Tag: 924

Motorsports Monday: 1980 Porsche 924 Turbo Holbert Racing

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It’s always a little interesting to find something rare in the German world. The 924 Turbo does qualify as a bit rare; only about 6,800 of the early turbocharged models made it to the U.S., and the 1980 model year represents about half of that total. But teething problems, low residual values, higher cost of ownership and maintenance and the some 36 years that have passed since this car was produced mean there aren’t a huge glut of nice 924 models out there. But this car has something a little more unique than the already unusual 931. This particular car appears to have been modified in period utilizing Al Holbert’s D-Production body kit and magnesium BBS wheels. Rare? You betcha.

CLICK FOR DETAILS: 1980 Porsche 924 Turbo on eBay

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1977 Porsche 924 Martini World Championship Edition

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Last month I wrote an article for The Truth About Cars where I covered the special models of the Porsche 924. Recounting the various special editions drew into sharp focus the general lack of any performance gains with those models. Sure, some had sway bars and fog lights – two of the best known performance upgrades in the 1980s. But generally speaking, most of the Porsche 924 limited models were just a special color stripes and/or special interior. The 1976 and 1977 World Championship Edition 924 is probably the best example of that, but before it’s completely dismissed as a mega-poser, it’s worth a look if for no other reason than it’s quite the looker:

CLICK FOR DETAILS: 1977 Porsche 924 Martini World Championship Edition on eBay

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1987 Porsche 924S

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Disclaimer: I have a thing for entry level cars. Especially German ones. But labeling the Porsche 924S as entry level is selling this car short. Sure, it could be considered the lesser Porsche for a period of the company’s history, but this car served as the basis for some of the greats, like the 924 Carrera GT, 944 Turbo and the final evolution of the four-cylinder transaxle Porsche, the 968. Given their affordability brings with it a problem, namely owners who neglect these vehicles. This 1987 924S for sale in Florida is not one of those neglected examples, rather a stunning piece finished in Guards Red with the proper 5-speed manual gearbox.

CLICK FOR DETAILS: 1987 Porsche 924S on eBay

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1980 Porsche 924 Turbo

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It’s easy to overlook the importance to Porsche of the 924 model, but it was a significant and successful model – purists be damned. Not only did it make Porsche a viable company so that those precious air-cooled dinosaurs could be produced, but it laid the platform for many enthusiast favorites down the road both inside and outside of Germany. Of course, the most tangible benefit was the later 944 and 944 Turbo spawned from the bones of the 924, but highly prized models from other manufacturers were also influenced; the Mazda RX-7 was a blatant copy for example, but you can also see aspects of the 924 seep in to the Toyota Supra and Nissan 300ZX designs later in the 1980s.

Like its similarly revolutionary big brother 928, for some time the market did not recognize the importance or the significance of these designs. But while the 928’s needle has begun to head up the tach, the lowly 924 remains an absolute budget bargain for classic Porsche fans. One model that has gained some appreciation of late is the 924 Turbo. Though the technology was relatively primitive compared to more recent turbocharged mills, the 931 packed a potent punch in the early 1980s. Even in detuned American-market form, the 924 Turbo had nearly 150 horsepower from the pedestrian but heavily revised Volkswagen 2.0 liter at the same time that a 5.0 liter Corvette hit the market with 180 lazy horses. The Turbo was upgraded over its relatively short life span too, and models like this 1980 came equipped with a sport package that included 16″ forged wheels, upgraded 4-wheel disc brakes and a sport suspension:

CLICK FOR DETAILS: 1980 Porsche 924 Turbo on eBay

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1977 Porsche 924 with 39,000 Miles – REVISIT

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A little under a year and a half ago I took a look at one of the last vestiges of affordable classic Porsches – the “Poor Man’s” 924. This Bahama Blue Metallic example had covered a scant 39,000 miles under one claimed owner in its lifetime, but also showed a fair bit of age and had some non-original, incorrect paint work. At $6,500 in October 2014, it was too rich by my measure and it appears that I was right, as the car has re-emerged with a slightly lowered $6,000 asking price. Although the market has warmed slightly to the transaxle cars over that time, I still think this is a hard sell but it is a pretty cool alternative to similarly priced Volkswagen Rabbit or early Scirocco models.

The below post originally appeared on our site October 27, 2014:

CLICK FOR DETAILS: 1977 Porsche 924 on eBay

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Motorsports Monday – Worth Finishing: 1982 Porsche 924 Carrera GTS/R Replica

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As a habit, we try not to write up project cars. There are other sites that do that and a project car takes a specific subset of fanatics to be really interested. Most will turn their heads, unwilling to front the cash to complete the build. Some might be interested but have neither the skills, the resources, the time or the space to undertake the project. And, to be honest, most project cars are complete headaches – basket cases that were hastily thrown together or require enough reverse engineering that you’re better off starting from scratch. But once in a while one comes along that is both so cool and unique that it justifies a second look and disregarding the angels of our better nature who chant not-so-softly into our ears “DON’T DO IT!“:

CLICK FOR DETAILS: 1982 Porsche 924 Carrera GTS/R Replica on eBay

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Honorable Mention Roundup

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We get a lot of submissions from readers – something we greatly appreciate! But the reality is that we don’t get the chance to write up all of these cars, and some deserving examples slip through the cracks. For some time I’ve wanted to do a roundup of all the examples we missed out on, so today I’m doing just that. Here’s a group of neat cars that we didn’t get a chance to look at in more depth. Thanks again to all of our devoted readers who have sent in some of these suggestions – we really do love getting your suggestions, so keep sending them and tell us if this “Honorable Mention Roundup is a good idea!

CLICK FOR DETAILS: 1984 Mercedes-Benz 500SEC on eBay

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1982 Porsche 924 Turbo

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There are still a few cars that have a niche collector status but are generally unappreciated, even by those who love the marque. Until recently, it was the Audi Quattro that was the complicated, turbocharged wonder from Germany; while it redefined the marketplace and racing, it was largely dismissed as a flash in the pan that was too expensive and difficult to keep running. Three decades on, though, and even Audi has finally accepted that it was both an important and influential car and slowly the larger automotive enthusiast community is, as well. But there’s still an automotive icon, an influential leader who brought turbocharging to the “masses” in the early 1980s; an unappreciated car who I’m sure its time will come before long – the Porsche 924 Turbo. Already the market has begun to awaken to this model, though mostly good examples are still dirt cheap on the collector scale – and especially compared to other early 1980s Porsche Turbo models.

CLICK FOR DETAILS: 1982 Porsche 924 Turbo on eBay

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1982 Porsche 924

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In many ways, the Porsche 924 is to me the equivalent of the Audi Coupe GT. Much like the Audi, the 924 has languished in the shadow of its bigger and more famous brother, the 944 – especially the Turbo model. Show up just about anywhere in a Coupe GT, and invariably someone inquiring about the car will say “I always loved the Quattro”; the same has been my experience with the 924 – even the S model – when people discount the normally aspirated model in favor of memories of forced induction. True enough, the 951 – and even the turbocharged variant of the 924, the 931 – are fan favorites even within the marque and generally considered where the value and appreciation as collectors will be in the near future. But that doesn’t mean you can’t get a solid value in a more simple 924. While the later 924S is where you want to be if you really want a driver value, there is a beautiful simplicity to the early cars that always draws my eyes:

CLICK FOR DETAILS: 1982 Porsche 924 on eBay

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Poor Man’s Dilemma: 1980 Porsche 924 Turbo v. 1988 Porsche 924S

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As we’ve charted the demise of the 996’s residual value, it may no longer be accurate to say that the Porsche 924 is the best value for your money if you just want a Porsche crest. But with the rising prices of 911s, 944 Turbos and 928s, if you want a Porsche from the 1980s, there’s simply no contest – 924s represent the gateway into Stuttgart’s finest without obliterating your retirement fund. In fact, many nice Porsche 924s can be had for a song – even though we’ve also recently seen the elite 924 Carreras push well into 6-figure territory. As a lover of the Audi Coupe GT, which share a shocking amount of parts with it’s much more highly sought bulging brother Quattro but not the value, I can identify with the plight of the 924 enthusiast. Indeed, I consider the 924 to be a great design and love both the early, simple cars from the 1970s for the clean purity of purpose right through the upgraded 924Ss, one of which resides in my family and I’ve spent a considerable amount of time in, under and around. So it should come as no surprise, being a fan of the underdogs, that I ponder 924 ownership on a semi-regular basis. The question is, which 924 do I like more – the early, vented turbo models that were the homologation of much of Porsche’s racing technology, or the “real Porsche” 924S, replete with the underpinnings of the 944? I’ve found two pretty comparable models, so let’s take a look:

CLICK FOR DETAILS: 1980 Porsche 924 Turbo on eBay

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