Gary Rogers

Recently purchased a 1986 Red/black 928S with 65K miles and in generally excellent condition. This is my second Porsche. The first one was a 1952 split window, 1300 cc crash box that I had in college.!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I found a pro restorer/mechanic who is familiar with 928's and he said to bring him a list of things to be done. Timing belt and water pump replaced 3000 mi. ago. I have replaced all fluids The mechanicals are very very good so I am going after things like new vacuum lines, make certain every switch and bulb works etc. have made a list of everything I can notice but would appreciate any ideas the forum could suggest.

Thanks
Gary

SeanR

Wisconsin Joe

Fuel lines, power steering lines. Old ones have a nasty tendency to burst, spewing flammable fluids all over hot exhaust manifolds. For obvious reasons, this is not a 'good thing'.

Intake refresh. Vac lines, TPS, ISV, MAF. There are writeups out there for this.

Motor mounts, oil pan gasket and steering rack bushings.

Ground cleaning.

CE panel cleaing.

HVAC vac pod refresh.

And also...

THIS...

drscottsmith

Mikebte

Photos

elgy

^^ should be
is...

hlee96

Adk46

Welcome, Gary! Sounds like you're starting ahead of the game (we'll see). But with respect and respect for tradition -

... without ...

worf928

NickTucker

Gary - Welcome to the insanity!!

What state are you in?

linderpat

Be careful. If you put that kind of open-end list together and tell your guy to have at it, you'll have a $25K bill in a heartbeat. Instead, be smart. Study here for a few weeks, get to know your car, then decide yourself what it really needs, and then consult with your guy, build a plan to repair, with a budget, and stick to it. Of course, fuel lines, if not already addressed, should be on the initial list. Not an expensive repair at all for a mechanic who knows what to do. Motor mounts and oil pan gasket, on the other hand, is very labor intensive, involving at least lifting the motor. Many mechanics will pull the motor for the job, then down the rat hole you go (look for Seth Pyle's redwitch threads to get an idea). Further, you don't need to address those items if they are generally okay; and oil pan gasket adds nothing to the driving experience, and old motor mounts are something to eventually get to, in round 2 or 3 of the resto plan. Again, figure out what the really important things are (brakes, fuel lines, light bulbs) and fix those things first.

SteveG

Welcome. "Buy" [sic] all means, fuel lines if not already done; "buy" means all else is limited by your wallet, I'm sure you know; choose carefully and know that if you fund your mechanic's new boat, he will spend less time in the garage helping your car. Go to User CP and add pertinent details on your car and location in the sig line. That way we don't have ask if it is an auto or 5-speed, etc., your location - bc local owners will show up at your house to help diagnose and repair. Unless you are in Idaho, then forget it.

Go to New Visitor thread for general info on the car and what you can best get from Rennlist (RL), which is a lot. Others here can fix most anything.

What are the last 4 digits of your VIN? if greater than 1000, you have an 86.5, which means S4 suspension and brakes. Obvious pluses and bragging rights. Learn to post pics, immense aid in diagnosing problems. And then OBVIOUSLY, post pics of your car, your dog, your outhouse.

Adk46

Perhaps my car is a good example of a fundamentally good car - it looked good and ran well, according to my first impressions. The PO fixed most things that went wrong, but not those things that would keep the car "right". So, major work ensued anyway:

My TB/WP were very old. Fixed that before driving further.

Way too floaty - new shocks (error: I should have freed-up the adjustor collars at that time)

Motor mounts - had a certain harshness I could feel. Oil pan gasket at the same time, of course.

Top end / Intake refresh - not needed badly, preventative as to the components that were replaced, very worthwhile esthetic improvement.

Replaced AC compressor and associated doodads - now holds a charge for more than a month (HVAC control unit needs work, however).

Next: torque tube bearings - they somehow suddenly went bad over a winter.

None of these things had to be done - even the 15-year old timing belt and tensioner were probably good for many more miles. But they got me closer to a new car feel - very satisfying. Not very expensive in parts, but lots of my labor (and anxiety - I'm no mechanic).

Everyone's experience and attitude are different - you'll want to use your own judgement. Good luck.

The Forgotten On

Replace all soft lines in the car first. Chances are they are either leaking or going to fail with varying degrees of severity when it comes to the outcome.

Nobody wants your brakes to fail or for your car to catch on fire.

Gary Rogers

First, the mechanic is not an "expert". He worked at a dealership about 20 years ago. He has done work for local Porsche owners and they encouraged me to see him. He restores anything, and is not strictly Porsche. My list, along with all of the thoughtful recommendations here will act as a starting point and if we, he, sees other items we will possibly add them. The deal is work on a task and get paid then go for the next one..My concern is that the work will drag on for months as I just become another project. I have seen that happen to friends in other areas.

Hey! Steve G - The last four numbers of the vin are 1120. so I guess that means S4 with ?????? Where can I find out details of different models?

I am located in Redding, CA a small town in far northern California that has one Porsche trained mechanic. Good guy too. He just did not want to deal with the car for a long time.

I m too much a newbie to know the lingo. I know TB/WP but what are TPS, ISV, MAF.

Will get pictures up tomorrow.

Thanks to all.