BigTom wrote:Afraid I can't help, but how d'ya find the 924 to live with? Always had a softspot for these/944s and considering one as a lude successor should mine eventually succumb to something unfixable.
Easily usable as an everyday car.
My mate ran a standard 924 as a daily for about a year and a half, 40ish mile commute every day and it was fine.
I used this 924S as a daily for a couple of months and again, no problems at all. Fuel economy is the only slight bummer, but it's about the same as the lude.
Really simple, reliable car and easy to work on too. Cambelt is by far and away the easiest I've ever done, about half an hour and it was all stripped apart! Only really awkward job was the lower engine mount under the exhaust manifold. These always get completely cooked. According to service manuals, you have to take the engine out (no thanks!), managed to do it just by removing the exhaust manifold but getting to all the bolts on that and manoeuvring it out was a complete sod...
Standard service parts and gaskets/seals etc, that kind of thing are pretty plentiful and cheap, it's only once you start going beyond standard service stuff into larger components that things can start getting expensive, but there are plenty around being broken and even then, quite a few parts are common with VAG's from the same period (no, NOT the engine in the S, before anyone starts saying it's a VAG van!!!) so if you can find the cross-reference part numbers, you're in business there too.
IMHO the standard 924 handles better than the S, due to the lower ride height and smaller rims/tyres (tbh I was blown away by how well it handled) but after a lude, you'd find the standard 924 dog slow.
The 924S has a LOT more go and has a GREAT throaty roar, even in standard airbox/exhaust trim (it really is properly exciting when you put your foot down)
924 Turbo is exciting but the engine bay gets well hot and there's a lot of non-standard stuff on the engine, so parts supply for that is getting a bit more difficult now.
There are a LOT of terrible colours out there too (exterior paint and crap/disgusting interiors) so it can take a while to find a nice one. Mine's definitely not in that category though - white paint and the best, black 'large logo' interior
I'd love to keep it, but have too many cars sitting waiting work anyway and I really need the money now, so as soon the power steering's fixed, it'll be MOT'd and up for sale.
