924Board.org

[Danno5]

Evening all,

I have had new cars that don't break for far too long and am feeling the urge for something older. I started off looking for my old habits (old VW's), but somehow got off on a tangent and ended up in here.

Anyhow, this is my craigslist find of the day that I am seriously considering. A 1979 Mexican Beige 924:

https://tulsa.craigslist.org/cto/5585791923.html

My #1 goal with this car is to have a running project.

Pros: The original owner is selling this car, has maintenance receipts, original dealer material, the car itself is all original with a beautiful engine bay. No cold start issues, great idle, good oil pressure.
Cons: Was evidently not a garaged car for much of its life. The body is rough. The part that gives me the most pause, and the reason I am posting here, are the sunroof gutters:

In air-cooled or early water cooled VW land this would be a cause for pause. Reactions from you lot? Is this the tip of a cancerous iceberg, or is this no big deal?

[ideola]

Welcome!

The rust in the sunroof gutter is a sure sign that the drain tubes are plugged, and the car probably has had water ingressing into the interior for some time. Check the condition of the seat rail sliders, the carpet, and if you can, under the carpet. My guess is that you'll see lots of sign of water damage.

The other big problem with the '79 cars is that they have the 016Y/Z snailshell gearbox, and some of the common failure parts are not available. These gearboxes are a lot of fun to drive, as they have the Getrag race style shift pattern. But they are almost always in need of major servicing. Unless you know how to rebuild a trans, it's going to cost you a lot of money to have someone rebuild (if you can even find someone).

For the asking price of that car, I'd walk away and wait for a better example. In my opinion, that car is about a $1200 car at best.

If you're willing to be patient, my advice would be to look for a 1980-1982, with a strong preference for the latest model you can find. The late 82 cars got the better HVAC system shared with the 944, and also the highest output US-spec motor (115BHP). This range had the 016G Audi-based geaerbox, which is essentially bullet proof, very smooth shifting, and rarely need rebuilding (unless badly neglected or abused).

Best of luck in your search!
_________________
erstwhile owner of just about every 924 variant ever made

[ideola]

This might be more than you want to spend, but this car is a beautiful example of a late 82 NA model.
https://siouxfalls.craigslist.org/cto/5594268424.html
_________________
erstwhile owner of just about every 924 variant ever made

[ideola]

Here's a much nicer 79 for less money than your Tulsa example:
http://charlotte.craigslist.org/cto/5546930532.html
_________________
erstwhile owner of just about every 924 variant ever made

[ideola]

Here's an interesting 81 restomod for $3500
https://lancaster.craigslist.org/cto/5588169410.html
_________________
erstwhile owner of just about every 924 variant ever made

[Danno5]

Re: the tulsa car

Your comment about the sunroof rust and water makes sense. I asked the owner to take pictures under the carpet behind the front seats. I am guessing this is water damage:



Re: Other cars you posted-
I saw the turbo and really like it, but that is a little outside of play car range for me. edit: Whoops, the spiderweb wheels and price fooled me. This is a really nice NA.

I read the piece in Hemmings you were interviewed for, so my #1 car would be an 80-82 NA. I like the idea of the Getrag 5-speed and knew they would be pricey to repair, but I didn't know people to repair them were in short supply too.

The charlotte car you posted though, . My eyes have been opened. I thought in this price range I was looking at ones in good condition. I was wrong! I guess you can have a driver that looks good too.

Thanks for the help and the friendly welcome!

Back to the search!