Would you buy...(project)

Django x2

Django x2

Django x2

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A Porsche 924S with 5k miles on the clock, one owner, mechanically sound, but otherwise a wreck...

Strangely, I never minded the 924 or 944. Body work is straight, just in need of serious love and a few localised running issues (brakes etc).
 
Going by friend’s doing similar I would say no. If you want one go and buy a good condition running road worthy example.

Some spent considerably more than buying a good one or they lost interest leaving it sat in the garage for years.
 
Depends on the price, as above, the cost of getting a project back up to great condition isn't going to be a cheap endeavour. It'll likely be cheaper to just buy a good one, but if you enjoy doing the work/restoration then it might be worth it as a hobby.
 
Depends on price and the condition. You say it is a wreck, what does that mean exactly?
 
Acme said:
Depends on price and the condition. You say it is a wreck, what does that mean exactly?
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Well, it's not moved for 8 years so the elements have taken it's toll. The owner is late 80s, lost licence some time ago and doesn't have the mobility or budget to restore it.

It's entirely a hobby project. I've got no real issues working mechanically and certainly don't mind getting stuck into body work.

I've got a feeling £3k would buy it if I appealed to their desire to see it restored.
 
That sounds like a bargain to me. But really it depends how rotten it is and how confident you are at fabrication and welding. :)

My E30 needed sills inner and outer on one side, and outer on the other, rear valance repair, flitch tray repairs, inner arch repairs on the front, one rear arch inner and outer, a scuttle repair, two new front wings, a little bit on the roof, a bit around the fuel filler neck, a new fuel tank, bits on the front footwells, a random little bit in the middle of the floorpan, a bit around the rear boot lock, a bonnet, and rear boot pockets...

From a quick visual inspection with all the plastic trims and covers and interior etc still in it, I couldn't tell it needed any of that. :o
 
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That's the unknown of it all. I've not been able to get a proper decent look around the car yet to know if any of that is even an issue. My hunch is that I would be extremely fortunate if there wasn't anything where a screwdriver could be stuck straight through. I don't feel it's enough money to ignore, but have to expect (and accept) that there could be double that on bodywork repairs. I really want to treat this as an engine out rolling chassis project so nothing gets ignored. The problem with doing that is, essentially everything then needs to be repaired or replaced (hoses, pipes, brake lines, etc, Ed Chine style)...
 
At your presumed purchase price, and going into it as a hobby/passtime rather than for turning a profit, then I’d be tempted to take a punt if I had the time and space to work on it.
 
If you're going to do this as a hobby rather than for financial gain, then you really need to have a strong passion for the car. "Not minding it" may not be enough? :)
 
I guess if the worst comes to the worst you would easily be able to sell it on for what you paid if it has a genuine 5000 miles on the clock. Just do it. /Nike
 
Try and see what a restored or good condition 924s with very low miles is selling for?
That will give you an idea of a reasonable budget for the car.
Looks like 10k buys one in excellent condition but then there's the tiny mileage.

I'm currently restoring a 1985 911, I say currently but it's been nearly 5 years since I got it and it will certainly be another few years before it's finished.
Go in with your eyes open, try and be completely objective (I couldn't as it's one of my dream cars)

Everything about it costs. These particular 911's are selling for very strong money but it's only going to be financially worth it as I got it very very cheap (sub 5k) and it's a Carrera 3.2 Supersport so very rare (230 odd produced)
That and I went into it with no clear deadline for completion. I knew that I'd have to spend a number of years scouring car shows and jumbles, meets and websites to try and find parts at prices that would be affordable.
The most expensive things are not what you would expect, mechanical and body work is able to be planned once the body and mechanicals are stripped down. You can then budget for the work as required.
The biggest cost is all of the trim and perished parts that come from a car being stood (this 911 had been stood for 15 years with a blown engine)

Just simply look at all the rubber on the car - window seals, door seals etc. And then consider Porsche parts prices......

I went to my local dealer years ago with a huge list of parts, the total was over 22k!
There was over 2k in just door and window rubbers - however one positive was 99% of it was actually available from
The great thing this gave me was the prices for parts to understand what I should be paying when sourcing elsewhere.

Ultimately I'll be more than happy to have a car that I know is immaculate with fully rebuilt mechanicals and hopefully will cost me less than a tatty one to buy.
 
Very helpful, thanks. I also have to weigh up what I do with the car, Martini racing colours for example, without making it something it's not (there were 924s Martini racing models).
 
Five thousand miles, or 105,000 miles? They've only got five-digit odometers, as far as I recall, so it's worth bearing that possibility in mind. My gut instinct would tell me it's the latter, but stranger things have happened.

At any rate, I wouldn't want to pay more than a grand or two, if that (based on not knowing anything about it, mind). You can still buy a running 924S for about £3500 – and it wouldn't take long to chew through £2500 if you were putting the entirely unknown car back onto the road, if not more.

It really depends on what you want to do with it, how much it needs and how much you're interested in working on it and doing things yourself. Do you just want a 924S you can hack about in and don't care what kind of condition it's in? Then it could be an option, if you have the space, tools, time and inclination to work on it.

Do you just want a smart car that's easily enjoyed? Well, an immaculate 924S only costs about seven grand – and if your project needs paint and bodywork, you could quickly get up to that level as well. That's particularly true if you're going to farm a lot of the work out.

If you just wanted a 924S to drive and tinker with, I'd recommend just skipping the aggro and buying a known going quantity. It'll end up costing you less, financially and in terms of time and grief.
 
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Good point, are you sure it isn't 105,000 miles?

Does it have 1980's tyres on it still?
 
ezekial said:
Can you use the MOT checker to check the mileage?
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Says 5000 miles. However, it's last MOT was 8 years ago, roughly around the advent of the digital system. Prior to this, if the mileage on the Odo was actually 105k but only showed 5k, the MOT tester would have omitted the 100k part
 
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