Vehicle Details
- Year: 1987
- Make: Porsche
- Model: 924S
- VIN: WP0AA092XHN456530
- Mileage: 91,099
- Transmission: Manual
- Title Status: Clean
- Color: Guards Red
- Seller: jjeffries
- Seller Type: Private Party
- Location: Tolland, CT 06084
- Lot #: V-0023221
Porsche’s original water-cooled transaxle sports car, the 924 was revamped in the 1986 model year with the introduction of the “S” version, featuring the improved brakes, suspension, and engine of the Porsche 944. This 1987 example comes finished in Guards Red over a Light Grey interior and was acquired by the current owner as a project car in 2019. It has since undergone extensive cosmetic reconditioning as well as an overhaul of the engine, fuel system, transmission, suspension, steering, and brakes. Showing approximately 91k miles on the odometer, this 924 S is now being offered for auction by its owner out of Connecticut.
The Guards Red exterior has been recently refurbished with new side moldings, lenses, mirrors, and refinishing of the nose panel and headlamp covers. The seller notes the driver’s side fender, door, and quarter panel were refinished under prior ownership, most likely following the minor damage reported on CARFAX in 2003. The seller adds that the battery compartment is rust-free and treated with an epoxy sealer for protection against future corrosion. Factory 16”x7” Design 90 wheels come dressed in older Michelin tires. Some signs of hail damage are noted on the hood as well as a small dent toward the left-rear sunroof panel, a light crease near the driver’s door side molding, and a slight crack below the driver’s window molding. Detailed images are provided in the gallery.
The cabin came factory-trimmed in Light Grey (XP) upholstery with a brown dashboard and door toppers. Refurbishment completed by the seller includes installation of new custom leather seat covers, refinishing of the dashboard and upper door panels, replacement of the carpeting, new instrument cluster bulbs, window switches, hood/hatch struts, and carpet floor mats The tachometer was rebuilt by Palo Alto Speedometer and the sunroof was modified to use manually operated latches. A Brey Krause stainless steel harness bar has been fitted behind the seats and the sound system is upgraded with a modern Blaupunkt Bluetooth/USB radio. The A/C system and power-adjustable mirrors are currently inoperable.
Upon the seller’s purchase, a replacement 2.5-liter engine was sourced and subsequently overhauled including new rod bearings, gaskets, ignition components, drive belts, timing belt, rollers, mounts, a water pump, thermostat, sensors, filters, heater core, and heater valve. The radiator was cleaned along with the fuel injectors and fuel tank. The fuel system was also refurbished with a new pump, pressure regulator, hoses, filter, and sensors. The 5-speed manual gearbox received a new Sachs clutch assembly, new master and slave cylinders, bearings, shifter bushings, and machined flywheel. The suspension, steering, and braking systems were also comprehensibly refurbished with new parts. Upgrades include Sachs struts, Weltmeister 250lb. front springs, 27mm rear torsion bars, and new Boge sports shocks in the rear.
This sale will include some documentation and a clean title.
Auction Results
- Sold for: $9,125
- Auction End: Oct 12, 2022 07:14:49PM UTC
- Number of Bids: 20
Comments (62)
These cars are just beautiful. I love going into my garage and looking at my 88 SE. So much fun to drive too.
Sold for $9,125
@jjeffries Thank you for such a wonderfully restored vehicle. Looking forward to getting in and taking her for a spin!
Congratulations FLAJBird … it’s the predictable thing for me to say, but you just got a helluva deal, but I’m glad it’s done. Thank you!
Thanks also to the other bidders and to all who asked questions.
As an unsolicited endorsement, the PCARMARKET team have been excellent to deal with.
John
Bid in the amount of $9,125
Bid in the amount of $8,810
Bid in the amount of $8,550
Bid in the amount of $8,280
Bid in the amount of $8,027
Bid in the amount of $7,777
Bid in the amount of $7,250
Bid in the amount of $7,000
Thanks Gents …
John
Bid in the amount of $6,750
Bid in the amount of $6,500
BIDDERS,
I’ve just LIFTED the RESERVE.
You’re bidding to buy it now … have at it!
Enjoy the process … this 924S is going to sell in the next hour.
Bid in the amount of $6,250
I was asked offline, Why selling it so soon after it’s completion?
Short answer: I’ve done what I set out to do. I knew it might be risky to do this car to such a high standard - would I get my money out of it? But that’s how I approach worthy cars. This example was too nice to do anything less.
I also have learned over the years that having two similar special interest cars eg two sports coupes, isn’t my bag. My 82 911 coupe, I love it like a Labrador; this one was always a project that would get sold once done.
What’s next? Likely a very old Jeep truck.
Best, John
Thank you Autoholic.
My name is John and I’m an autoholic, too.
Bid in the amount of $6,000
Cheers Details.
John
Bid in the amount of $5,750
Good Morning to all you bidders and watchers alike.
Thanks DonM for your bid.
I’m available all day to answer any questions. As soon as your bids reach reserve, I’ll acknowledge it so any subsequent bids will be for the acquisition.
I’m ready to see this unusually well preserved and obsessively overhauled 924S go off to its next owner. Hopefully that happens today.
John
Bid in the amount of $5,500
I’ve just added some extra pics … from a phone over slow internet so not optimal, but they show some in-process scenes.
Observe the hand-brake upgrade: that’s a lever covered 944 Turbo/951 item. It’s rather nice.
Also you’ll see how I insulated the floors and the carpets going in.
Heater control panel and knobs cleaned, ready for reinstallation. You may have noticed that I love cleaning things.
This tool to isolate the IAC valve to set the base idle will come with the car. Very handy, plugs into the factory-provided service port.
Front wheel camber (also on the rear) adjusted to the measurements you’ll see in the attached worksheet.
John
Additional content has been added to the gallery for this listing.
Additional content has been added to the gallery for this listing.
A quiet day today … the calm before the storm?
I’m looking forward to tomorrow.
John
Thanks Roc. I’ll announce here in Comments when Reserve has been met so that everyone can know they’re playing for keeps.
My first time selling anything in an auction setting … it’s rather exciting!
I’m signing off for tonight; traveling this week, further east time zone-wise, but will be back here early tomorrow.
Kind regards, John
Bid in the amount of $5,150
Thank you rocmaen … apologies if I’ve misspelled that. Appreciating the bids and dialogue here.
John
Bid in the amount of $4,850
This is the way I’d recommend the person who buys this car approach it. Spend the $650-700 on exactly the right/best part, and including the right drier, a hose that apparently is smart to replace and the R134a fittings, PAG oil, O-rings etc.
The compressor is easy to get at and remove. As in, not a whole lot of labor $$.
https://griffiths.com/products/porsche/air-conditioning/924s-944-951-968/compressors-kits-2/
@scottjeffrey Hi Scott Jeffrey, if you scroll down to the 5th or 6th post in this auction, I spoke about the A/C.
But, not wishing to sound rude, I’ll recap:
- the system is still configured for R12
- while I haven’t had a qualified tech put gauges on it, I’d think it self evident that it lacks enough system pressure to operate.
- the compressor clutch will activate when you apply direct 12V (i.e., the electrical side looks good to me)
-the compressor clutch is worn and will make some noise when the engine warms up.
All of the above says: it needs a new A/C compressor. By definition, that also means a new receiver/drier and a R-134a conversion kit, then evacuate & recharging. That’s the best case scenario in my opinion (I wouldn’t bother trying to put a new clutch on the existing compressor.)
Hopefully the evaporator and condenser are good but that won’t be revealed until a professional or competent DIY-er with a set of gauges gets into diagnosis.
Thanks for your interest,
John
Any idea what the A/C problems are?
@jmitro Thanks Dr. Mitro. I thoroughly admire your car, a brave and satisfying use of a 924S.
John
John, from one Rennlister to another, this is a beautiful restoration. Puts mine to shame! Good luck with the auction!
@eric123406109 Hi Eric,
The tires are Michelin snows, I’m not a home for the next few days so can’t look at the car and tire date codes, but they are old. They came on the D90’s I bought from my friend Rob and had been on his 964. I hadn’t even thought of using them but once I’d gotten the mechanicals sorted I put these wheels on for my test drives. It’s amusing to me but these tires are so perfectly balanced and have a lot of tread on them that I never replaced them. But they are old, don’t have killer grip and should definitely be replaced. The tires should always be among the last things you replace on a project car (so they’re nice and fresh) and I figure the next owner would likely want to make that choice for themselves.
The sunvisor which pops up when you remove the sunroof: both end hinges are broken off. The deflector itself will come with the car but the buyer will need to buy Left and Right hinges. Last time I looked they’re ca. $45-50 each. Installing them is a 5-10 minute job requiring a #2 Phillips screwdriver.
I’ve described the A/C.
That’s all I know of. (All filters on the car are new. The wiper blades are new. The oil & filter are new. Etc.) At this point, anything else would upgrades or personalization.
Thanks for the question.
John
Hi - what are the areas if necessary attention? I presume tires, as the description describes “older Michelins”. Anything else that you would recommend besides air conditioning?
Peter and SB Hayes, I appreciate your bids.
John
Bid in the amount of $4,500
Bid in the amount of $3,924
I’m about to go dark until tomorrow mid-morning. I’ll be back then.
Thanks All,
John
Thanks FLA J-bird for your bid.
John
@zerokwh When I got the car it had been sitting because the (original) engine was seized. My necropsy suggested oil and coolant had co-mingled and locked it up good and solid. The cam lobes looked like they’d suffered so I concluded a rebuild would represent a poor choice.
A guy on Pelican was selling an engine he’d rebuilt. He’d also documented that rebuild in an extensive thread (on Pelican), doing things like properly honing the Alusil bores in order to ensure the rings bedded properly. He’d used an 86 944 block and an 87 924S head. The car he’d installed this engine in, also a 924S, had eventually succumbed to rust, hence him pulling the motor and posting it for sale. He estimated he’d put 30-40K miles of daily driving on it, and had run it exclusively on Mobil 1. We met in Hagerstown MD and did the deal. The whole engine cost less than one piston/cylinder for a 911 … it was a generous deal. My further tear down showed he was a meticulous as I’d anticipated.
Before installing the engine, I cleaned it carefully and pulled the head to make sure everything looked good. I took the valve train apart and hand lapped the valves, and upon reassembly did the new water pump and timing belt, rollers, balancer belt etc while I had it on an engine stand.
I did have to pull the engine this past spring because the car was running rough at idle and it wasn’t anything obvious. Eventually I found that the #4 exhaust valve spring had broken and VERY slightly bent the #4 exhaust valve. That’s an easy sentence to write but the diagnosis took a while. As a result, and to confirm everything else was ship shape, while I had the engine out I pulled the pistons and measured the cylinders, pistons and rings (all within spec) and, while the rod bearings were fine, I installed new ones. The engine’s insides were as clean as a whistle. I replaced the broken spring and the valve -the guide was fine - then resealed and reassembled the engine - again. It fired up immediately to a perfect idle. The compression and leak down #’s I’ve posted were taken after this work.
It’s a nice, fresh motor!
John
Peter, thanks for your opening bid.
John
Bid in the amount of $3,500
This is such a great platform and looks like a thoughtfully cared for car.
Can you elaborate on the engine replacement? How many miles are estimated to be on it?
Bid in the amount of $2,924
@jjeffries I've been asked about the "rear seat delete". In all my research and obsessing over the 924/44/68 family, I'd seen photos of 968 Clubsport's with a factory rear seat delete. Being that the stock rear seats are truly useless, I decided to recreate the more sporting - and practical bench myself.
Note that what I've added is completely reversible. I made a frame out of fairly lightweight steel and skinned it in birch plywood. I insulated the bench assembly and the body behind it. It is significantly lighter than the stock rear seat but plenty strong. You could add an elasticized cargo net in a jiffy.
The carpets I cut and had professionally bound are attached to the bench with male/female snap connectors.
John
@jjeffries The original rear seat - two components - will come with the car. They have NOT been recovered.
John
Additional content has been added to the gallery for this listing.
Additional content has been added to the gallery for this listing.
John has done an incredible amount of detailed work to this car - I'm frankly surprised he's offering it up for sale. I know I wouldn't after the kind of blood sweat and, yes, tears he's got into it. If you look closely you'll see this little 924S loved on in a way usually reserved for BigBoy Porsches - Palo Alto Speedo gauge rebuilds, high quality upholstery work and on and on. As a casual observer I see these 924S in two camps - the ultra high dollar zero mile unicorns and rode-hard-put-up-wet projects. What we have here is a genuine high quality driver. Dunno about you but for me this is the sweet spot for cars you actually wanna drive. Lack of AC doesn't scare me too much. After all its "just a car" with a totally standard configuration AC system. While I don't think I'd bring an aircooled Porsche to any old shop for AC work I do think any honest shop (or hobbiest) with some manifold gauges and a tank of R134a can make this puppy "blows cold".
Good luck with the sale!
BTW, ALL the fuel, evap and coolant hoses were replaced.
The fuel hoses were made by Len Cummings, a familiar name to many. Len makes these using factory fittings - which gets replated - and German e-85 rated hose. The fuel pump is new/Bosch. The hoses from the IAC/Idle Air Control Valve are new. The vacuum hoses (the red ones) may be a tad garish but are high quality silicone, so much better than 35 year old stock hoses. No vacuum leaks means a smooth idle and a nice running engine.
I also replaced all the hoses that route gas fumes to and from the tank. There are no raw gas fumes in this car.
Similarly, all the coolant hoses, plus the heater core are new, as is the heater valve.
John
@Parataxic_Distortion The A/C system: the clutch on the original compressor is worn. The system has never been converted from R12 to R134a. Repairing that compressor would likely be a false economy, so at a minimum, it will need a new compressor, receiver drier, R134a kit and recharge. HOPEFULLY, you do that and the other components in the system respond well to being woken up and all do what they’re designed to do.
Two paths I can see to doing this, and for both I’d invoke the help of a licensed professional:
1. Buy new parts from Griffiths.com. This is the best source for Porsche A/C parts, is located near my occasional office in Franklin NJ and will ensure you get the right parts the first time, all of high quality. Mr Griffiths, aka Griff, is a stalwart great guy in the PCar community; my SC has his A/C upgrades - chilly.
2. Buy parts from more generic sources. It’s a Nippondenso compressor, and a drier and R134a kit are generic. If you’re on a budget, this might save a few dollars.
It’s possible the condenser and/or evaporator would also need replacement; others more familiar with working on multiple 924/44’s could comment. But maybe you’d get it resolved for a grand or so.
@GLTL The earlier 924 and 944’s just had sunroof latches; the choices were roof panel in, or out. Later cars, including this one, had the “power roof”, with what I’d call an overly complicated mechanism to actuate it. But all that power system added was the ability to tilt it … after that you could also remove it, but it didn’t make it into a sliding roof.
On this car someone had already disconnected the drive cable from the motor (located on the left inner quarter), so after some research I learned about the earlier latches and jumped when a guy from Danbury out a set on CList. One less thing to break or spend hours with your multimeter checking micro switches.
Thanks for asking.
Cheers, John
Hi John,
Nice work here! Kudos. I am curious to know if you have any thoughts about what would be required to get the A/C operable again? I live in Florida so it is a necessity.
Cheers and thanks,
Tim
Can you elaborate on the sunroof modifications?
One thing to correct in the text is that I replaced the torque tube bearings, NOT the transaxle bearings. I did not open up the transaxle. I did replace the floppy factory linkage arm atop the transaxle with an upgraded threaded rod type with ball ends. The transaxle got fresh oil, of course.
I replaced the bearings within the torque tube with new SKF bearings. Plus I cleaned and painted the tube itself.
Johb
Welcome to my auction, first one here on PCARMARKET. I’m John and this is my 924S. I’m
a grey-haired guy who’s been playing with sportscars since I was a lad. Having put an 82 911 back together which I’d bought in pieces, I was looking for another P-Car to concentrate on. I was out driving and found this 87 924S looking lonely and sorry for itself; three days later it was being delicately dropped into my garage.
I knew it would be an excellent candidate for a full-monty mechanical rehabilitation because it was rust free and fundamentally straight. That said, it had been off the road for some years so I took nothing for granted. I went through the car very thoroughly and used the right parts and materials to bring it to this condition. I’m not a professional mechanic but I do work in the auto industry and was able to call on my network to “do” this car to what I’d submit is a high standard.
Please take a good look and ask any questions that come to mind. We used to use the words “open and honest” but today’s corporate-speak is “transparent”: that’s how I’ve aimed to present this auction’s supporting materials.
Thanks for your interest. I am using a reserve but it’s reasonable. The car is every bit as good and nice as it looks. And remember the most important point: that while Porsche brought back the 924 in “S” format to be the most-affordable car (as in, cheapest) it was nonetheless quicker 0-60mph than its sister 944. The reasons are obvious: it’s lighter and narrower. So will you be investing in “the next 73 Carrera”? It’s a fun thought.
Cheers to all , John