Jezus, Helen, talking about possibly the worst time in my life, that was... Thank god the tables have turned. Urgh.
Anyhow, what has happened since? Nothing really, I dropped the car off to Mike Bainbridges who immediately told me that the reason why the car wouldn't start is because the engine was seized solid.
It has been parked ever since on his yard, because I am "convinced" I'm going to find a good series 1 engine, and I'm "determined" that I can source a complete front suspension assembly as the wishbones were... rather gone. Obviously the brakes were seized and the gearbox is an unknown quantity and the clutch and wireing loom and basically the whole caboodle needs changing if and when you want to make this car work.
Here the "expensive paintwork" gets scratched by some DDK-ers
I have random pics where the ghost of the 924turbo shows up:
suddenly I am holding an oil pipe of the 930 and is whaling in the background...?
At various intervals I nearly bought a series 2 engine + front suspension, I missed out on the Ninemeister Series 1 tuned 924 turbo + intercooler making 220 bhp (now that sounds like a fun wolf in sheeps clothing), I missed by a couple of pounds the 1982 series 2 motorshow car, which was owned by a man in Kendall.
All enthusiastic I told him about Mike Bainbridge ("who? Never heard of?" And he is in Kendall, really?) and the result was that the man wanted to meet Mike immediately. I got him so worked up that he drove over sans tax and insurance to Mike's on a saturday, three hours before the auction finished. Unfortunately, it was the saturday afternoon that year that Mike was allowed out of his shop
.
I decided, based on the pictures, that if the car drove and looked as good as it was described it was worth a punt, so put in my bid. Sadly an Irishman put in a bit more and that was the end of that.
A guy in Nottingham had a series 1 which I went over to see and drove. A coarse coarse running car with a fantastic magnolia leather interior. I send the pics I took over to Mikes and it went like "why did he have the exhaust gaskets wrongly over the manifold? It looks he used a 924 gasket rather than a turbo gasket? Ahahahah, why has he done this wrong, he assembled that upside down etc" that I thought,"okay, too much hassle".
There was a guy in Newcastle with a black on black "restored" series 1, which looked interesting. Went up on sunday and when I got out fof the car, i thought: "Restored: my foot. Orange peel from 20 foot, filler everywhere". And his biscuits were stale.
There was in Doncaster a red series 2 that came out of hibernation, but at that time I couldn't be asked to go over so perhaps that was one that got away.
Anyhow, to make a long story less long: I got from Southhampton a 924S in guards red. Sunroof, I'm the second owner, Full Porsche Service history and maaaaaaaasses of history, 93000 miles, cosmetically 95% bar the sill and a wing so had that replaced. I polished it up for 23 hours with 11 layers of various ointments and was enjoying it really well until december 21st.
Since my accident in 2007 I had learned an awful lot (thanks DDK!
) so the car was CatC written off, I received the cheque, bought the remains and a just bought all the parts to fix it for.... £100.
Yes, I believe that having Porsches can be fun indeed!
Final note regarding the 924 turbo: Why did I want per-se a series 1 whilst everyone bangs on that the series 2 is more economical and easier in use etc. Well, because of the performance figures, really. Not bad for a such an old car!
On top of that, as the 924 turbo is an early car made in 1979, there was a chap over on the PCGB forum talking about
I know that the CSCC is trying to strengthen the participation of 1970s under 2 litre cars within "Future Classics"...
For info the CSCC have decided to introduce a new class within the "Future Classics" series for next year (2010).
This will be known as the "Super 70s" class and will specifically be for all Sports, GTs & Saloon/ hatches below 2 litres that were of a production type introduced berfore the end of 1981.
The aim is to encourage more cars from the 1970s and very early 1980s out & to give them a (40 minute mini enduro) place to race & be competitive against cars of similar age group.
1981 has been chosen as an age cut off specifically so that the cars in the new class are also eligible for the annual invite to the "Youngtimer" 300Km race at the Nurburgring. All other regs for the Future Classics series will remain the same.
I guess I can only really think of 924 alternatives such as 2 litre TR7 and Triumph Dolomite Sprint, 2 litre Capris, Opel Mantas, 1700cc Alfa Sprints, early Maxda RX7, POrsche's own 914 or 914/6 and cars that are already eligible for Tin Tops such a VW Golfs and Scrrocos and the like. However, how many of these sorts of cars are in (racing) captivity? Not that many.
I guess that the big advantage that the 924 has is that loads were built for the BRSCC/ PDA 924 series so there must be loads still available. They are not that expensive either and parts are still available. They just need to be persuaded to come out & try CSCC "Future Classics". 924s could become the "weapon of choice" for the 1601 to 2000cc "Future Classic" class. Could have an unofficial 924 class.
Another advantage is that the 924 would also be eligible for the CSCC invites to the Nurburgring races (models have to have been pre 1981 to be eligible as the CSCC broadly fits in to the ADAC "Youngtimer" categories). The 924 must be one of the chaepest and most robust cars for that sort of caper!
Must admit that I fancy a 924 Turbo racer myself (so that I could also be eligible for the CSCC 'Ring "Youngtimer" invites) but don't recall ever seeing one come up for sale
so I responded that I have one and could he provide more info.
We chatted back and forth and the end of the discussion was:
I would love to see a 924 turbo out racing in "Future Classics". I think it would go very well, but, as mentioned earlier in the thread, it would receive a 1.7x turbo equivelancy putting it in the 3 litre to 4 litre class.
Nothing wrong with that & you'd probably be competitive with that fine handling, you just need to be aware that's all.
Must be loads of handling/ set up experience around, & transferable parts, from the 924 series and the various 944/968s. You'd be up against 911s, Rover Tomcats & TR7V8s. A 924T would be eligible for the invite to the Nurburgring race, as well as all the other races.
I like that invite to the Nuerburgring part, and enduro as well. I know Mike is longing for race cars in his shops, so, I started a spreadsheet and there will be a bit of conversation back and forth between Kendall and Nottingham....
Bert
you are one fearless intrepid traveller indeed.