I love my car. (88 S4) Bought it with 32 or 34k miles (don't remember) Sent it in for a major service before I drove it anywhere. I have put over 10k miles. And haven't had an issue. They are super fun to drive and I would recommend one. I can say, there sure are a lot of crappy ones (just like any car I guess) for sale. But buy the right one and you will be happy. A lot of bang for your buck. Image Unavailable, Please Login
Once sorted out, it's a hell of a car. If you have never owned a car like this, then maybe it's not for you. You need to be able to do as much of the work yourself, and to be patient. If you buy a "finished" car it will cost you more, but you will be driving and enjoying it. With kids and a budget, it doesn't sound like the right car for you. There are other cars out there that will be easier to own. I've had 6 928s and have an '87 5 speed. I also have a 15 month old baby and have no time and budget for the 928 any more. My car is finished and is like owning a new car... like the Maytag repair man, I wait to be needed by the 928.
We have had our 86.5 for about 12-13? years (cant remember) and have never spent $3-4K a year in maintenance if that was the case it would have been sold years ago. The 928 has been a great car to us and it has never left us stranded with a mechanical failure and never any electrical failures or gremlins maybe we just got lucky! My suggestion is to look for the newest car you can afford and make sure that it has been well maintained with the service records to prove it and pay a little bit more for the right car.
I had an '81 Euro S model manual. It was a blast and generally left 911's grabbing for gears when we went tally ho on the 405. Bring it to 4,000 RPM and nail it. In 81 I think the euro version was the second or third fastest production car made.
I don't know a whole lot about 928's, but i saw this one listed on craigslist. Sounds like a good deal. http://baltimore.craigslist.org/cto/1643772977.html
My perception now certainly is different than a person who has never owned a 928 before or got a bad one. I bought a good one as my first, second, third, etc 928's. I knew going in that they might need work to bring them up to the level I am comfortable with, but that is the case with ANY CAR! Try that with a freaking Ferrari! Holy cow! Talk about parts costs! Not to mention all the things you have to take out of the car before you can even change a battery (thinking 348 here...I was told they are a nightmare...have NEVER owned an F-car personally...will someday, but have not yet. I understand from MANY friends that their costs DWARF 928 expenses...but I digress) without taking the car apart. On my parts cars...one was a decent car that was turned in to a parts car by a driver who ran a stop sign...we got more from insurance than we had in the car. The other parts car was fully functional and was a persons daily driver but needed paint and interior work as well as some mechanical work to bring it up to par, so I think I paid $4k for it (back in 2000) so I could put the engine in my race car. I sold much of the rest of the car off and thus ended up with a tired but decent running 4.7L Euro S engine in my race car for about $1200 or so... You can find a decent 928S for $7k that will be good running and that you can be proud of. For $10k a REALLY, REALLY nice 928 S and for $15k a REALLY, REALLY nice S4...these cars at those prices would need nothing and probably not more than $2500 in the first year for a few little catch up things and then $1500 or less a year after that for quite a long time. I base this on my knowledge of the market for the last 14 years as well as my continual and growing ownership of the cars over that same time period. If you are even a reasonably competent mechanic you will be able to do well owning a 928. You will have a car that gets a thumbs up every time you drive it, you will have TONS of fun in the car and not ever have to spend to much money on it. The best place for more information is the 928 Forum on the Rennlist! Hands down! Good luck and don't be afraid of the 928! Just spends lots of time looking at LOTS of cars so you can find the right one! James 80 928 Euro S GT Class PCA Racer 81 928 82 928 Competition package (3660 original miles) 84 928 S 85 928 Euro S 88 928 S4 92 928 Euro GTS (only '92 928 in the USA) 94 928 GTS
Hey now They are not that bad. Get the right car and you'll be fine. Don't believe everything you read. (I'm in both cars for pretty much the same $$ for maintenance, both preventative maintenance so I can drive them without a worry, so far so good on both) Them there are lotsa 928's
Oh I agree........there is no reason to fear 928's or any other Porsche really........they "can" just cost money to run, if they are driven a lot, like any other old P-car or old F-car.......so you've gotta go into one with your eyes wide open. These were all over $100K in Canada when they were new, so the parts are still somewhat priced accordingly in some cases relative to the purchase price of the used car (best example, buy an early 80's car and find you've got to replace the ZF tranny or dual disc clutch or do a valve job and head gaskets).......just like all the old 1990-1998 Mercedes 500SL's floating around for $10-15K......1989-1994 Porsche 964's for $20-30K that can need a $15K engine rebuild, etc.....a great ride for the $$$$ until some major, or unique factory specific item, or expensive part breaks. Just trying to bring that topic to the forefront of everyone's radar I guess.......because they are "cheap" to buy does not mean they are always cheap to run in "relative" terms. And that much lower purchase price often brings a buyer to the marque who is less than capable of dealing with the repairs "when" they break.........which is why being extra careful is paramount at purchase time. I've had good luck with some........but most I have seen have been nightmares because of the above issues.
We love 928s, great cars, but like they say if the maint isnt done, whatever has not broke yet will. Per square foot that they occupy in our warehouse they are the best performing model for us. Electric gremlins are usually bad grounds and there are like 8 of them in that car. Fuse panels used 50 year old fuse design all the way up to the 86 i believe. S4 and later for reliability and parts availability. To my eye the Panamera is the reincarnation of the line. Rob
I have a friend that has a 84 928S & uses it as a daily driver, he likes the car despite the oil leaks, I've kicked around the idea of buying one for myself.
I'm no expert but do have some history with the brand. I've driven three 928's and owned two Porsches ('88 944S '95 968 cab) The 928 is a true GT. heavy but with lots of torque. As far as maintenance; the 30K/60K "major" service needs to be done every 5 years regardless of mileage. At this time you'll need new motor mounts and water pump. "major" service on my 944S was $900+ Major on my 968 was $1200+ Brake pads & rotors? $1100+ A 928 will be more. I've heard of head gaskets failing in pre-1990 928's and the cool movable dash pod has a tendency to crack from sun light. A few electrical gremlins sorted out and your on your way. That being said, only Ferrari's Testarossa is dearer to my heart. Buy the nicest one you can afford and enjoy. Joe
I owned a Porsche 928S4 from new in 1987 and put 160,000 miles on it over 8 years. It was used as my daily driver in all weathers and it never let me down.
Never had a failed head gasket on any of my cars nor had they had them before I got them. Never replaced a motor mount either. Not that some of them are not in need of it, but none of the car are "rough" or have vibrations that are anything but good, so I will just keep w/ the current mounts for the time being. If a major part breaks there are about a zillion of them around so finding parts is NO PROBLEM AT ALL. Also, the motors and tranny's are quite robust. I think there was a synchro problem in the earlier cars so that is something that gets addressed from time to time and yes, they will leak some oil. Usually from the oil pan gasket which is a royal PITA to change (most folks to motor mounts at the same time if they are changing the pan gasket). Oh, interestingly there are some Ford MM's that work GREAT in the 928 and will save you not only big money but future breakdowns of stock MM's. Also, there are some good Ford fuel injectors that folks have been using on 928's for awhile now. There are more parts being made (performance, maintenance and regular) than were EVER available when the car was being built too... I don't think you can go wrong with a well kept 928 in your garage! Chris, I KNEW you were going to get after me on my 348 comment! LOL! You are living the dream my brother! 928 and Ferrari in the garage! Way to go!
At the risk of repeating something said above: a lot of the 928s bad reputation comes from the fact that it is sitting at the bottom of its depreciation curve. Practically that means that a lot of people bought them 'cheap' and deferred maintenance. So there are lots of 'roughed up' 928s out there. In fact, it often seems that the majority of 928s for sale have been run hard and put away wet. Definitely, when you're looking at 928s, take your time and see if you can find one that has been well-taken-care of. If you can, they're great cars. If you can't...they can be real headaches.
I've owned two 928's over a 17 year period. My current one, a 1987 S4 that I've had now for over 10 years. Like Chris and James have both said, "Great cars, just find a good one". I run the Rocky Mountain Region, 928 Owners Club, here in Denver. I have about 50 members and we have drives, GTG's and tech sessions. What no one has mentioned here yet is that the people who are involved in 928 ownership are some of the best people I know. They have become very good friends, not just car buddies. Owning a 928 gets you into one of the best experience you will probably ever have in your life. I've owned many other sports cars including Ferrari's, and I can tell for a fact that the camaraderie between 928 owners rivals all other brands and specific models, too. I think you wanted a 928 because of the passion you felt for it many years ago. Now is a very good time to pursue that passion. Don't let the naysayers guide you down a path that makes you settle for something other than what you truly want. A 928 is a car about passion, the people who own them will till you this the people who designed them definitely did. You get one chance in this lifetime, make the most of it. If a Porsche 928 is part of it, just do it. I doubt you'll regret it.
ebe, I am the 928OC Pres for the Central Texas area! COOL! We don't have the number of folks you have, but we have our regular 2nd Saturday gathering and usually have 6-10 cars and 10-15 members! Good times! I did mention that the folks on Rennlist 928 forum are a HUGE help and the OP should go there for more info and to find a good car frankly too. Someone is always selling (either because they have to because of a job loss or are upgrading and can't keep them both) and those are usually VERY GOOD cars! Usually you can find a member who knows 928's VERY WELL close by any you might be interested in and if they don't already know the car they are usually more than happy to take a day to go check it out for you! Great group of people FOR SURE!! James
I just had a road trip from Boston to Akron OH and we took the 928 (to look at an '03 M5). We averaged 76+ mph on the return including stops... Anyway, very comfy, roomy and rock steady at any speed. The M5 we looked at felt fast but unglued at speed. A sorted, solid 928 is pretty good.
1987 928 04/10/08 DFW Regular $800 209,097 Avg BLUE 8G A No 10/22/08 CADE Regular $3,000 130,909 Avg GREY 8G A No 01/14/09 DAYTONA Lease $5,250 77,261 Avg BLACK 4G A No 08/25/09 COLORADO Regular $2,900 101,153 Avg BROWN 8G A No 10/08/09 LAS VEGA Regular $4,500 42,099 Avg SILVER 8G 5 No 1988 928 10/29/09 MANHEIM Regular $12,300 36,112 Above BLUE 8G A Yes 10/06/09 LOUISVLL Lease $9,900 45,447 Avg SILVER 8G O Yes 10/02/09 LAUD/MIA Regular $6,700 96,744 Avg BLACK 8G A Yes 09/09/09 NADE Regular $5,600 119,529 Below SILVER 8G A Yes 05/14/09 MANHEIM Regular $6,150 119,160 Avg SILVER 8G A Yes 04/02/09 MANHEIM Regular $9,500 86,989 Avg SILVER 8G 5 Yes 1989 04/15/08 FAAO Regular $10,400 102,805 Avg BLACK 8G A No 06/11/08 CEN FLA Lease $5,600 136,426 Avg WHITE 8G A No 01/21/09 BAY CITI Regular $8,300 63,277 Avg BLACK 8G A No 05/14/09 MANHEIM Regular $13,700 61,661 Avg WHITE 8G A No 12/16/09 KC Regular $11,200 80,518 Avg BLACK 8G A No 02/04/10 MANHEIM Regular $5,750 128,649 Avg BLACK 8G A No 02/26/10 MANHEIM Lease $7,100 128,655 Avg BLACK 8G A No 03/03/10 CADE Regular $8,000 54,412 Avg BLACK 8G A No
Good advice on looking at a lot of cars and buying the right one. I looked at a bunch and bought the one I liked best - beautiful condition and a full slate of records from year one, which is worth a lot, much like a Ferrari. The stack of receipts and big-ticket items the previous owner collected is amazing and the car was wonderful from the moment I bought her. That said, I still spent money on a number of maintenance items that needed it: Brake discs, lines, pads and rebuilt calipers Clutch master, slave, line and the infamous blue hose Clutch release arm bushing Shift lever bushings, front cup and rear coupler Replaced ****ty US sealed beams with proper Cibie H4s A/C expansion valve and a couple cans of R12 Water pump Timing belt Upgraded timing belt tensioner Alternator, a/c and p/s belts New aluminum radiator (original popped the side tank) New p/s lines and sealing washers New fuel filter, check valve and sealing washers New intake manifold gaskets New cam tower gaskets ...and if I type any more I'll get upset, so here's a pic. Image Unavailable, Please Login
Sorry to hijack the thread, but just a quick note- the M5 probably just needed some new bushings....a dealer will try to change whole suspension parts, but a good BMW independant mechanic can just press in any needed bushings at about 1/10th the cost. I only mention this because I've had 2 or 3 bushings replaced over the 8 years I've owned my 540 sport (2000, same body style as the M5 you test drove), and with almost 90K miles on an otherwise untouched suspension the car is VERY stable at high speeds....in fact with the sport suspension and wider wheelbase of a 4-door it feels more stable at high speeds than either my 911 or 360 modena. To bring a point of relevance to this thread however, any car that's as old as the 928 or other cars may just need a refreshing of some suspension parts/bushings (not even replacement of whole parts) to handle the way it did back in 1987 when they took a fresh from the showroom 928S4 up to 171 mph...if I only had the money and space to own all the cars I've always wanted
Andrew, I totally agree with you! I wish my money tree would start producing again! I have a LOT of cars on my list! James
might be of interest to someone: http://www.carbinemotorcars.com/web/1415/vehicle/458467/1986-Porsche-928%20S no affiliation.
Bottom line..if you don't have the bucks to keep it alive and running in top condition, leave the car where it is...on the lot for sale. The service costs add up VERY fast on these cars. Head gaskets are the norm which is why most of these things are on the market for cheap. Most have had a few cans of "stop leak" run through them and a few points in their lives. Camshafts are a weak point as well. Timing belt, water pump service is big money and you MUST bring the car back in for a readjustment of the belt 1500 miles after install at an additional cost to you. The timing belt tensioner is also a very expensive part. Although a rebuild kit is available, they NEVER last, so 800 bucks just for that part alone. Clutch is also a big job to do as the car is a transaxle/torque tube layout. Electrical gremlins will haunt you from time to time because of the age of the car. Green wires are not an uncommon find.
Some decent points, but either you owned a POS or were just VERY, VERY unlucky. I have EIGHT of them RIGHT NOW... From an '80 Euro S race car to a '94 GTS and everything in between. Never spent more than $1500 on a Timing belt water pump change! Never had a cam shaft break but I have heard of that happening on EARLY (78/79) engines. Never had a head gasket problem and can't think of anyone who has had that problem. Never heard of anyone running "stop leak" through one, but it has crossed my mind for my heater core...not sure how I could get it to JUST go through there though...I'd have to hook up a special pump for it and just run it through I guess and then purge the system and reconnect...pin holes in the heater core are not uncommon but the dash has to come out to get to it...that alone is $1000 to R&R the dash! I agree on electrical gremlins. DON'T buy a 928 with KNOWN electrical issues...you are just asking for trouble! If they have hacked in to the system to install an aftermarket alarm beware! Can't speak to the clutch issues or costs, but I do know folks who have done the jobs in their garages. If you get one budget $3k to get it pretty up to date and then $1500 a year there after and you will probably be in very good shape... James
WOW!!!! Did you own 928 with that many problems?!? If so your mechanic must love you for giving him enough business to buy a new Ferrari! As James has mentioned previously, these problems that you've brought up are extremely uncommon. I've owned 928's for fifteen years straight and never had head gasket issues (hand built engines, by the way), broken cam shafts, or any of the other major problems you mentioned. And stop leak, common this isn't a chevy. Look, the bottom line...when these car were being built they were the finest examples of automobile manufacturing in the world. Yes, they are very technical machines, but very well put together machines. I certainly would never steer someone away from a car as great as this, but I would also ask them to use common sense and find the best example of the car that they can, within there price range. These are wonderful GT cars, if you've never driven one over long distances, at speed, then you need to put this on your bucket list!
