future collectability. Not that I am a part of it, but from what I have heard the Porsche community is very accepting of tasteful mods and upgrades. It's not like you are modifying a vintage 356.

Unless you're talking about a desirable model(convertible D, Speedster, bent window/oter Pre-A), you'd be amazed at how much modifying you can do to a 356 and not trash the value.

As for the 924... Buy it, do what you want with it. They're hilariously fun.

[sforsancho]

Hope not.

[AHFlynn]

yeah, some people dont realize theyre not 944s.

[Bias_Ply]

what would you want to change about it, they're great cars stock too.

[YellowDieselGolf]

what would you want to change about it, they're great cars stock too.

I'd start with those ugly bumpers and unnecessary lights.

[J-Tim]

How rare are these? I remember seeing one at the junkyard years ago. Which is how I discovered they even existed.

They are not exactly what I call common, though a good example of a 924 is getting harder to find.

[epbrown]

The only regular 924 that would be somewhat collectible is a Martini Edition. The rest have sadly been overshadowed by 911s.

How rare are these? I remember seeing one at the junkyard years ago. Which is how I discovered they even existed.

They are not exactly what I call common, though a good example of a 924 is getting harder to find.

I think he meant just the Martini edition. If so, they were sold in 1977, only 2000 built. Even rare ones are considered not worth restoring; Fischer Motorsports, a Porsche shop in Barrington, had a 924 Carrera GT rotting on their lot for years. One in good shape is worth more than a standard 924, but fixing up a bad one still isn't cost-effective.

[geofftii2002]

The 924S is a fantastic little car. It is such a different animal from the "van engined" 924 that it almost shouldn't have had the same name plate. The proper Porsche engine really transforms the performance. They're balanced, lightweight and immense fun to drive. Avoid anything with oversize wheels as they tend to ruin the delicacy of the handling. Look for solid, low mile cars with good service history - be patient and the right car will turn up. There are a few S's that have been cherished.

If you're having reservations about this car, than listen to your gut and hold out for a different one. Chances are pretty good that not a lot of money was spent to properly prep and spray that car so who knows what sort of issues lurk beneath that shiny new resale red paint.

As far as collectibility, only the factory specials are going to see major upturns in value. Sure, a 924S might appreciate over time, but it'll probably never be a car that will see major gains. It was an entry level car - and as such it will probably remain in that entry level bracket for the foreseeable future.

Just get the best car you can afford, be patient and enjoy the thing for what it is - a fabulously fun driver's car.

[Mike!]

I think he meant just the Martini edition. If so, they were sold in 1977, only 2000 built. Even rare ones are considered not worth restoring; Fischer Motorsports, a Porsche shop in Barrington, had a 924 Carrera GT rotting on their lot for years. One in good shape is worth more than a standard 924, but fixing up a bad one still isn't cost-effective.

An actual 924 Carrera GT / 937 (not a replica) is probably worth more than your 987, for what it's worth. It might have just been a rotting 924 Turbo / 931?

I haven't seen transaction prices on Martinis recently, but my mom's has been appraised at about $5,500. It doesn't hurt that they're not as expensive to maintain or restore as, say, a similar vintage 911.

A plain-jane 924S? I'd say it's not particularly 'collectible', but with the boom in 914 prices a few years back, the market can surprise you. Repainting it and taking care of it isn't going to hurt it much though. 924 paint fades like mad, especially Guards Red, and the dashes crack, so I don't think you'd really hurt anything by keeping it looking good. Naturally, it's most desirable to repaint with the original factory Porsche paint code though. (My mom's looking into repainting her Martini and restoring the decals as well.)

[Wanganrunner]

I'd never heard of the 937/CGT until this thread. Cool looking:




I see some with projector lights rather than pop-ups also. Me Gusta.

[will951]

Even rare ones are considered not worth restoring; Fischer Motorsports, a Porsche shop in Barrington, had a 924 Carrera GT rotting on their lot for years.

I think if it were real there would be a line of people outside willing to take it off their hands.....

[karl_1052]

Avoid anything with oversize wheels as they tend to ruin the delicacy of the handling.

This.
If you want the wider tires, go for the 944.

[Obin Robinson]

I recently stumbled upon a sweet deal on a 1988 Porsche 924S. I love the car, however There a few cosmetic aspects of the car i would like to change a bit. The car has 63000 miles and has been repainted once. So my question is should I change the car to closer fit my taste, or will i be ruining a future classic. What say you?

Porsche made a lot of these cars. There are more than enough to go around. With that being said a clean, well maintained one will always be sought after. I can tell you that if I (or the PCA members I know) were looking for a 1988 924S I would be shying away from one with lots of modifications. Mods on these cars (other than suspension and basic retrofits to solve factory issues) often point to owners who did not maintain them properly. I'd shy away from a 1988 924S "boom car" with Pep Boys wheels but give a nice long second look to a pristine example with a stack of receipts.

Maintenance on these cars is not difficult but some parts are starting to become rare. What cosmetic parts are you wanting to change? If you do something like change the seats then at least retain the originals for the next owner. The car was designed to run pretty much nothing larger than 16" wheels and proper tire choice is paramount.

obin

[crazywrenchfreak]

The only changes I would consider making are removal of the side markers, slight change to the bumpers and I would like to go a little wider on the wheels, not insane, somewhere along the lines of 16x8 rear 16x7 front.

[MRVW00]

Euro bumpers and side marker delete is a must.

I miss my '82 924. My first Porsche, and I was a senior in high school. It was my personal p*ssywagon.

[cockerpunk]

if you decide to repaint, make sure to use another porsche factory color, otherwise you will probably be hurting resale.

mods like obin said, stick with quality and tasteful stuff otherwise you will be hurting resale.

that is if you care about resale at all. a car like that will probably never fetch more then 10 grand, so you could just say **** it to the haters and do what you want to it.

[epbrown]

I think if it were real there would be a line of people outside willing to take it off their hands.....

This was 10 years ago. Interest in these seems on the rise now, but back then no one cared about any 924 variant. Also, this shop - like most Porsche shops - was all about the 911s. Pretty much every Porsche shop/mechanic I encountered thought anything that wasn't a 911 was total crap. Any repair discussion of my 928 or 944 would start with "why don't you sell that piece of isht and get a 911?" "I've already got a 911." "Sell this piece of isht and upgrade your 911, then."

[will951]

This was 10 years ago. Interest in these seems on the rise now, but back then no one cared about any 924 variant. Also, this shop - like most Porsche shops - was all about the 911s. Pretty much every Porsche shop/mechanic I encountered thought anything that wasn't a 911 was total crap. Any repair discussion of my 928 or 944 would start with "why don't you sell that piece of isht and get a 911?" "I've already got a 911." "Sell this piece of isht and upgrade your 911, then."

haha....yeah, some 911 guys are crazy like that. That's why I enjoy passing them in my 25 year old Poor-mans-Porsche.

[Mike!]

This was 10 years ago. Interest in these seems on the rise now, but back then no one cared about any 924 variant.

I'm still not sure it would have been a Carrera GT (937). That would have been a 1 of 331... in the world... racing homologation special (plus 75 RHD 938s).

The only ad I've found for one right now is in the Netherlands and in Euros, but check out the 42k Euro price tag:

http://www.finecars.cc/en/detail/car/22649/index.html

I doubt any example was a $5,000 can't-sell-it special 10 years ago.

A 931, maybe modded with the fender flares?



That I could see sitting a while.

[a2a4raddo]

This was 10 years ago. Interest in these seems on the rise now, but back then no one cared about any 924 variant. Also, this shop - like most Porsche shops - was all about the 911s. Pretty much every Porsche shop/mechanic I encountered thought anything that wasn't a 911 was total crap. Any repair discussion of my 928 or 944 would start with "why don't you sell that piece of isht and get a 911?" "I've already got a 911." "Sell this piece of isht and upgrade your 911, then."

And yet you still brought your cars to them



That said, pristine very low mileage 924's are most def. appreciating in value. I've seen a couple go for big bucks.

I also don't agree with the Martini Edition being worth the most money. A pristine 1988 924 S SE (Clubsport) will fetch more money easily.

There was also the 1979 924 S which was essentially an N/A 924 with 924 Turbo everything. Very rare...worth more money then a Martini edition all day every day.

Lastly, you have the 924 "Sebring" edition...which is also rarer then the "Martini" edition, and just like the maartini, it was also an appearance package. Nothing special.


Although not sold here.....924 Carrera GT....and especially the Carrera GTS & GTS Clubsport are without a doubt...collectibles.

[Obin Robinson]

This was 10 years ago. Interest in these seems on the rise now, but back then no one cared about any 924 variant. Also, this shop - like most Porsche shops - was all about the 911s. Pretty much every Porsche shop/mechanic I encountered thought anything that wasn't a 911 was total crap. Any repair discussion of my 928 or 944 would start with "why don't you sell that piece of isht and get a 911?" "I've already got a 911." "Sell this piece of isht and upgrade your 911, then."

I remember two bags o' douche I had conversations with when I had my 924 which were along those lines. My 924 was one of only 500 built and was an extremely rare homologation model. One guy was talking to me at length about how cool his 911 SC was and how I should get one. I asked him "where is your car" after I listened to him brag for an hour. He said "oh it is in pieces in my garage and I have not driven it in two years"

My response:

Another 911 zealot talked at length about how cool her 993 was and how pure and awesome the air cooled cars were. She wondered when the last time we detailed our 924 was. We were getting ready for a quick set of laps around Watkins Glen and at the last moment she said "oh I don't put my car on the track."

My response:

obin