Hello hotrod and car builders in Ontario , my names Daniel and Im almost 15, I'm very into cars and I am learning how to weld at my house on a 180 amp mig, yesterday I bought my first car , it's a 1982 Porsche 924. I know it's not hotrod or anything but it's a good first project I think , it has every part there but not all together. Over the winter and in the summer I am looking forward to take it all apart and putting it back together, im just asking on this forum if anyone with experience or anyone who has some ideas if there is anything I should know or take in to consideration when I'm working on my Porsche ?
Don't be surprised when you see how expensive replacement parts are. Figure out what cross references to Audi and VW and you can get a lot of the parts for a lot less. IIRC, this car should have the VW/Audi 2.0L engine and transmission.
1982 is a pretty low volume year with about 10,000 made.
Thanks for tellling me that ! The car has lots of spare parts , basicly everything there , I know for sure the passenger side is going to need new floor pans but the drivers side is good , the body is really strait so I won't need any new panels , I have the 4 speed trans axel , I hope it won't need anything to big , but thank you
oddly , I saw a mint looking 924 just yesterday morning - a red one
I noticed first that it wasn't a 944 which I haven't seen in a long time (used to be everywhere) and that it was a 924 - which I haven't seen in a really really long time
one thing to remember working on cars - if you have it safely stashed away in your own garage , when ya get burned out or frustrated you can always walk away and come back to it again later
often a little break can help both you and the car
Good looking car Daniel, have a great time getting it together. I may be late in my advice but here goes. Get the car in your name right away and you only pay tax on today's value, many have waited until completion and paid tax on a higher appraised price. Also get (Hagerty) insurance on the car now at an agreed value in-case anything happens to it. Again, welcome to the world of car building. A small block something would be a fun project and possibly cheaper at this time than the current engine.
Don't forget to put your build on the projects form.
-- Edited by henrys57wagon on Tuesday 10th of November 2015 09:06:13 AM
-- Edited by henrys57wagon on Tuesday 10th of November 2015 09:07:43 AM
I have no idea if you have a family member or family friend that is available and capable of helping with tools, experience and advice so I am going to give you a suggestion ..... take this project one step at a time. By that I mean, don't start working on too many different aspects of this project all at the same time. Here is why .... if you pull the engine/trans (to prep and paint the engine compartment or in anticipation of engine/trans/clutch work), while also removing the interior due to wanting to patch the floor, while at the same time stripping all the paint and removing the windows and doors (in anticipation of a new paint job), while also removing the front and rear suspensions (in anticipation of replacing worn parts and upgrading bushing/sway bars), you are going to end up with one very depressing scene every time you enter the garage to work on it as you will be looking at just a stripped shell of a car needing a TON of work and even MORE money to get it finished .... trust me on this, it can be very hard to keep motivated when viewing something that looks like it will never be finished and barely resembles a driveable car. If the floor needs patching, remove the interior as needed, then start and finish that project before moving on. Paint can be an extremely expensive part of the project ...... if you aren't going to be able to afford the paint job of your dreams in the near future, there is no reason to strip the car to bare metal at this point. If the engine and trans are working, there is no need to remove the engine and strip it to the bare block if you don't have the money for parts and machining that will allow you to reassemble it and reinstall it.
One other warning ..... projects like this always cost more money than you think they will. Try to focus on getting the car running and driving before you start spending on fancy stuff you don't really need at this point. For example, if the engine is going to need rings/bearings and a valve job or even just a timing belt, and money is tight (which, based on your age I would assume it will be), spending money on fancy wheels and tires or a "pounding" stereo would be money not well spent if there are other things that truly need to be done.
My advice, take it one step at a time (and finish each step before moving to the next part of the project) and, before each step, take the time to determine whether it really needs to be done (for example, engine gaskets you may need, tinting the windows is not something you need to do right now) and if you can afford that step at the present time. The engine may need rings/bearings and a valve job, but if you can't afford it, there is no reason to remove the engine and strip to the bare block until you know you can afford it. Stripping the car to bare metal, in preparation for paint is understandable however, stripping the car to bare metal THEN finding out a decent paint job is going to cost you $4000 (or whatever the amount will be) that you just can't afford just isn't a good move. The car doesn't need to have the best paint, or the latest race seats, or the coolest stainless steel exhaust, to be fun. Driving something that isn't perfect (meaning polished and spot finished original paint, factory stereo, factory seats and wheels) is WAY more fun that showing someone a pic on your phone of the car you are building, that you expect will be perfect when it's finished, and that you will hopefully have on the road at some point in the next seven to nine years
Unfortunately I speak this advice due to my own personal experience as I have a few too many unfinished projects (and wasted WAY TOO much money) due to my biting off more than I could chew at that time in my life.
Just ask yourself these questions BEFORE each step ..... does this really need to be done now? Am I capable of doing this on my own or do I know of someone who can guide me through this step? Am I able to afford the parts, the paint, or the machine work (etc) needed for this step? Do I really need to spend the money on _____, (chrome bits, window tinting or whatever) when I truly need new steel brake lines (or whatever)?
I'm absolutely guilty of this myself and I know of too many others as well, with the end result being an unfinished project being sold off for peanuts or hauled to the wreckers .... take your time, be realistic about your capabilities as far as finances and the work involved and have fun.
Also get (Hagerty) insurance on the car now at an agreed value in-case anything happens to it. Again, welcome to the world of car building. A small block something would be a fun project and possibly cheaper at this time than the current engine.
-- Edited by henrys57wagon on Tuesday 10th of November 2015 09:07:43 AM
Putting the car in his name will be the easy part.
Insurance is another. Hagerty won't insure him because he's too young, and I think he will have difficulty finding any insurance company willing to touch him. The problem is the age of the car, and the type of car.
I would recommend he look into this first, as it might be wise to put the car in a parent's name and have him as a secondary driver.
My advice would be to read the post that chips wrote very carefully. There is a lot of good advice there.
I'm sure many if not most of the guys on this forum have dug them selves a deep hole by starting too many jobs at once.
It's really hard to keep up your enthusiasm when your car is sitting in a million pieces.
Address one thing at a time and you can accomplish a lot in bite size pieces. You will get a lot of satisfaction from completing each task.
The internet can be a real asset when trying to figure out the best way to tackle a particular job.
Also I would not advise a 305, they were the worst of the small blocks.
Almost any small block chev would be a good idea, just not a 305.
I tend to favor a 327 for a small car, they are snotty, high rev'n little screamers, however you will find 350's more plentiful and cheaper.
__________________
Custom Electrical Drawing Package and upgrades available for your ride www.jeffw.ca
Also I would not advise any small block chev Go the proven 5.0L Mustang and 5 spd.
or
just get a Mustang ....... sorry it's the law of my sig.
__________________
Fords Rule ! If it ain't designed and manufactured in North America it sucks ! I don't do rice, pasta, fish and chips, sauerkraut, Ikea or other third world motor vehicle !
From everything that I have heard and been told by my insurance company, that doesn't matter any more. You're gonna end up paying a pretty penny anyways. I have my Camaro insured as a classic through state farm, fairly easy process, and its cheap.
In terms of the small block, they are a dime a dozen and probably the cheapest motor to build, so dont put it out of the question.
I would turbo your motor if its not enough power, or just get it on the road and have fun with it.
Looks like a cool project, "Chip" has a very valid post, take your time, understand what you want to accomplish prior to each task. Keep the tasks separate, do a small task alternately with a big task so you gain confidence and feel fulfillment. The next big step is to photo journal the whole build, then when somebody accuses you of getting a cool car handed to you on a platter, you can show them how it was accomplished!
Enjoy the build, don't be afraid to post questions and seek information, and don't be afraid to share lots of pics, even dead snakes give us something to talk about as the long winter sets in........... :)
One other tip I can add is this, buy yourself some Ziploc bags. As the car comes apart, put the nuts/bolts/screws/whatever in Ziploc bags, with a note inside each bag stating what part they are for. For example, one bag has the bolts for the intake manifold, another has the nuts for the front seats, another has the water pump bolts in it. This may sound overly simple (and it is), but believe me it is unreal how easy this makes your job go, especially if the part that was removed won't be re-installed any time soon. It sure beats just tossing all the fasteners into a pail, then dumping them all on the floor while you look for what looks like they may be the correct bolts for the item you intend to re-install that day.
Nice Ride,i remember across from my friends house in London a salesman for Porsche bringing them home new,just like the one you have....good luck and lots of advice and knowledge out here for you to tap into! Don't be afraid to try anything,thats how ya learn!
A buddy is looking to sell a 944 and looking for 3K ? Needs some stuff, but geez, I thought a 944 was worth more. It's actually here right now, cause I gotta check anti-freeze before he stores it for the Brrrrr.
The floorpans in the car had holes all around and would fall threw if you say on them so I cut them out but left the side supports, do I have to find real Porsche floor pans or is it possible to make them my self and have them be safe?
The floorpans in the car had holes all around and would fall threw if you say on them so I cut them out but left the side supports, do I have to find real Porsche floor pans or is it possible to make them my self and have them be safe?
Please post some pictures of what you're talking about.
Are you saying you've removed the entire floor before determining how to go about replacing it?
Did you remove/cut out any braces/supports/cross members as well? Usually there should be support braces for seat mounts etc (that goes from rocker panel, across the floor, up over the drive shaft tunnel, across the other floor pan, then to the other rocker panel), that the floor was welded to. Sure hope you still have the old floor around to use as a guide/template.
-- Edited by chips on Tuesday 8th of December 2015 08:22:51 AM
Thank you cat in the hat I will for sure take you up on that offer !!:)
Davy - i cut around all the metal that was not strong enough and left all the things I could weld on to , so I hope it is solid
Chips- the seat mount rusted thew and broke off the drive shaft tunnel and the other supports were totally rusted and not usable but the mounts for the pan neer the back are good , I got the car and part of the floor was out so I never had all of it but I am making cardboard cutouts with the right measurements so I can trace it on to metal.
