I quite possibly made one of the most stupid decisions of my life and purchased a 1978 Porsche 924. I picked it up at the start of 2025 looking very much like an old parts car, complete with a Ford Escape V6 sitting in the engine bay on a block of wood and a Toyota 86 manual transmission lying loose in the boot. This site is basically me thinking out loud while trying to turn this car into something respectable, despite having no real idea what I’m doing.
The Spark
So the precursor to it all came after giving my garage a good clean out. After a day and a half of sweeping, stacking, and rediscovering tools that had been hiding when I actually needed them, I stood back and admired the empty space. That’s when the thought hit me: I should get a project car. . Because what’s the point of a clean garage if you don’t immediately fill it with something that will make it messy again?
My First Taste of Car Chaos
This wasn’t my first time being knees deep in a questionable car. Back in my late teens, I “won” a 1991 Audi 90 off eBay for $1000. It arrived on the back of a truck looking clean enough however looks hid a solid mess. Blown head gasket, blown heater core, and a laundry list of other issues.
Armed with a Haynes manual and misplaced confidence, I tried to fix it. After countless weekends of frustration, I eventually gave up and had a local mechanic swap the engine entirely.
That failure has always sat with me, quietly whispering in the back of my mind whenever I thought about working on cars. Maybe that’s why the idea of a project car kept gnawing at me — I wanted redemption. Or at least another chance to prove I could learn something from the chaos.
Why a Porsche 924?
I’ve never really been much of a “Porsche guy.” Porsche never appealed to me over any other car brand. However, the 924 is different. What fascinated me was its origin story. The 924 wasn’t born as a purebred Porsche; it was a “parts-bin special”.
It was originally designed by Porsche for Volkswagen to be their flagship coupe. It was built using a mix of VW and Audi parts—the engine was effectively from an Audi 100 (and the VW LT van), and the suspension borrowed heavily from the Golf and the Beetle.
When VW got cold feet, they cancelled the project. Porsche, needing an entry-level car to replace the 914, ran with the design.
To me, this makes it the perfect candidate for a project.
My logic—which I am sure will be tested—is that because it is a “Frankenstein” car by birth, keeping it original is less of a burden. Furthermore, one of the main difficulties with maintaining a classic car is sourcing parts. Surely, it must be easier to find parts for a car that shares them with other models? And let’s not forget the pop-up headlights. I know they are not great for aerodynamics and hurt like hell if you’re a pedestrian, but there is something cool about a car the kind of wakes up at night.
The State of the Car
Now, let’s talk about what I actually bought. From a raw components perspective, the car is more of a rolling shell than a functioning vehicle. There’s an engine and transmission — but they’re barely installed. The Ford Escape V6 is literally sitting on a block of wood in the bay, and the Toyota 86 manual transmission has essentially been stored in the boot.
There’s no brake setup. No rear differential. A host of other parts are missing entirely. The interior isn’t too bad, but it’s far from complete. The front seats are gone, a couple of dials are missing, and most of the carpet has vanished.
The body, surprisingly, is fairly clean. There’s some rust at the front and a scrape on the rear driver’s side, but nothing that screams “total disaster.” To my eyes anyway….
The Big Question: V6 or EV?
Here’s where things get interesting. I’m of two minds on what direction to take this build. Do I commit to the Ford V6 and try to make it work? It would definitely be unique…
Or do I go down the EV conversion route, save the environment and all that…
The idea of an electric 924 is tempting. I wouldn’t be the first to attempt it as a brief look online reveals Leaf and Tesla swaps. I’ll probably create a bit of a links page out to some of those projects at some point.
On the other hand, you can’t hear an ev…. An engine can just be made to sound way cooler. There’s also much more to play around with.
The Doubters
A lot of people would probably read this and think, yeah, this guy’s doomed. And honestly, they might not be wrong. I’m not a mechanic. I don’t have endless cash. I’m still figuring out the plan as I go.
But projects like this rarely start with certainty. They usually start with a mix of curiosity and stubbornness. Will it work? Will the car run again? Will I be able to get the end result legally registered and on the road? Who knows…. However if all I end up with is a slightly cleaner shell in the garage, at least I’ll have learned something along the way.
My wife was partially against the idea. We’ve got renovations and other priorities, and she was understandably wary of me dragging home a half‑dead Porsche. I promised her this project wouldn’t take over our lives.
That means progress will be slow, almost glacial. Honestly, that pace might be a blessing. It gives me time to research and plan.
Next steps
I do have a few early plans for the car. First on the list is a set of front seats. I’m still deciding between stock and aftermarket, but it’ll depend on what I can find—and I’m trying not to spend more than the car itself cost.
My father‑in‑law floated the idea of selling the engine and transmission to help fund an EV conversion, so I’ll at least look into their condition and see what they might be worth.
Beyond that, most of my time will be spent researching and getting a better handle on my options. I’m hoping to share more updates over the next year. It might take a while, but I’ve got other priorities to keep in check if I want to stay on my wife’s good side.
Whether this ends in success or a very shiny paperweight, I’m committed to seeing where this 1978 Porsche 924 project goes. More updates to come as the adventure unfolds.