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Abandoned for 20 Years: 1977 Porsche 924

I guess I’m drawn to Porsches with sad backstories, because this 1977 924 called to me with a doozy: it was dropped of for winter storage at a rental facility and the owner died, with no next of kin to claim the car. It has apparently stayed at this facility, and been kept in pretty nice condition, for about 20 years, but the time has come for it to move on. This is where the story could turn very happy indeed for a fan of early transaxle Porsches: the starting bid is just $1,000, and the buy-it-now option isn’t much higher at only $1,500. Find it here on eBay in Sheboygan Falls, Wisconsin.

The bad news is that this is a lien sale situation, with no title or keys accompanying the car. There’s also a boo-boo on the rear bumper that would likely require a new bumper cover and a bit of paint to fix. The collector car plates, however, are a tip-off that this was otherwise a prized Porsche, despite some marque purists’ distaste for the 924.

That distaste, of course, stems in part from the 924’s gall in having a water-cooled engine mounted at the front—albeit behind the front axle, making this a front-mid configuration with excellent weight distribution. Not quite so excellent is the 2-liter four’s VW/Audi pedigree, although it sports a Porsche-designed head, and mediocre output of either 95 or 110 horsepower, depending upon when in the 1977 model year a car was built (this one was built in February, but I haven’t been able to determine when the 1977.5 changeover, which swapped the EGR system for a catalytic converter to boost power, happened). The ’80s-tastic LeBra is a nice time-warp touch.

Some taller folks might find the 924 tight quarters, and the angle of the non-adjustable steering column isn’t comfortable for everyone, but the interior seems to be very tidy—just in need of a good cleaning. The dash appears to have at least one good crack—it would be surprising if it didn’t—but the vinyl upholstery under the seat covers appears to be in excellent condition. The odometer shows just 79,000 miles.

Surely after such a long slumber, there’s going to be some deferred maintenance, hardened rubber, rotted tires, or other issues to attend to‚ not to mention the matter of the absent title and keys, but the good news is that this 924 seems to have been kept in a very safe environment that likely slowed its decay considerably. Cheap 924s are not exactly hard to find, but at this price point, it’s a matter of picking what you want to spend your money on after the purchase has been made. None of the parts a buyer might need, mechanical or cosmetic, are particularly cheap, whether they have a Porsche, Audi, or VW logo on them—but the mechanical parts are far easier to come by, so a cosmetically nice example like this comes down on the right side of the ledger for me. What do you think?

Comments

  1. Avatar Poseur Member

    At the risk of someone taking offense, and that is not my intention, I really don’t see the appeal of these cars, base 924s.

    The 924S, maybe. The 924 Turbo, ok. The 924 Carrera GT? Hell yeah!

    But 85hp or 100 or whatever, cost cutting interior, tiny steel wheels, etc are all pretty lame.

    I’m sure they are fairly fun to drive as far as economy sporty cars go but they soured the Porsche brand even more than the 914.

    Pass.

    Like 10
    • Avatar Nathan Avots-Smith Member

      You’re certainly not alone in your opinion, and there are a lot of fair points in the faults you point out. I think the appeal when the 924 was new had a lot to do with fairly slim pickings in legitimate mid-priced sports cars in a really tough regulatory climate, so buyers were willing to make some trade-offs (and, yes, pay a premium for a Porsche badge). And the appeal today is in getting a Porsche badge and very good handling—but not earth-scorching performance or sybaritic luxury by any means—for generally a very low price, although as I pointed out in the article, that doesn’t translate into low maintenance costs, which is probably why so many of these end up so rough.

      Like 6
      • Avatar Poseur Member

        True. Gotta keep in mind the “neighborhood” this car grew up in….only a small handful of true performance cars, even less with over 175hp & under $10k. Vette, T/A, Z28, 280ZX Turbo, are all I can think of that may qualify.

        Like 3
    • Avatar Rmann

      914s are far superior to a 924. A few in Monterey this year sold for 60k and 85k. Try that with a 924.

      Like 0
  2. Avatar Mike

    Dad bought one brand new in 1978. It was a big, big deal in our town in a sea of family sedans and econo cars. He would pick us up at high school. People would actually stop and stare while me and sis would hop in. He would purposely crawl through the student pick-up area so we could wave to friends. Back then, buying any sports car was considered a big ticket disposable income purchase reserved mostly for lawyers, doctors, pilots, architects etc. Today, sports cars are just another car on the road bought by just about anybody with halfway decent credit. Saw a Lambo two days ago and didn’t give it a second look. 35 years ago, if a Countach drove through town, it would be treated like an alien spaceship landing.

    We still have the 924. I think the mileage is up to about 230k. It really brings back memories when driving it.

    Like 30
    • Avatar MikeG

      It’s all about enjoying life.

      Like 15
    • Avatar R.J.

      True I have a friend who inherited a oil company in Montana. Drives a 1994 ford pickup he purchased used. Has no desire to own anything else.

      Like 6
    • Avatar PJ

      Mike,

      Hope you don’t mind me asking. How much do you want for the 924?

      Like 0
      • Avatar Mike

        PJ, my parents are in the 80’s now and me and sis are not sure what to do with the 924. Might be for sale, but someone in the family might veto any deal. If you are serious (or anybody else), contact me through my Moto Parilla website. (motoparilla.org) No guarantees that anything will happen, but you never know….

        Like 1
    • Avatar Claus

      Sweet!

      Like 0
  3. bobhess Bob Hess Member

    The only 924 we ever owned out of several Porsches was a ’77 this color with a black interior. Needed a go to work car with enough trunk to take all the flying gear. Our car had a ’78 European special edition engine in it which made it a lot more fun than the American smog engines. Car was comfortable for long, cross country runs. Only real problem we had was the rear glass falling out of the frame due to flexing that released the sealer/glue they were using. Reinforced the frame and used windshield sealer “rope” to solve the problem. Glad the glass didn’t break ’cause it cost more than we paid for the car.

    Like 4
  4. Avatar RichieRich

    Seems appropriately priced. The cost of getting it back on the road will likely exceed the value once you do, so plan on using it for very utilitarian driving and don’t put more into it than necessary to get it running. Had one like it though in 924S trim and it was reliable transportation that looked good and didn’t break. The Audi engine won’t deliver blinding performance but it will run for a very, very long time with basic maintenance. Handling will be excellent.
    And when you’re done with it you’ll probably get what you paid for it even if you part it out. I bought mine for $3,500, drove it for three years, and sold it for $3,500. Replaced one light switch for $8 and put in an oil pan when first acquired – P/O had holed it and tried JB Weld to patch it – ridiculous labor involved to get to a $50 used part.

    Like 3
  5. HoA Howard A Member

    I see it a bit different. I think this is one of the few Porsches I really liked.I never cared for the rear engine air cooled cars, a VERY fancy VW, but this checked all the right boxes. If it’s a belt driven cam, that would be a deal breaker for me, but I bet a heck of a cruiser and a cheap way of getting into a fine German classic, not including repairs, of course.

    Like 6
    • Avatar RichieRich

      Having owned both this and a 914 I guess I’m not the marque traditionalist, so I agree that it provides more of a grand touring cruiser rather than simply a performance sports car. My comments reflect the current market valuation and apparent collectability for this entry-level coupe. It simply hasn’t picked up any value beyond basic transportation. The 914 on the other hand has found a market and the pricing reflects that.

      Like 2
  6. Avatar Maestro1

    Nathan, thank you for the post, I think really it depends on what ones wants .
    I’m not a Porsche freak so I’m not picky about models, provenance, and so on.
    I think if you want some fun, albeit slow fun, and superior handling, with a Porsche badge this is it. Regarding getting it to nice driver status will require some bucks but if one keeps the car it maybe worth it.

    Like 4
  7. Avatar Garth

    I used to own a 77 Porsche 924 in the mid-80’s. Yeah, it was a “poor man’s Porsche,” but overall it was a great car! Excellent weight distribution with superb handling characteristics – much more forgiving than a 911 if pushed too hard through a corner. Interior was cozy, but ergonomics were good. Performance was ok; no tire burner and certainly wouldn’t win any race from a red light, but acceleration was better than most of your typical sedans of the day – Honda Accords and Civics, Toyota Camry’s, Ford Tauruses, or any similar offerings from GM or Chrysler – and fuel economy was equal or better than any of those other brands, and it looks WAY BETTER than any of those other offerings too! For a fraction of the price! If it were an S model, performance would be even better, but the base model was a solid, fun to drive, handsome, practical, economical car. The lines are clean and crisp – frankly IMO a 944 just looks like a 924 that was left out in the sun too long and began to melt. Anyway, this will prove to be a fun car for someone. And at this price point, the possibilities are endless – clean up and enjoy it like it is, restore, or serve as the base for a modified project! Or take it to LeMon’s and bash it to death!

    Like 6
  8. Avatar JagManBill

    same engine was used in the Jeep mail trucks (its a Renault design)

    Like 0
  9. bobhess Bob Hess Member

    One point I missed…. That caved in left bumper is solid, thick aluminum, not a plastic cover. This car took a hard one in rear.

    Like 2

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