ForceReconTrojan

First like the 951/993/987 forums this place is the absolute best.

I have read everything and feel as I am as ready and scared as anyone to add a 928 to my current fleet of 3 Porsches. It would not be a daily or barely a weekly as I have a tesla as a daily for 3 more months until the lease ends and then my i8 gets here.

I have always wanted one since I can remember but something newer and shiner always took its place. About 6 years ago I started going back in time on cars to cross off the childhood posters. A E30 M3, a RS500 while I lived in Europe for a year negotiating a deal ( broke my heart I could not have it in California) then a 993t and then a 951.

Of all of them the 951 best prepared me for this journey, even though I thought I paid for a top car there was basically 9k in deferred maintenance I caught up on in a single summer. Now its a prime example and I enjoy it.

So the first one is a 91 S4 in PA that I really like, doing a PPI today, it has had about 29k worth of "refreshening " on a very good car including a 10k paint job with all new glass and rubber. The receipts are staggering and the price is very fair. This one is Red on Tan. Has many GTS style mods and just looks great.

The second one is in South Carolina and is a 53k 1988 S4 that has passed PPI and has had everything done to date that this board feels is important. It is Black on black

The last one I drive this Wednesday, its here in Southern California and just finished the 4k A/C rebuild and another 3k in engine work. This one is White over Blue.

The price difference is not but a couple of thousand so not an issue. I do have a hail mary underway for a 94 GTS as well, we will see if he takes my offer as even though the red one is my favorite I would rather get a GTS and even that owner thinks if I can I should...

I know like my 951 that I will budget 3k a year for maintenance and scheduled upkeep even though I doubt I will drive them more than 2k a year. I really only have a couple of questions if you guys could indulge me...fuel lines, on the 951 side because of proximity and heat we all do braided...everyone of these owners said they have had their mechanics look at their respective ones and say theirs are all fine and I assume they are plastic or rubber...is this the way to go?

Flex Plate and the standard stuff has all been asked, answered and I'm satisfied but is there anything at all that is on in left field I should be looking for?

It's embarrassing to say but Ive never driven one and this wednesday I will be driving the white one and he also has 2 GT's which I will drive. I don't want a manual as I am even stressed to drive the 951 from a combat injury that just makes it uncomfortable at this stage of my life.

Any help is as always appreciated and I, unless I absolutely hate the car Wednesday will be joining the ranks here very soon....heck I would probably still buy it just to look at in the garage.

Thanks!

wpgshark

You have a broad range, never driven a GTS so can't comment.

Besides the digital dash, just the info section, on the 91 the only other notable difference in driving should be the different ratios of the transmissions. The 88 has taller gears which will make it a little quieter, not so much noise but a feeling of got to go, at speed than the 91, on the other hand the 91 will have more of that got to go.

My son has both a 944 and 951, it is hard to compare the cars, the 928 definitely feels heavier than it is, whereas both 944s feel lighter. The acceleration on the 928 is easier and there is no waiting. I like the 944 for in town zipping around, it almost feels crass to do that kind of a thing in the 928. Get out of town on an extended twisty road at a good clip and that is when the 928 comes on nothing like it, serene excitement.

Where the 928 really differs is comfort, the seats are a touch bigger, the doors are a little bigger making it easier to get out and in, the dash is a little further away, the driver and passenger are really well treated. The ride is more subtle, the suspension takes off more of the rough edges of the road surface, and they are much quieter.

If you like the 951 you should like the 928, but differently it will be familiar, but totally different.

I would recommend driving all of them before you make your choice, there might be one little thing that makes one more enjoyable than the others and why miss out, you've spent a lot of time working this out don't short change yourself the last comparison.

Good luck.

Rob Edwards

What year /miles is the White/blue one? My bias would be to hold out for the GTS if you can make that deal happen, then the 91, then the '88.

Wisconsin Joe

You are in California, two of the prospective cars are not. Have you made sure that they will pass emissions testing? I only know that CA is "picky", not any of the particulars.

Fuel lines: Originals are plastic, covered in rubber. If they are original, they are ~25 years old. And an outside visual check is completely useless. There is no way at all to evaluate condition that way. Old fuel lines that let go are a "known issue" and the cause of way too many "carbecues." There are a few different solutions, what is appropriate/acceptable gets a bit...

Controversial.

The best option (no controversy on this) is made by Greg Brown, also available through Roger @ 928s R Us. Spendy, but well worth it. Lifetime warranty. If the fuel lines on any car you end up with are original, replace them. Period.

If you've read through the "New Visitor" sticky, then you should have a good idea of most of the trouble spots.

wpgshark has the description of the driving experience pretty accurately described. I have a 944 (non-turbo) in addition to the 928. The 944 is a go kart. Communicative, responsive, nimble. The 928 feels bigger. It is bigger, but it feels "more bigger" than it is. Quieter, smoother, more stable. This isn't to say that it doesn't handle very well (it does), but it feels like it's more solid, but a bit less nimble. Much better for longer trips, but I will take mine to the grocery store. Or 140 miles to the DZ.

No shame in wanting an auto. These are GTs, and the autos are pretty good, they fit the character of the car fairly well. You are pretty close to Greg's shop, and he is the man for these cars and the auto trans.

Last, but not least - what ever you end up getting, post pics.

cali4sun

I think secretly all 928 owners would love to have a GTS, if that option were available to them.



'89 928S4 GP White/Black
'80 911SC Targa Black/Tan

karl ruiter

GTS are pretty but:
They have oil management issues and tend to ping
The rear fender liners are crap
Intake air hoses are crap
Aero mirrors offer reduced visibility
Rear fenders stick out further than you would think and are a target for dings.

All that said, the GTS is a better car than the S4, I think. But the S4 is a damn good car.

Rob Edwards

Having had a GT and a GTS, I agree on all counts with Karl- S4s are probably less problematic, but the market disagrees, from a valuation and investment potential standpoint. Not that the OP of this thread is necessarily looking at this as an investment, but if it's going to serve as a weekend/toy car, the GTS is going to maintain its value going forward just 'cuz it's a GTS.

ForceReconTrojan

Thanks for the feedback. The GTS has it's offer and I am waiting for the reply. Yes, I was concerned about smog the one in PA says it passes there with flying colors does anyone know if PA has stringent emissions? The guy in South Carolina says his state is a joke and a donkey could use the freeway on 3 wheels or something to that effect.

It is something to consider. Wednesday I get to try three two S4's and a GT. So that should further my education. Fuel lines will be replaced immediately upon receipt. Thanks for that input.

carnahanbb

Fun problem to have...deciding against 3 really nice 928s. I tend to agree with others in that if you can make the GTS work that's probably your best bet from a cost cost / benefit and ROI analysis. As long as I've been interested in 928s the market for the GTS has always been on a completely different level from the rest of the bunch. It would be amazing to own a GTS even though I'm skeptical that the difference between it and an S4 / GT is really that vast.

928 DesMoines

I lived in PA for a few years before moving to Desmoines. In PA, the smog test goes according to County, model year and type of vehicle. For instance for a 91, if it was in Philadelphia, it would get a Dynamometer (tail pipe test on a treadmill!), Visual Check and Gas Cap Check. But if the car is located in Franklin county of PA, there would be no test at all. Additionally, if the owner has any special "classic" or "collector" plate registration; then the car is exempt from the inspection. So, when you go look at the car, check the plate. If it is a normal PA plate, then he is required to have it done every year. There will be two inspection stickers on the drivers side windshield indicated the date of inspection. If he/she has any other type of plate, then he isn't getting the inspection done. When I lived in PA, I registered my 90 S4 as a collectors car and never needed a smog check. However, all of our other regular plated vehicles have gone through it. They check for any engine codes, check vapor near the gas cap, and hook a detector up to the pipe. Have never seen any fails. I know it sounds confusing. I suspect that if you are buying the car out of a metropolitan area like Philadelphia, or Pittsburgh, then the smog test will be fairly similar California's.


All of that being said; If that car is as well maintained as you describe, and passes a PPI, then it should pass a smog test in CA no problem. However, if you look at the car and the owner removed the CATs and/or bypassed the smog pump, then to me; that is a PPI fail for California.

ForceReconTrojan

Thank you!
He has regular plates and the stickers. What was weird...and a little shall I say devine...the first three letters of the plate were my initials JDR.

bureau13

Well, that's that, then. You know what you have to do

Tom in Austin

I'm somewhat (completely?) biased, would definitely go for the GTS. Mike Lambert is VP of the Ferrari Club of America and guess what his daily driver is? Yep, a 928 GTS!

Only 406 were made for north America, so each one is a treasure! That will make you feel better as you spend all that money maintaining and upgrading it.

pinballplanet

Ask the owner in PA for the emissions inspection report. It will itemize what was tested and the car's performance on each emissions test. Hopefully he saved it and didn't toss it...

928 DesMoines

That 91 S4 in PA is calling your name! It would have had me at "red on tan" . Meeeooww!

When will you know about your GTS "offer"?