Help me pricing this 928.
11-07-2017, 02:58 AM
#1
Rennlist Member
Thread Starter
Help me pricing this 928.
Hi all
I am looking at a particular 928, and would like your unbiased opinion. What would be a reasonable price for the following car:
• 1988 Porsche 928 S4
• Millage : close to 200,000 (200k)
• Exterior 8/10 – pretty good shape
• Interior : 5/10 - need some TLC – normal ware for the millage
• Car is stock no modifications
• Clear tittle and CA registered
• Engine: timing and water pump service done very recently
• Car is a good driver, no lights
• Car comes with a new Smog certificate
• Service history is limited to about two years.
Would 8k is a good price considering the high mileage?
I am looking at a particular 928, and would like your unbiased opinion. What would be a reasonable price for the following car:
• 1988 Porsche 928 S4
• Millage : close to 200,000 (200k)
• Exterior 8/10 – pretty good shape
• Interior : 5/10 - need some TLC – normal ware for the millage
• Car is stock no modifications
• Clear tittle and CA registered
• Engine: timing and water pump service done very recently
• Car is a good driver, no lights
• Car comes with a new Smog certificate
• Service history is limited to about two years.
Would 8k is a good price considering the high mileage?
11-07-2017, 03:44 AM
#2
Race Director
Hmmm.... I know this sounds crazy, but maybe the 928 forum would be a better place to post this question. I wouldn't pay $8K for the car, based on your description. 5K max, assuming I was hot for a 928. But, valuing an older car without seeing it in person is always a fool's game.
11-07-2017, 11:05 AM
#4
Rennlist Member
Manual or auto? If it's a manual 7-8k. Auto 4-5k and verify the crank end play on the thrust bearing before purchase. The autos have a tendency to have the driveshaft clamp slip forward and put undue pressure on the thrust bearing.
11-07-2017, 11:54 AM
#6
Rennlist Member
Well, on a 30 year old car, mileage really isn't that big of a deal, except on the high end of the spectrum for collector cars. So, this one's never going to be in that category. But, you know what, neither is my '87 S4 with 82k miles. So, what we are talking about is condition. My '87 S4 is probably a 8/10 exterior, 8/10 interior, recent WP/TB change, new tires, brakes, generally a 8/10 mechanically. Guards red over black. Automatic tranny. I'd say it's worth about $13k-$14k.
The car you are describing sounds about like an $8,000 car, but I'd put that on the high end and would not pay more than that. $6,000 isn't an unreasonable price. So, I'd probably offer $6,000 and see if he takes it. With that amount of miles, there won't be people lined up to buy it, so time is your friend.
One other thing - although it is a Porsche, it is a completely different experience than your 996tt X50 (ask me how I know). I enjoy driving my 928, but honestly it is mainly the unique design of the 928 that makes it worthwhile, not the driving experience. I've put maybe 250 miles on mine since I bought it 3 years ago (not counting the drive home from South Bend to KC when I bought it). Plus the maintenance - these are not for the faint of heart. Parts are expensive and stuff breaks - often. Hard to find a mechanic smart enough to work on them properly that's still foolish enough to want to work on them. Meaning: I hope you are good with a wrench. Oh, and I hope you are really, really freaking good at dealing with electrical gremlins. Electrical stuff is not my forte, so I wince every time a new gremlin pops up.
That being said, the oldtimers on the 928 forum say that once you get a car completely sorted out, it's not that bad to keep it that way. I'm still working on getting mine fully sorted for the first time. Frankly, I think it would be cheaper to spend more money to get a better example than it would be to buy one that needs a lot of TLC. Plus, you'll avoid a lot of headaches.
The car you are describing sounds about like an $8,000 car, but I'd put that on the high end and would not pay more than that. $6,000 isn't an unreasonable price. So, I'd probably offer $6,000 and see if he takes it. With that amount of miles, there won't be people lined up to buy it, so time is your friend.
One other thing - although it is a Porsche, it is a completely different experience than your 996tt X50 (ask me how I know). I enjoy driving my 928, but honestly it is mainly the unique design of the 928 that makes it worthwhile, not the driving experience. I've put maybe 250 miles on mine since I bought it 3 years ago (not counting the drive home from South Bend to KC when I bought it). Plus the maintenance - these are not for the faint of heart. Parts are expensive and stuff breaks - often. Hard to find a mechanic smart enough to work on them properly that's still foolish enough to want to work on them. Meaning: I hope you are good with a wrench. Oh, and I hope you are really, really freaking good at dealing with electrical gremlins. Electrical stuff is not my forte, so I wince every time a new gremlin pops up.
That being said, the oldtimers on the 928 forum say that once you get a car completely sorted out, it's not that bad to keep it that way. I'm still working on getting mine fully sorted for the first time. Frankly, I think it would be cheaper to spend more money to get a better example than it would be to buy one that needs a lot of TLC. Plus, you'll avoid a lot of headaches.
11-07-2017, 01:44 PM
#7
Rennlist Member
Thread Starter
I am very sorry, I meant this for the 928 forum and mistakenly posted this on 996 instead 928. However I truly apricate your input, it also good to know that 996 folks have 928 which is normally not the case 
. How do I repost this in 928 forum, what is the right etiquette?: delete this post, or provide this link in the 928 forum?
. How do I repost this in 928 forum, what is the right etiquette?: delete this post, or provide this link in the 928 forum?
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11-07-2017, 06:24 PM
#8
Rennlist Member
Thread Starter
One other thing - although it is a Porsche, it is a completely different experience than your 996tt X50 (ask me how I know). I enjoy driving my 928, but honestly it is mainly the unique design of the 928 that makes it worthwhile, not the driving experience. I've put maybe 250 miles on mine since I bought it 3 years ago (not counting the drive home from South Bend to KC when I bought it). Plus the maintenance - these are not for the faint of heart. Parts are expensive and stuff breaks - often. Hard to find a mechanic smart enough to work on them properly that's still foolish enough to want to work on them. Meaning: I hope you are good with a wrench. Oh, and I hope you are really, really freaking good at dealing with electrical gremlins. Electrical stuff is not my forte, so I wince every time a new gremlin pops up.
That being said, the oldtimers on the 928 forum say that once you get a car completely sorted out, it's not that bad to keep it that way. I'm still working on getting mine fully sorted for the first time. Frankly, I think it would be cheaper to spend more money to get a better example than it would be to buy one that needs a lot of TLC. Plus, you'll avoid a lot of headaches.
yes I agree 100%.
I had to sort out lots of stuff in my 89 S4 before I could drive it longer distances.
11-07-2017, 07:22 PM
#9
The car you describe I would guess falls into the less maintained than more maintained category. Obviously some level of catch up maintenance is in your future. So it depends on what you want out of the experience. For me I like working on cars so buying a fully sorted one that was trouble free from day one wouldn't be as rewarding and bringing one up to snuff.
As for value, I think 8K may be a fair price. Here are a couple of comps that went for similar dollars.
https://bringatrailer.com/listing/1990-porsche-928-2/
https://bringatrailer.com/listing/19...sche-928-s4-9/
11-07-2017, 10:56 PM
#11
Shameful Thread Killer
Rennlist Member
Rennlist Member
I'm going to do this one on the pro/con report.
Pro:
No(or few) mods. It seems that most people who start to mod these cars do a hatchet job on it. See my thread on the hacked exhaust for reference. More and more, I want a bone stock 928. If I do any mods, they will be tasteful and correct.
Recent major work. The 928 is a deferred maint monster. If there is records of regular major maint, that means that more than likely(but no surety) small stuff was not let go.
Exterior can be a pretty costly repair. It's also highly relevant to price, so having good paint is an exceptional bonus on a high miles car.
Con:
With 200k miles, the seller is in a black hole for buyers. He is never, ever going to hit the sweet spot for collectors, or even the 928 buying public.
Interior work is something usually for pros. Not many of us have the tools, skills, and detail orientation for interior work. It's very time consuming, and mistakes will show up. Leave it to pros, or take lots of time and buy costly tools. Not a DIY deal.
Service history for a high miles car is kind of mandatory. Only having two years worth is a red flag.
If you buy it, it's going to own you for a long long time. Reselling the 200k car is never easy, which puts you in a good position to bargain. $5500-7000 if everything else checks out.
Pro:
No(or few) mods. It seems that most people who start to mod these cars do a hatchet job on it. See my thread on the hacked exhaust for reference. More and more, I want a bone stock 928. If I do any mods, they will be tasteful and correct.
Recent major work. The 928 is a deferred maint monster. If there is records of regular major maint, that means that more than likely(but no surety) small stuff was not let go.
Exterior can be a pretty costly repair. It's also highly relevant to price, so having good paint is an exceptional bonus on a high miles car.
Con:
With 200k miles, the seller is in a black hole for buyers. He is never, ever going to hit the sweet spot for collectors, or even the 928 buying public.
Interior work is something usually for pros. Not many of us have the tools, skills, and detail orientation for interior work. It's very time consuming, and mistakes will show up. Leave it to pros, or take lots of time and buy costly tools. Not a DIY deal.
Service history for a high miles car is kind of mandatory. Only having two years worth is a red flag.
If you buy it, it's going to own you for a long long time. Reselling the 200k car is never easy, which puts you in a good position to bargain. $5500-7000 if everything else checks out.
11-08-2017, 01:36 AM
#12
Rennlist Member
Thread Starter
Every car is different. My daily driver is a 1996 Saab Turbo with 170K miles and every month a new little problem pops up. No one should expect a 30+ year old car, 911 or otherwise, to be trouble free especially if the previous owners didn't pay much attention to routine maintenance.
The car you describe I would guess falls into the less maintained than more maintained category. Obviously some level of catch up maintenance is in your future. So it depends on what you want out of the experience. For me I like working on cars so buying a fully sorted one that was trouble free from day one wouldn't be as rewarding and bringing one up to snuff.
As for value, I think 8K may be a fair price. Here are a couple of comps that went for similar dollars.
https://bringatrailer.com/listing/1990-porsche-928-2/
https://bringatrailer.com/listing/19...sche-928-s4-9/
The car you describe I would guess falls into the less maintained than more maintained category. Obviously some level of catch up maintenance is in your future. So it depends on what you want out of the experience. For me I like working on cars so buying a fully sorted one that was trouble free from day one wouldn't be as rewarding and bringing one up to snuff.
As for value, I think 8K may be a fair price. Here are a couple of comps that went for similar dollars.
https://bringatrailer.com/listing/1990-porsche-928-2/
https://bringatrailer.com/listing/19...sche-928-s4-9/
11-08-2017, 01:37 AM
#13
Rennlist Member
Thread Starter
I'm going to do this one on the pro/con report.
Pro:
No(or few) mods. It seems that most people who start to mod these cars do a hatchet job on it. See my thread on the hacked exhaust for reference. More and more, I want a bone stock 928. If I do any mods, they will be tasteful and correct.
Recent major work. The 928 is a deferred maint monster. If there is records of regular major maint, that means that more than likely(but no surety) small stuff was not let go.
Exterior can be a pretty costly repair. It's also highly relevant to price, so having good paint is an exceptional bonus on a high miles car.
Con:
With 200k miles, the seller is in a black hole for buyers. He is never, ever going to hit the sweet spot for collectors, or even the 928 buying public.
Interior work is something usually for pros. Not many of us have the tools, skills, and detail orientation for interior work. It's very time consuming, and mistakes will show up. Leave it to pros, or take lots of time and buy costly tools. Not a DIY deal.
Service history for a high miles car is kind of mandatory. Only having two years worth is a red flag.
If you buy it, it's going to own you for a long long time. Reselling the 200k car is never easy, which puts you in a good position to bargain. $5500-7000 if everything else checks out.
Pro:
No(or few) mods. It seems that most people who start to mod these cars do a hatchet job on it. See my thread on the hacked exhaust for reference. More and more, I want a bone stock 928. If I do any mods, they will be tasteful and correct.
Recent major work. The 928 is a deferred maint monster. If there is records of regular major maint, that means that more than likely(but no surety) small stuff was not let go.
Exterior can be a pretty costly repair. It's also highly relevant to price, so having good paint is an exceptional bonus on a high miles car.
Con:
With 200k miles, the seller is in a black hole for buyers. He is never, ever going to hit the sweet spot for collectors, or even the 928 buying public.
Interior work is something usually for pros. Not many of us have the tools, skills, and detail orientation for interior work. It's very time consuming, and mistakes will show up. Leave it to pros, or take lots of time and buy costly tools. Not a DIY deal.
Service history for a high miles car is kind of mandatory. Only having two years worth is a red flag.
If you buy it, it's going to own you for a long long time. Reselling the 200k car is never easy, which puts you in a good position to bargain. $5500-7000 if everything else checks out.
11-08-2017, 02:21 AM
#14
Vegas, Baby!
Rennlist Member
Rennlist Member
If it's got 200K on the clock, some one has taken care of the car. They won't go that far with deferred maintenance. Lucky to make it half that many miles.
Sounds like it's a runner. Make a deal for the right price. These cars are a lot of fun, besides it's a hobby car. It's supposed to cost ya, that's just part of the fun!
Sounds like it's a runner. Make a deal for the right price. These cars are a lot of fun, besides it's a hobby car. It's supposed to cost ya, that's just part of the fun!
11-08-2017, 12:37 PM
#15
Drifting
I agree with Polecat; If it has 200K miles on the clock, it's a 'runner' and the owner(s) have put enough work into it to run it for 200K miles. Whether the work has been done 'properly' or not, you have to judge.....If it's been on the road 'continuously', with no major periods of 'storage' or 'down for parts', then about 7k a year was put on the car.. enough to keep it 'well exercised'. If it's a 5 speed and it runs well, I'd offer $6K to start, for an auto. start at $5k... (expect to put the remainder of the $8k asking price into the car in the first year)... If the owner doesn't bite, come back in 3 months and him $500 less...
I talked Black Tie Classic Auto down from $5900 to $3500 when I got my '83 Euro-S2 5 speed. It had 164K miles on the broken odometer, and from the condition of the car,considering that it sat on the dealer's lot for 5 years(that I know of), it's a 180K miles car. I've put another $4k in parts into it so far and I've had it 6 years now. When will I be "done with it"? NEVER!! Still, it's the best $3500 I ever spent on a car as far as miles & smiles per dollar.
My Dad had a saying about old cars. He called it "The Rule of 90's and 9's": 90% of the work takes 90% of your time and money, of the remainder,the next 9% it also takes 90% of your time and money...You finish 90% of the last 1% and then say.."F**k IT, close enough is good enough", put away the tools and go have fun with it..
I talked Black Tie Classic Auto down from $5900 to $3500 when I got my '83 Euro-S2 5 speed. It had 164K miles on the broken odometer, and from the condition of the car,considering that it sat on the dealer's lot for 5 years(that I know of), it's a 180K miles car. I've put another $4k in parts into it so far and I've had it 6 years now. When will I be "done with it"? NEVER!! Still, it's the best $3500 I ever spent on a car as far as miles & smiles per dollar.
My Dad had a saying about old cars. He called it "The Rule of 90's and 9's": 90% of the work takes 90% of your time and money, of the remainder,the next 9% it also takes 90% of your time and money...You finish 90% of the last 1% and then say.."F**k IT, close enough is good enough", put away the tools and go have fun with it..
