924Board.org

[go4carter]

Hey guys
I was hoping you could help me out with some tips for a inspection on a 931 that I am interested in. Here are a few pics and some general impressions:

- no sunroof, good paint
- odometer showed 95k km, but it wasn't working (as usual).
- suspension felt good, steering was accurate, shifting was good, engine felt strong, pulled well, revved well, no excessive vibration from engine.
- no white smoke on start up, touch of blue under revs, black soot shot out under load.
- owner hasn't driven it much over the last four years; approx 20 times.
- No maintenance records except for the fuel pumps and brakes.
- oil pressure seemed a little low, 2 bar when warm. I think it just needed a quart as per dipstick.
- coolant overflow tank looked good, no leaks.
- battery tray looked excellent.
- a little drip from the back hatch but carpet wasn't moldy and there was no rust under the carpet.
- washer reservoir is brand new, but the washers didn't work.
- power windows worked, one was a little slow
- wipers were weak.
- aerial didn't lift
- mirror controls didn't work
- headlights worked good, but seemed weak.
- body looked straight, no rust that I saw.
- driving position was comfortable, good clutch take up... wouldn't be
a bear in traffic.
- dash was quite cracked.
- A/C not working

I'm not bad around cars, but I'm certainly not an expert, I've never wrenched on a turbo, and haven't had any p-car experience. The seller is going to put the car up on a hoist for me this weekend. Any tips on how to check for a bad clutch, blown turbo, which fluid leaks are acceptable and which are a problem, etc?
Overall, I have a pretty good feeling about this car, and I've learned to trust my gut with cars. I just need to get a realistic gauge on upcoming costs so I can negotiate the correct price.
I know I'm in for a timing belt, new rubber, full fluid flush, and I'd like to throw on some teledial wheels.

Can you tell I'm excited?

cheers,
c a r t e r[img][/img]

[go4carter]

image fail. please hold

[go4carter]

931 exterior by go4carter, on Flickr


931 Frontseat by go4carter, on Flickr


931 backseat by go4carter, on Flickr


931 Engine by go4carter, on Flickr

[ideola]

That appears to be a very nice example indeed. Excellent that it's a sunroof delete and also has the five lug setup already. Timing belt for sure. Not an expensive or difficult job, but should be the first thing on your list to do or have done.

The electrics issues you've noted are pretty common, and most are easily fixed by chasing down and cleaning all of the grounds, replacing old/dead relays, checking the fuses, and cleaning connections (e.g., the mirror issue is probably corrosion in the connectors that are just inside the door bellows behind the kick panels).

What year is the car? It's obviously an S2, but '81 or '82? I'm guessing an '82 judging by the position of the battery and what appears to be the later HVAC intake arrangement in the cowl area. Given that it's an S2, it will have DITC, so you should be aware of the loose DITC connector problem that can crop up from time to time. Do a search, several topics covering it here...doesn't sound like it's a current issue based on your description of the drive, but something every S2 owner needs to be aware of.

That is the strangest expansion tank I've ever seen...doesn't appear to be stock, unless it's a weird late model / euro tank. Never seen one like that on the dozens of '31s I've been around.

2 bar oil pressure at warm idle is normal. Change the oil and put 15W50 full synthetic in (10W40 for northern winters).

Cracked dash is normal.

The fuel distributor has a piece of duck tape over the fuel mixture adjustment port. You will want to replace this with the proper plug if you buy the car.

The little rubber elbows on the intake and breather setup will all probably need to be replaced.

A/C not working is most likely low refrigerant causing the cutoff switch to disable the compressor. A/C will probably need to be resealed and then recharged.

Hatch leak could just be the seal, but check the frame carefully for signs that it's delaminating from the glass.

Odometer issue is typical, not a difficult repair, but tedious.

When you get it up on the rack, check for leaks all around the turbo drain lines. Pretty normal, but hopefully this one won't be too bad. There's an inspection window on the bell housing to allow you to inspect the clutch disc thickness. Brake fluid looks a touch low. Make sure that fuel filter is on in the correct orientation (arrow pointing TOWARD windshield). Check the transaxle seals for seepage / leaks. Don't forget to take a look at the tie rod boots, check the play in the front knuckles that might indicate worn tie rod ends or ball joints. Give the exhaust a good once-over, checking for cracks at the J-pipe joints, as well as the dump pipe where it attaches to the wastegate, and the main exhaust pipe where it attaches to the turbine housing. Get a flashlight and inspect as best you can the exhaust manifold. While less of a problem on the S2 cars, they can still crack at the #1 or #2 runners, top or bottom. Cracks are usually hairline, so look carefully using a flashlight. Inspect the hardline connection on the wastegate control line where it attaches to the wastegate to make sure it's not fatigued or cracked.

Skip the Teledials. They're ugly and not the right wheel for a '31 Just my opinion, of course, but you might consider a set of staggered Design90s instead.

Good luck! Overall, this appears to be an excellent find, let us know how it goes.
_________________
erstwhile owner of just about every 924 variant ever made

[Joes924Racer]

Very nice.
_________________
1979 porsche 924 Na
1980 porsche Turbo 931GT Replica
Have u ever driven a turbo.

[stevekat]

This looks like a pretty decent example. Good luck with it.
_________________
"Never get out of the boat. Absolutely goddamn right. Unless you are goin' all the way."

Gone to new home: '81 924T, US version, CGT Intercooler, UTCIS-PT, Euro DITC, Greddy Trust MBC, Forged Fuchs Flat Dish 6's, Factory Recaro's.

[go4carter]

[ideola]

[go4carter]

Thanks again! The car is 1982. I confirmed that with the VIN decoder that some hero has provided on this site. You guys have a good thing going here.

Yeah, the blue tint was not alarming at all especially considering I was expecting more (I had read about the 1L/5000).

I didn't see any leaky areas while I was inspecting from the top side. I'll have a better look this weekend. Turbo did spool up well (via ear) and the car felt like it was pulling strong. I was kinda shocked at the length of the gears for what is a pretty low hp car. Felt great though.

I'm a little paranoid about cooling issues as I'd like to use this car daily for three seasons. You comment about the expansion tank is helpful. I'll keep an eye for signs of fast/easy repair work from an earlier melt down, but the lack of white smoke is a great sign.

Oh... anyone have a pic of a platinum car without the bump-strip? I kinda like the cars with them on, but this car is missing a section. I've seen a few silver cars with them off and it looks ok... a little sleeker, but not quite as 70/80s classic.

[go4carter]

My viewing is delayed until next weekend. I'll follow up for sure.