The Porsche 924 Owners Club

My car has been in at Brian Miller Motors (Porsche specialist in Edinburgh). I had asked him to do two things, change the clutch cable and fix the non working temp gauge. He did neither, as parts are unavailable or on back order. I had however left my “to do” list in the car, so he rattled through most of these instead. He fixed the inoperative dashboard lights, fixed the horn, the rear wiper motor, and the electric mirrors, all of which had electrical gremlins. He also traced the fault in the temp gauge to the sender, and ordered a new one. I have since found and ordered a clutch cable. The car is going back in 10 days time to fix the original two items, and for him to adjust the steering rack and re-set the CO and fuel mixture. Today’s bill was modest, and he also reckons I have a good and sound car. Brian certainly knows his way around a 924, and I would recomend him to anyone in Scotland with a 924. So not the result I planned, but a good outcome none the less.

Last night I drove to a Porsche Club meeting in Dundee in the 924, a good enough meeting , but the highlight of the meeting was the drive home. From the Tay Bridge to my house (about 20 miles) I had the road completely to myself, bar just one slower car which I easily passed. Pure magic! Until a month or so ago my 924 had spent the last few years languishing unused and off the road, and even in the previous years it had done only minimal mileage. With every mile I put on it, it seems to be getting faster and sweeter, and it just flew home last night, a very satisfying drive.

Great to hear John, it's what the 924 is all about. The problem for us down here is finding those empty sweeping roads; the only way is to get up very early or go to Normandy !
I did actually find some nearly empty Cotswold Tarmac the other weekend but am really looking forward to taking it over the channel, lemans classic next year for sure but hopefully this September too .

To be fair, even up here it is getting ever harder to find clean empty roads unencumbered by tractors, muppets doing 43 mph, or men lurking in white vans with cameras, but last night proved it still can happen, even if occasionally! Mind you, that particular road, the A914 through north Fife, has a very special significance for me, as I have been driving it man and boy, 2 wheels and 4, for as long as I have held a licence, and is one of my all time favourite stretches of road. Rare treat to get it all to myself again, just at sundown too! Worth savouring such rides.

Actually, this week has seen another travelling first. I turned 60 a few months ago and got my free bus pass (is this just a Scottish thing?) Anyway, I dropped the 924 off with Brian and took the express coach back home from Edinburgh, free gratis, which dropped me a few hundred yards from my front door. Amazing how much more you see as a passenger. I think I could get to like this!

Excellent! I normally have an aversion to public transport like the plague (unless its in Germany or Austria where they run on time, are clean and efficient and not full of 'orrible chavs !) Also fun in Greece if you're not afraid of death
However, I can see the Scottish routes being a bit more picturesque as well as the massive appeal ,especially for a Scotsman, of being free!

Got it in one!

Stripped, cleaned and re-built the front brakes this afternoon. The car may be 32 years old, but the lack of mileage really shows when you come to work on it. What a joy when you don't need a lump hammer to remove everything! I was however astonished at the pads I removed (see pic) as one side is almost brand new and the other is almost totally worn out. As neither side was seized, this can only mean that at some point someone has replaced the pads in one side only! DUH?



I was quite happy with just ordinary pads, so I bought from Brakes International http://www.brakesint.co.uk/

Pads £13.24
Fitting kit £6.70
Overnight delivery £4.99

Add the dreaded VAT to that and still only comes to £29.92. Cheapest I could find, and the pads look identical to the ones that came out and seem OK. Recommended.

Another job ticked off the list

I have an absolute abhorrence of stickers in cars, so I'm sad to say that the club sticker is way to large and garish to ever make it onto the window of my car. However I am happy to promote the club in my own minimalist fashion, so here's my compromise ...

I like the old club sticker best, Dan and I are going to start a campaign for its return

Bought a rotary pad and “mop” (ie bit of foam rubber) from Machine Mart yesterday, and decided I would have a go at “power mopping” the still rather faded pinkish red paint on the bonnet of the 924. Assembled it all together with my electric drill, set to a slow speed, doused it in Farecla's most aggressive G3 cutting compound, took a deep breath ... and went for it!

WOW! Why was I ever faffing around doing this by hand? Used in a power tool, this stuff just rips the oxidised layer off to leave gleaming Guards Red just as God and Ferry Porsche intended. Amazing result. I need to get some milder compound now to do it again to get rid of the swirl marks, but I am stunned at the difference. I just hope it doesn’t all oxidise again in a week or two! Might use it as an excuse to go back and buy that compressed air powered orbital polishing machine though!

Realised that the drivers seat had the raising blocks fitted, so this afternoon I whipped them out. Certainly makes getting in and out easier as your legs don't have to fight the steering wheel. I can't decide though if the lower driving position is better or worse though.

Any opinions?

Only one....today's useless bit of ephemera;
"MOP" = Machine Operated Polisher
No charge

Seriously, would you consider clear lacquer now you're back to clean paint?
Failing that, I 've just switched to Maguiars carnauba .... Nice, I recommend it