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Comment:

A reader "complained" about my use of the term "restoration".

Response:

I concede that much of the work isn't true "restoration" work.

With that said, the word restoration does not always mean to restore to "original" condition. It can also mean to restore to a "previous" condition (and who is to say what that is). For my purposes, the restoration is simply a desire to return the cars to an excellent condition. No effort will be made to return the cars to "original" condition except that wherever possible, original parts will be used. While I recognize that certain changes might actually hurt the value of the car (i.e. paint changes etc) adding a spoiler, CD player, etc to the 82NA were nice features that can only enhance the overall vehicle. Whenever possible, these changes will conform to what I believe Porsche themselves would have done. For instance, the spoiler is a genuine Porsche spoiler from a 924S and the CD player is a Blaupunkt radio.

Comment:

A reader asked (since I own both a 924 and 924S) which I would buy if I were shopping today.

Response:

The 924NA was last produced for the US in 1982. The 924S was produced in 1987-1988. Given the later model years, the 924S has some very desirable features not the least of which is the 944 2.5L engine. Thus, the 924S is simply a better overall car.

Does this mean you should run out and buy it instead of a 924NA? Not necessarily.

The 924S is significantly more expensive to maintain than the 924 and let's face it, they are both very old cars. If you can't do the work yourself, you may quickly become discouraged by the maintenance costs of the 924S. The 924NA can usually be bought for less money and restored to excellent condition for a reasonable cost and the cars are fairly inexpensive to maintain.

If maintenance costs aren't a major concern (especially given the selling prices of these cars) then the 924S is a good choice if you can find one in good condition with relatively low miles. This is especially true if the front engine work (timing belt etc) has been recently completed.

If I were looking today?

While I love the 924S, if I were shopping for my first, I would try to find a 924NA in good condition. I would be looking for the latest model year possible (an 82 is the best choice) because Porsche made improvements in each year. These cars can be picked up for almost nothing and restored to an excellent condition for a very reasonable cost. Because early 944 cars were very similar, most parts are still readily available and used parts are fairly easy to find.

Restoring a 924NA can be a great deal of fun and the car will become a great source of pride. These cars are simply fun to drive and when restored to excellent condition, they still attract plenty of attention. You will quickly become the envy of your friends and only you will know how little you spent to be driving one of the finest automobiles every built for the US.