• Registered: 2009-10-18
  • Posts: 28

Topic: Epic Fail Racing -- now featuring the Fail Porsche!

Howdy all ... here's the official introduction of team Epic Fail Racing, soon to be the proud owners of the Fail Porsche!

I'm going out tomorrow evening to try and close on a 1988 Porsche 924S. It has minor body damage (looks like someone backed it into a pole at some point, and there are a some dings in the doors, but overall not too terrible). The interior reeks of cigarette smoke ... anything we sell out of it will require a heavy dose of Febreeze. The dash is broken and cracked all to hell, but we'll prolly take that out anyway.

Mechanically, it shouldn't be too bad to get it working. The clutch is out, but I can get an off-brand clutch kit that should work for $125. There are a couple nagging electrical issues and the odometer is disconnected, but I have a fair bit of experience with old electronics ... for our team, that will be the easy part.

Ever wanted to see a crappy Porsche with cheap plastic spinners on the rims? I didn't think so, but with any luck you'll find this abomination at the Blago 500 in October!

  • Serj
  • Serj
  • Lemons Staff Stalker
  • Offline
  • From: Cincinnati, OH
  • Registered: 2009-05-02
  • Posts: 1,601

Re: Epic Fail Racing -- now featuring the Fail Porsche!

I like 924S'...at least i did until i discovered how slow they actually are. I don't think your electical issues will exceed anything british or the 928, so, have fun!

  • From: Saratoga, ca
  • Registered: 2009-06-29
  • Posts: 182

Re: Epic Fail Racing -- now featuring the Fail Porsche!

That's what the OLD FARTS are running.  Don't worry about the odometer, they never work.  The clutch the kind of a PITA to change.  Cheap clutches are hard to find and don't get the rubber damper kind or you will be changing soon.  Where are you located?
Jim

  • FJ40Jim
  • FJ40Jim
  • Lemons Staff Stalker
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  • From: Lancaster OH
  • Registered: 2009-05-02
  • Posts: 1,657

Re: Epic Fail Racing -- now featuring the Fail Porsche!

OldFart wrote:

The clutch the kind of a PITA to change.  Cheap clutches are hard to find and don't get the rubber damper kind or you will be changing soon.
Jim

You sure about the rubber dampers?  I've seen 4-5 clutch failures caused by exploded coil dampers that got out into the diphragm fingers rendering the clutch inop.

Never in twenty odd years seen a rubber hub failure.

Cheap clutches are worth every penny.  Typically, they really cut corners on the disc, which is the most stressed part.  If you find the clutch is slipping because the disc is too thin, just replace the disc w/ a new high quality part.  Grease up the pilot & release bearing and re-use them.  Deglaze the flywheel and pressure plate w/ brakleen and an abrasive disc on a diegrinder.  Works for me!

Jim C.
If God meant for us to race, we'd all have baggy Nomex skin.
08TMS.09NL.10GM, SP, NL.11SP, NL.12SP, VIR, NL.13GM, NJ.14NJ, VIR, WGI.15AB.16GM.17NCM.18GM.19...
  • Registered: 2009-10-18
  • Posts: 28

Re: Epic Fail Racing -- now featuring the Fail Porsche!

Actually, the old clutch that failed was the rubber damper kind. I've found cheap clutch kits for it that should work ... they're the same specs as the Porsche one, anyway, and a whole lot cheaper ($125) than the Porsche ones ($600+).

OldFart, I'm in Illinois -- almost due west of Chicago, on the Mississippi. Long way from you ... but while I have you here, what clutch do you use?
Also, when I fired the engine (which started just fine), there was a definite rubbing sound from the rear of the car. Odd. Wonder if the transaxle just needs fresh oil ... the car has only been sitting unused for a few weeks, and the seller (who I think was honest) said she'd never heard it do that before.

  • Registered: 2009-10-25
  • Posts: 1,993

Re: Epic Fail Racing -- now featuring the Fail Porsche!

Hmm...since I paid $256 for a 928...it makes sense a 924 is $125...... 

Whats really scary is this is my 2nd 928 Lemons purchase...the 1st one is a 79 5 speed I got for $250....  but it was easier to make the 84 automatic run..so we went with that...

Richard Doty
1984 Porsche 928 "Estate"
Porsche- "there is A substitute" Racing
Dirt Poorsche Racing #2
  • Registered: 2009-10-18
  • Posts: 28

Re: Epic Fail Racing -- now featuring the Fail Porsche!

Howdy Andy! Looks like we have competition big_smile. Hopefully the judges like Porsches.
I ended up buying a refurbished '88 Ford Bronco II clutch plate from Advance Auto Parts. It ran me $30. If you have a 924 or a 924 Turbo, you should be able to do the same thing and just drop it in. For my 924S, I'm going to have to cut the rivets holding the clutch to the mounting plate and bolt it back together using washers to change the offset. It's a terrible idea, but other people seem to have had success doing this to their daily drivers ... so why not a Lemons racer wink

  • From: Des Moines IA
  • Registered: 2009-06-08
  • Posts: 135

Re: Epic Fail Racing -- now featuring the Fail Porsche!

we will most likely be at the Chicago event as well in our 914

Formerly an asshole driving an Infinity
Now just another cock with a Porsche
Chief bad decision maker of Team Lowbrau

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