The Porsche 924 Owners Club

Evening all.

I very recently acquired a 1976 left hooker, 4 speed manual, chassis number ending 01631 so I believe one of the early ones. It was my intention to conduct a rolling restoration with my youngest son but on further investigation I`m not sure we`re up to the challenge.

The car has only covered 200 kilometres since its last mot in 1994, total odometer reading is 94k kilometres which I reckon is correct. It was running last year but the fuel distribution box was sent off to be re-sealed and hasn't been re-fitted. The paintwork is `orange peeled` all over with some surface rust on the bonnet, roof (it has a glass sunroof), drivers door bottom and the boot lid catch holes, all superficial, no holes. The sills and floor look completely solid and well protected, the battery box is solid but does have some superficial rust around the walls. The interior is all good except for a split seam in the drivers seat and a small tear on the side bolster (material all there).

She was imported in 1989 and had one registered owner until me. My thoughts are the car was restored back in the early 90.s and put into storage, especially if the `like new` alloys are anything to go by. The clear coat has gone, the silver respray has not done well and she`ll need a respray.

So, my question please. Does the very early nature of the car add interest / value to it? (I have to say I love the absolute simplicity of the early cars.) Should the car be fully restored? In which case I won`t be able to do this as my skills are limited as is my budget and therefore would I be better off selling the car and buying something a bit newer and potentially less demanding?

Happy to post some photos if this helps and thanks for your thoughts.

The early cars are worth saving as there are so few left, there are one or two early LHD cars in the Club, my suggestion is to ignore the bodywork and concentrate on getting the car up together ,running and MOT'd. Once it is mobile and usable, it is easier to take stock of the work required to improve the bodywork.

Hello and welcome.
The early cars do attract interest, and to some extent value. Having said that, everything seems to be struggling to find a market in the current climate. I dont think Ive ever seen so many on the market not selling!
LHD is going to limit its appeal in the UK to some extent, but our European friends do seem to value these cars a bit more, so if you were to sell make sure you include Europe in your potential market.

Agree with Stan, getting it running would be the first step, then you may not want to sell it at all!

Hi, and welcome to the club.

I can fully relate to your situation as I'm in a pretty similar place myself. I bought an early 76 a couple of years back which needed restoration. A change in my work situation soon after meant I found myself with a lot less free time, and as such it's just sat in the garage gathering dust. I've still got four other projects to deal with before I even get chance to touch it, and thus I keep contemplating offering it up on here to see if anyone fancies taking it on, as I know it will be a long time before I sort it. I only bought it due to the fact it was an early model, and it seemed a shame for it to be broken for parts (which seemed to be where it was heading).

With regard to your car, obviously without seeing pictures we can't really make a judgement on what work is involved, and without knowing you we can't comment on your skill set. However the one thing I will say is this forum is a goldmine of knowledge and helpful people, who love the 924, and will always do their best to help keep another one on the road. Even if its just inspiration and encouragement it may help you along the way. It might be worth checking out the rest of the forum, seeing who's local to you, and get out there and meet a few other club members before making your decision. I know full well without this place I certainly would have passed mine on a long while back.

Good luck with whatever you decide.

Regardless to the state of market, take a look at all early Porsche from 911, 912, 914, 928 etc. All the early cars command the strongest money due to their relative rarity to later versions. Stick with it. Get it mechanically sound first and worry about cosmetics later. Just keep on top of any potential corrosion. LHD v RHD does not matter on the early cars. Just gives you a wider market if you decide to sell later on.

Many, many thanks for all the responses, they’re really helpful and have assisted in me making a decision!! I’m going to ‘have a go’ at getting her going and am truly grateful that this club exists to potentially help that happen.
The more I look at the car the more I like her, the elegant yet simple lines and the knowledge she is one of the earliest makes her increasingly attractive. I will now admit I’m a Citroenphile at heart, and it reminds me a little of the SM I had the privilege to own a few years ago. This is only my second Porsche, the first was a 1986 911 Turbo that I sold just before prices went bonkers.
Finances are not what they were and so the 924 plugs an empty hole incredibly well, if nothing else it will be an interesting journey.
Here’s a photo of her lightly cleaned.

My 1972 Citroen SM for comparison!

Anyone remember that guy from Europe who restored an early car? The whole car was laid out with a birds eye view on the all the parts.Plus an amazing build video.Apparently it sold for 50k.Being LHD drive opens up so many more potential buyers.That is if your confident to throw 25k plus at it to fully restore it.

Sadly I won’t be throwing £25k at her but have started with a few new tyres so at least she rolls. Onwards and upwards!