Porsche 924 1979

VAG decided to try again to make one car that would be sold under two brands – roughly the same way as the Toyota GT86. Porsche, as a contractor, had previously developed separate solutions for VW, and now it was about a joint vehicle. For Volkswagen, this would have been a sports flagship, for Porsche – an entry-level car. This imposed a number of restrictions, one of which was the use of Audi’s factory inline 4-cylinder engine.

The project received the digital index 425. But the sports-people’s car did not happen. The oil crisis of 1973 and a number of personnel changes in the management led to a revision of VW’s plans: for the sports car, they took a cheaper and more understandable Golf platform. The Scirocco was created on its basis. Porsche had no choice but to buy back its own developments for the project, but it was too late to change the concept globally.

For Porsche, the 924 model became the first mass—produced front-engined rear-wheel drive liquid-cooled car – in the name of simplifying the design. But it’s still a Porsche, so the so—called torque tube was screwed to the Audi engine — later of its own design — this is a special pipe inside which the shaft passes. It transmits torque from the engine to the Audi gearbox, which is located at the rear of the car. Thus, the engineers came closer to the cherished 50/50 weight distribution formula.

An interesting nuance: the production of the new model was launched at the former NSU factory, a brand absorbed by the VAG concern. Formally, the plant belonged to VW, so they became subcontractors, while Porsche only carried out general control over the process.

It is rare to meet a Porsche 924 in 2024. Despite the mass character within the brand, for a long time they were not valued the way the 911 is valued — the purity was violated, the car was built according to a low-cost pattern and so on. The owner of this copy did not try to keep it in factory condition, but assembled something more interesting from it.

A history of transformations: from stance to racing

At first, the car in the pictures belonged to the basic configuration, and its only feature was the Zender dealer spoiler. This did not suit the owner, and the pursuit of style began. He installed the front bumper, panel and fenders from the early 944 — this is the next model of a similar ideology. The rear fenders are a replica of the Carrera GT.

Initially, the car was assembled within the framework of the stance subculture, which implies low ground clearance and space for wide discs. The front levers had to be shortened, and the suspension was custom-made based on Cusco screw racks from Subaru Legacy. The engine and gearbox received rigid supports, the rear cups and the trunk floor were literally made anew.

But the first thing that catches your eye is the livery. It is inspired by the Carrera GTP, but over the years it has lost its sponsor stickers and has become less defiant. Now the car is moving to the “to be, not to seem” format — that is, it is preparing to participate in ring races, and not only externally.

And now let’s delve into the technical details, because they are what make this car a real masterpiece. Let’s start with the gearbox. Forget about the banal Audi boxes. The rarest original transmission from Porsche, known as the Snailshell or snail, model K16, is installed here. The first gear is on itself and to the left, the second is from itself in the middle. That is, the third and second gears are on the same line. Sporty? Yes. Ridiculous? Maybe. But it’s a Porsche, damn it!

The engine of this Porsche 924 is a real symphony of engineering art. The volume was increased to 2.075 liters, porting was done, valves were worked on and even a camshaft was made to order in the Dynamics Design Bureau.

2.5 mm of cast iron was milled from the engine block, which, together with a modified combustion chamber in the cylinder head, made it possible to raise the compression ratio to 1:10.25 and make this engine run on 100 gasoline. Each revision was thought out to the smallest detail: purging of the cylinder head before and after porting, optimization of the shape of the combustion chamber. It’s not just an engine, it’s a masterpiece of engineering.

Unforeseen difficulties: dynamometer stand

Of course, like any epic project, this car has not been without its problems. The engine was assembled three times before the car finally drove off.

Winter-Spring 2024: Second build The 2nd build ended after 18 minutes. 5 years before the launch, I washed the block with aquablast and did not dry and blow it well enough, part of the abrasive remained in the oil channel, the power channel of the crankshaft supports on the 4th cylinder clogged and the engine rattled. Complete disassembly, new liners (not new, but BU from three different motors), knee polishing, knocked out all the plugs in the block and cylinder head, high-pressure washing and calcination in the furnace, new gaskets.

Spring-Summer 2024: Third build 3rd build. To date, the engine has worked 80 hours and now feels good. However, having failed on unplugged carburetors and a faulty ignition, I still damaged the 4 piston by detonation, and judging by the endoscope, I have a risk of damage to the partitions. But that’s a completely different story, and now the engine will drive and carry me as much as it can do it. I haven’t decided what will happen next, but two spare blocks and one stock cylinder head are in the spare part.

Funny stories

And here is one of the best stories. Imagine: your car is on a tow truck, and suddenly — bang! — the panel covering the radiator flies off to the track. So, that’s exactly what happened to this Porsche 924. The panel was lost, but another one was found, which adds texture and uniqueness to the car. She may be rumpled, but she looks like she’s been through a thousand adventures.

Conclusion

The Porsche 924 is not just a car. This is a story of transformations, engineering genius and unexpected adventures. He was a stance project, became a racing car and in the process acquired a soul and character. It feels the passion of the owner and his tireless pursuit of perfection. This Porsche 924 is a true legend on wheels, worthy of admiration and respect.

Owner: erby_gfif
Photographer:dvarfikk