Did I find "The One"?

[Apache]

I found a 1988 Black 924-S in Palm Springs with only 47,000 miles on it for $1,500.

The owner says it has a bad clutch but is otherwise perfect.

How do you check out the car if you can't drive it?

[stupenal]

I'd stay away personally. $1,500 will get you a BEAT up, NEGLECTED, tired old car. Clutch itself is $1200, then you'll need timing belt and waterpump. I'd pass on it.

[TSNAPCRACKLEPOP]

that convertible top will never keep you warm if you move to mason city, iowa.

[Nabeel]

Originally posted by Apache
How do you check out the car if you can't drive it?

Umm...look over the car and see what condition it is truly in. There are a lot of 'perfect' and 'excellent condition' cars out there that are anything but. If the car looks decent and mainly as-described, then its your call. You could spend some money getting it towed to a shop and have the people there look over it and try to see if the clutch is indeed the only thing that the car needs. Good Luck, and if the car is as-described, you could be getting a very good deal. $1500 (car) + $1300 (clutch) = very good 924S for $2800. I'd say its worth a shot, especially if you try to bargain further.

PS- 47K miles seems a tad early for a factory clutch to go. Granted, the car is 15 years old, but still.....I've heard of original clutches lasting well past 100K miles.

[Roger Hall]

Clucth is $500 if you do the work. If the car is in good condition its worth it. At 47k at water pump should be good for another 60k. Timing belts are necessary nomatter year, millage, or cost. Just be carfull that its not really 147k (not sure about 1988 but in 1981 the speedo only went to 100k). If the clutch is bad you can still start the car listen to the engine, and run a compression test. The basic condition of the car will tell you something about how it has been taken care of.

[Porsche944]

This all depends on the depth of your mechanical skills and wallet.

Last December I picked up an '87 944 with 240K miles and a bad starter and starter ring gear for $1800.00.

Since then I have put a ton of "sweat equity" and some cash into the car.

I already owned and still have an '84 that I brought back from the dead, so I knew what I was getting into before I bought the '87.

So far I have repaird the sun roof, converted the A/C to R-134, flushed and filled the cooling system, changed the gear lube in the transmission, rebuilt a four brake calipers, replaced the starter, replaced the starter ring gear, rebuilt the clutch master and slave cylinders, repaired a rust hole in the battery box, re-dyed the cargo area carpet, repaired the cargo cover retract mechanism, replaced the intake manifold gaskets, replaced the injector seals, cleaned the intake system, replaced the intake boot, replaced various hoses, replaced the oil filler O-Rings, replaced the spark plug wires and distributor cap, replaced the radiator fan switch, replaced the right (passenger side) tie rod, replaced the shifter boot, replaced all four speakers, replaced the odometer drive gear, replaced the oil pressure sender, re-built/repaired the spare tire pump, and re-sealed both tail light assemblies.

I still have some things to do like replace the front struts and do a belt job, and re-finish the Phone Dials, but all in all I'm satisfied. The '87 runs well, everything works, and as soon as my '84 is sold the '87 is going in for a re-paint.

[malmz]

I found the same car in the same location... Surfing here for answers to some questions, and I came across this thread.

The guy says the ring gear is loose, so the starter just spins. I am not familiar with the setup. Some of the parts diagrams look like the ring gear is connected to the pressure plate instead of the flywheel. How and where is it connected on these animals, and is there a rubber part that may have disenegrated or broken otherwise?

The guy says there was one previous owner. If so, there should be some documentation on the mileage. Also, in CA, the mileage is easier to confirm via smog checks and the state computer.

sm

[Apache]

If it is the same car, it's all yours!

When pressed for questions, the seller got really evasive. I'm stepping back from this one.

[malmz]

Yep, he wasn't very personable to me either. Actually warmed up a little, itty, bitty, bit after I talked to him for a few minutes...

sm

[Porsche944]

If the ring gear was loose, so is the pressure plate. More than likely there are some teeth missing from the gear. That's what was wrong with my '87. If you "bump started" it, the car ran fine.

I have a feeling the ring gear was busted when the engine kicked back during a start up, and I think it's timing related. I'm doing a belt change in the next few days, so that should answer my questions.