17prospective buyer

It's weird, it all started so simple with my 928 ownership. I knew it had alot of deferred maintenance and it's owners pretty much treated it as a daily, it's too far over the hill to consider fully restoring, at 186 000 KM (110 000 or so miles for you Americans). At least, from a financial perspective.

So the plan started out as me just fixing what's wrong with it, putting it on the road, and driving it. Well, after seeing all these little things, i considered that maybe pulling the motor, top end apart, and working my way out from there would be the best thing to do. A total refresh. I actually wrote down some goals for the project a while ago. Hard to believe the motor has been out for a year or so now... The goals were: -to have an engine that runs correctly as in factory condition -to have an engine and bay which is clean and pleasing to the eye

Keeping it stock was never a big deal, i have no qualms with using aftermarket stuff, as long as it's properly done.

Now, pulling the motor was not a big deal. It was all the stuff that followed. The disassembly process so to speak. I kept disassembling, and the amount of parts stowed away in boxes or bags for later kept growing and growing. Needless to say, you start looking at everything, and you realize nothing much has been touched in this car for 25 years apart from wear items. It's all crumbling, brittle, non functional...

Now i have the fender liners all out and the bumper off, and the to-do list just seems to get bigger and bigger, i feel like i'm getting more and more to do and can't finish things fast enough.


I'm lucky that my Dad will let me store it in a small garage and tolerate it being in pieces for so long.

I'm only 19, so i'm sure this project would be no big deal for many people here. But it's just a one man show, i pretty much vowed to want to do everything myself. The car is in a different place from where i am living right now. I can only work on it when i go home which is on long weekends or stat holidays. Do i just need a good solid weekend of help from many hands to get it done? Just order all the parts in one blow and get it all back together? I'm not sure if i don't have the skill to pull off this project, or it's a combination of factors working against me. Like being away from it for so long that you can't remember what you were working on.

Thanks for any advice in advance, i know there will be some wise words said from people here.

928porschemangreg

You did get the car to drive it, correct? Maybe it the project that is calling you. You see guys with 2 or 3 cars, its because they want both drive and project at the same time. My intake looks ugly. It works fine. Yes, it slightly leaks oil, coolant. I'm not removing it to make it shiny new again because I know what will happen. It will be $1000 in new parts to replace the crumbled gaskets, injectors, connectors etc. It can stay gray dull so I can drive it.
You do have to draw the line somewhere. But look around at the average age of the owners and how long they've been doing this. Do you want to be doing it forever?

928porschemangreg

Additionally, we all know you can do what you set out to do, based on your already posted successes. You could probably completely restore every part of the car. I have not had anyone else work on mine. I know I could do it too, just need about 40 hours more a week of time, and about $40, 000 dollars more, and I know I could easily do it. But I will let just knowing, be good enough.
-Greg

Hilton

LOL.. you need to talk to Brendan (rennlister "BC" these days), before your problem gets any worse. At some point, you need to just say "this is far enough" and leave more jobs for later, and put the car back together. If you want to do a complete tear-down you need a lot of space and a lot of cash to feed the OCD

I find it helps to "box" each set of jobs into a package, and not go outside that area except for access to the bit you're focussing on. e.g. "Intake job" shouldn't touch the clutch or torque tube

The things an S4 "needs" to be running right is, in my opinion:

Good MAF
No coolant leaks
No oil leaks
Knock sensors, ISV and CPS working
Good rotors/caps/wires
Correctly done Timing Belt/water pump/tensioner/rollers
Cam/oil pump/crank gears in "good enough" shape
Working motor mounts
Rebuilt LH *if* the old one has actually failed.
Rebuild PS pump/rack *if* the old one leaks or isn't assisting
Rebuild/replace fuel, oil cooler and PS lines
Replace blue hose from reservoir to master cylinder
Cleaning all the bits you take off for the above, and the walls of the engine bay.

That there is all the stuff you should be doing with the engine out. Beyond that, you're just working on other jobs you haven't planned for or got to yet ("wanking" to use the Aussie term for it)

A well running S4 will also benefit a lot from new shocks, brake caliper refresh (new seals etc.), and new suspension bushings (and maybe a new clutch), but those can all be done separately and don't need to be thrown into the same job lot as the engine pull.

A lot of us have been there.. and had a car on stands for over a year for a job that can be done in about 4 solid days of labour Remember, pulling the engine is only a half day's work - don't add months/years to your project because you're "in that far". Hell, other than cleaning, and maybe the blue hose, all the above list can be done with the engine *in* the car. Better to button it up and go for a drive while you plan all the other bits you want to do and buy all the parts you can see in PET which you know you will need.

dlagerstrom

Yup.

I'm coming up on 2 years after just starting out to fix my coolant leak. All new suspension, engine refresh, cleaning, AC,.......

The good news is that I am done taking stuff off (there isn't anything left) and can see a dim light at the end of the tunnel.

Keep going. I am sure you can finish what you have started and get her back on the road soon. These cars are so much fun to drive. That is what keeps me going.

Best of luck.

928Shane

Living in Michigan I am trying to plan the bigger projects around the down time during the winter. I prefer to keep my car drivable as much as possible,that seems to help me not get overwhelmed. I am sure there are people that do in a weeek what may take me a year, we just need to keep it fun for ourselves.

soontobered84

928SG.......look it up.

I knew SG for at least 4 years before I ever actually saw his car on the street. He would come to breakfast GTGs to talk 928 stuff and look at other people's cars but never bring his car. He would bring cool parts and newly fabricated pieces of his car to the GTGs for people to see. I began to wonder if he actually had a car. There were people whispering to me that he didn't still have it, that it was just a fading memory, but then he finally brought it to a GTG.

What a beast of a car! Once I saw it in person, I finally knew why he never drove it. He is such a perfectionist that he didn't want anyone to see anything but his idea of the best incarnation of the car.

A beautiful car as it sits! The problem is, driving the car uncovers all the thoughts about upgrades and whatnots that could still be done to any car. It kinda takes the fun out of just driving the car.

And that's pretty much where we are at this point in time. SG was so disgusted with the whole never-ending circle that he was seriously considering selling the car. Lots and lots of friends talked him off the ledge and he is now back to tinkering.

He is a friend. He has a great car, a stupendous car, but I would not trade for mine.

I drive my cars every week and would drive them every day if I could. I just hope that my friend "finishes" his car someday and can enjoy the drive like I do.

danglerb

Transportation is Toyota or a Taurus. A Porsche 928 is something else. A lot easier to take apart than to put together, but its up to each person to decide what they like to do. What can be tough is that you learn a lot about what you like on your first car.

Know what you want to do next, have "all" the parts ready, and see if some people are close enough to your area to give it the kick start it sounds like you could use. Set a reasonable goal and let the pizza and beer work its magic.

eijun

Invite some Rennlisters/Pelican/928OC people when you do the fix her up, should be much quicker bein they know what to do (just remember to provide pizza and beer)

911tracker85

for the past several years my wife kept asking if I liked driving my car or working on it more?

working on my machines is my main hobby I really enjoy. a great diversion from what I do to earn a living.

in addition to working on the 911 as I got involved in DE, the first major project was the 83 Honda CB1100F. full frame up restore/refresh. now planning to sell before it kills or cripples me.

reached a point on the 911 evolution into a DE/track/street car where it was quite harsh on the street, so got my 928 to become my DD.

last year I found a 2 bay garage to rent very near my house. and last winter neither of my Porsches needed anything but some maintenance stuff.

so first did some work on two 914s for a guy. then got an 87 944S project car, now resurrected/refreshed and sold to my bro-in-law. and decided to retire the 911 from the track and got an 86 944 turbo project that will become my DE/track car ... if I ever get started on it.

I came to realize as I got the 928 that having, refreshing, and maintaining these older Porsches is a journey that never ends. and so far I am enjoying that journey, especially as I am able to keep at least one of the driveable.

so hang in there and as suggested try to move toward getting the initial work done so you can drive it. then plan projects that are manageable in scope so you can get back to driving it again.

ENJOY

Alan

I drive my car almost every day, so not quite in the sense you mean. But I continue to work my way around the car fixing broken things, replacng worn things, upgrading things and adding things.

There are few areas that haven't been touched - yes it grows and grows... but try to keep it on the road - thats the most fun part. working on it mostly in just 1 weekend chunks is more challenging but keeps it effective - you have to plan ahead do things in small bites - the payoff is you get to keep driving it. Don't go down Brendan's path - for all we know - there may be no way back....!

Alan

depami

It may be too late. It all hinges on what you do with that cross member in your avatar. If you intend to reinstall it in this car, you must continue on your present course. If you want to assemble and drive the car, you must sell that cross member and get one that hasn’t been refinished.

Many posts have given good examples of compromise between driving and wrenching.

These cars really are a joy to drive. Have you actually driven yours?

dr bob

I've been down both paths on different cars over the decades. When the 928 landed on me, I resolved that it would always remain original and reliable enough to be a dd. And it's been that for most of the past 15 years. I choose projects on the car carefully, so that it can be whole again in a finite amount of time. It has to be, so I can get to church, the pool hall and the liquor store. So I resist the urge to pull the engine to do X, don't sweat shartuning my supercharged striker, don't have emergency repairs to get home from the track. I drive it.

Consider getting yours running and driving well. Then drive it between wrenching sessions. I treat those sessions as therapy, doing what's needed to keep the car reliable and available. I like the idea that I can walk out to the car any time, jump in and get to the opposite coast and back without a thought to car issues. Decide on a goal condition and strive for that first. Include driving it in the mix to maintain enthusiasm and your sanity.

Perspective: I put enough money in old-pcar restoration to buy a new one easily with lots of change. Won't do that again. I bought a nice one and work to keep it nice. I do get to drive it a lot when I'm home.

MainePorsche

+1

Maintenance/Preventative measures...yes you have to do them. These don't take very long with some pre planning(i.e. 4 bolts in place to check the flex plate). Things like the cam belt change aren't done to often. Though I do like working on the car, I do like driving it considerably more.

69gaugeman

Since getting my first 928, I have always had one to wrench on (even if you just to part out) and one to drive. The one to drive gets all the necessary work to be reliable..... I have been down that path once with a 914. in the 80's I spent 2k on paint, 1k on stereo, 1k on engine and trans rebuild and replacing all the rust involved thousands of hours....Like Dr.Bob said "won't do that again"......well not starting out intentionally....I think.....