Randy V

Clearly, the 928 is the superior machine in all regards...although, I may be a bit biased <img border="0" alt="[hiha]" title="" src="graemlins/roflmao.gif" /> .

Jack Riffle

If you want the oooohs and ahhhhs from the crowd when you pop the hood, you gotta go with the shark. Just ask Randy. As a matter of fact, I'd be willing to bet that he will post a pic of his open hood here. How about it Randy? Show the goods.

Shane

Buy 'em both Anders!!
I got an auto for the daily traffic grind, and the 5sp for weekend fun. Tough call and I believe you ain't gonna find the answer here. Only you can make this call. What is right for you?

Randy V

Well, only 'cause you twisted my arm Jack (I have no shame ):

<img src="http://www.momentoffame.com/snapshots/MomentOfFame/l23412.jpg" alt=" - " />

Riff

Randy V.

Very nice motor!!!! Is that a motor from a later car, I did not think that was offered in '79 though I could be mistaken?? I always loved the intake manifold on that 928 motor....DROOL!!!!

Cheers,

Kaz

Accidental double post. deleted.

Kaz

The previous owner of my 88 928 bent 10 valves on the passenger side of the engine. The receipts I collected from Danbury Porsche in Connecticut totalled 6700 if memory serves.

Maintenance aside, I think you will enjoy the 928 more than the 944T for all the miles you plan to drive. I drove mine across the U.S. three times and it was wonderful.

deni durrell

good god - nice engine. you have no shame!

BC

Well, okay.

The auto 928 is not the same car as the 5spd version. It almost as bad as trying to compare a 951 and something like a 911SC.

A 928 5spd has to be driven against a 951. It will still be no real comparison, but hey, its a bit closer. If the example of the 928 is a good example, then all those electrical gremlins can be avoided.

I am quite against autos. I just broke my 4th one. Thats why I am parting out my 81 auto.

Anyway, the 928 is great in GT or S4 form. I always thought that about 200 more horses would be great, less weight, and a firmer suspension. I like the interior, and the hatch back design. The 951 has all that, andalot more CHEAP potential. Track is a different story, but can we please dispense with the whole "a 928 is great for highway, Its a GT cruiser, it has slow movements"

Hey - What boost does a 951 have stock? 14lbs? Hey, well go head to head on a track - I get 14lbs in my 928, and you get 14lbs with your 951.

You just can't compare is my point. My compromise will be a SC on my 89S4 5spd.

Jim Nowak

I've heard many good points about each car; however, I would like to dispel the myth that the 928 is expensive to maintain. I drove a 928 for four years while working as a beach lifeguard and going to college. You want to talk about poor. College paid for with a lifeguard's salary.....it wasn't easy but the fringe benefits were great. My 928 did not bury me in maintenance costs. In fact, the only things that ever cost me any money in those years: a rebuilt fuel pump $120, timing belt replacement $400, oil filters and oil, and tires.

They are different cars and I'd like to say that you should have them both, but if you had to have the best ride and most dependable Porsche ever made then go for the 928. I'll leave you with something a Porsche Master Mechanic once told me: "If the 944 were never invented, I would not be able to stay in business."

Legoland951

You never had problems with window switches, seat switches, power steering rack leaks, computer failure, auto trans leak / failure, A/C compressor (same as the 944) or anything other than a fuel pump? I think that is an exception rather than the rule. I like both cars only if they are stick and for different reasons.

Brent 89-GT

Iam a recent 928 convert. I had always wanted a 928. About four years ago when I went to buy my first P-car I wanted the 28 REALLY bad but talked myself out of it due to maint cost horror stories.

I still wanted more power than the 944NA so the natural choice was the 951. It was undoubtably a cool car. It was FAST and solid. It got 30 mpg highway before the mods. Then I did the suspension, mass flow with chips among other things. I sunk over $10k into repairs and mods in two years time, two blown head gaskets, a reseal on the crank girdle due to lost oil pressure and a few other things. I figured that if I was going to be constantly sinking money into a car, I might as well get the one I really wanted. I sold the 951 last fall and a couple months later I was a 928 owner. Sorry guys but, there is no going back now. No four cylinder turbo will ever put a smile on my face like that big V8

I will have it on the track this friday for the first time. I expect that it will preform as well as my 951, just different. I have much bigger tires, stiff suspenders and broad instant torque. I can't wait.

In either case, get the car checked out. Either one can easily become a wallet draining exercise. I am also in the "no automatics" crowd. I would find a five speed S4/GT.

Good Luck

John Veninger

I'm really biased <img border="0" title="" alt="[Wink]" src="wink.gif" />
Go for the 928 <img border="0" alt="[cheers]" title="" src="graemlins/beerchug.gif" />

Dennis K

If you have any doubts as to whether a 928 would work as a track car on the weekends, I have found that mine has been perfectly adequate. Here's a video I shot from just last weekend on the track:

<a href="http://www.jeepvideos.com/mpeg/030420sp-open.mpg" target="_blank">928 at Sears Point (21 MB)</a>

Seriously though, you should test drive both cars. It should be pretty evident afterwards which one will meet your needs, be it a 951 or 928. Good luck.

ViribusUnits

The 928 isn't that bad to maintain!

There are some great sites about 928 maintance out there.

Most of the electrical problem stem from poor grounds, or bad relays. These are extreamly fixable if you have a mind to do it your self. Relays require swaping to check. Grounds require a bit of work. All it is is you unscrew the bolt, use the wire brush, add dielectric grease, screw bolt back in. Repeat onece every year or two. There are like 6 important grounds, plus a few other minor ones.

The climate control system can be flacky if you innore it for 20 years like mine was. It's a vacume and electronic system. The prime source of trouble is the vacume actuators. It's fairly rare for a control head, or the sensors to go out. The compresser is pretty near bullet proof.

There is a reletivly uncommon age related LH-jetronic failure problem. You could have this problem. The rebuilt brains arn't cheap, and new ones arn't avalible. They are sent from the US to Europe, so you might be able to deal with this easier than us US folks.

The later 4 speed automatics, when equiped with a kick down switch are plenty lively. I prefer my 5 speed, but only when I'm playing. In traffic, working the clutch gets annoying.

If you innore the timeing belt, you can very easily have troubles. If you pay attention, have it tensioned right, and pay a bit for prevenitive maintance, your OK. The t-belt is sensitive, make sure the tension is right, and it's replaced and retensioned according to the Porsche schedule. Other than that, the engine is pretty near bullet proof.

Don't buy your parts from the dealer! Find a parts house that moves these parts at reletivly decent prices. There are the "Big 3" in the US. They are rennlist sponcers. Devek, 928 International, and 928 Specialists. One 928 specific parts, they are often the best deal in the US. On reletivly generic parts, they don't compaire so well. Their knowlage for the 928 is great.

I do all the work on my earler 928 myself.

I get about 20 miles per gallon. I'll let you conver that to metric! The GTS is suppost to be about the same.

Those are pretty much every issue maintanace wise on a 928...