Porsche 924S
PORSCHE 924S
There’s a good reason why Porsches outsell nearly all rivals - they blend high performance and dynamic handling with daily-driver dependability. Porsche is an engineering firm first and foremost.
The 924S occupies a sweet spot in terms of this blend of reliability and sportiness. It boasts the same thoroughbred engine as the 944, within the same beautifully-balanced transaxle chassis. Unlike the earlier 924 it isn’t lumbered with a cantankerous, parts-depleted Audi engine plagued with starting problems, and power steering makes it easier to exploit its 50:50 chassis balance. However, unlike the 944 it doesn’t have mud-trapping box-blistered wheelarches or rotconcealing sill covers. By and large, unless it has worn a bodykit or had accident damage repaired, the full-body galvanisation will still be doing its job. It’s worth still checking the underside though, especially the inner sills. Battery trays rot, but can be protected with a £9 cover.
The 2.5-litre 944 engine is very reliable, so long as its threeyear/30,000-mile cambelt changes have been adhered to. These require special tools due to the engine’s use of contra-rotating balancer shafts for smoothness, and it’s a good idea to change the water pump at the same time. The whole operation should cost £580 at most.
If the 924S does have an Achilles’ Heel, it’s that transaxle gearbox, complicated by its location at the rear. Crunching sounds when changing, and the lever jumping out of gear, point to a need for a £1100 rebuild. Clutches are £500, but tricky to replace – again because of the gearbox layout – so labour costs can mount up. That said, it’s chicken feed compared to a failed intermediate shaft bearing on a cheap Boxster.
Most are advertised between £6k-£9k, prices kept down by more glamorous 944s and 968s. But they wear their miles well, so a leggy sub-£5k private sale could well yield a bargain if the car’s sound enough.