Jeremy Mote

So I've been lusting after 928's for years, and recently started planning the purchase of one. I've been reading and posting here to get an idea of what I'm signing up for, and none of it really scares me, especially because I would be buying a 16v example. A recent change in my life means I can really only have a single car, and I was wondering if this killed the 928 dream? I'm not scared of the maintenance or doing it myself, although I do not have a garage of my own at my current place.

Would you daily drive your 928, with nothing to fall back on?

SwayBar

No way would I own a 928 as my only car!

bigfish1744

To be fair to 928s, is there any 40 year old car you would have as an only car?

worf928

No. Unless you can get by on your own two legs, with Uber, or on public transportation, you need another car to daily drive and to parts fetch. Regardless of whether you DIY or pay a professional to wrench, there will be times when the 928 is down for weeks while parts wend their way from points far and wide. Unlike under-warranty cars, parts are not always in-stock or available within 24 hours nor are loaners available.

hacker-pschorr

No, but only because I need my Yukon for things a 928 cannot do.

If I lived in a non salt encrusted climate 4-5 months of the year I would have a "year round" daily driver 928. I endlessly debate on picking up a "beater" 928 just for the sake of saying I have one for 12 months of the year.


The reality of maintaining new(er) cars is out of scope for most shade tree mechanics and getting worse and worse with every generation. So if you are of the type that likes to do all (or most) of their own maintenance, I see nothing wrong with a vintage car for such daily duties.

I've seen late model cars (some less than 3-4 years old) sit for months waiting for parts.

As far as the durability and reliability of vintage cars, the 928 in my opinion is one of the best out there.


This happens to new cars under warranty all the time and not all situations guarntee a loaner.

No matter what scenario you draw up, there's always a possibility you'll have to rent something temporarily or take a cab.

Randy V

My GTS is my only car. The little woman's Lexus luxobarge is always on standby.

Speedtoys

It is my only car.

slownrusty

I tried and I failed, picture below taken at 10pm on a Sunday evening, still love the car:

Jeremy Mote

When you say it's your only car, does that mean if it is broken you need to get an Uber, or is there an SO in the picture with their own car? Very big difference, and I would be going straight to Uber if the 928 is down for the count.

Would you guys who said that the car is sometimes waiting on parts near and far, change your mind if critical components were stockpiled in advance? Stuff like the timing belt, water pump, green wire, etc.

worf928

True. But the ‘fleet wide’ probability of being ‘stuck’ is much lower with a car a lot less than 30 years old.

worf928

Two things: 1) If your crystal ball is that good, tell us next week’s winning PowerBall numbers. 2) If you can afford to stock all the parts your crystal ball shows you, you can afford a beater Honda.

It is very possible to have a 928 that’s reliable enough to drive every day with confidence. But, you have to put time and money into them to get them there unless you bought one that’s been ‘already gone through.’

jetson8859

My 87 was my daily driver for 4 years. While it wasn't my only car, the other two were also 928s. I was stranded twice in 4 years to the point I had to have it towed back home and used Uber for a total of 4 days. With that said, have the two other cars allowed me to steal parts to get the 87 back up and running quickly. I have now transitioned to a Cayenne S and have to say the level of confidence and comfort far exceed any of my 928s.

dr bob

In our "New Visitors" thread at the top, there's a serious reference to new owners who come to the forum with a similar statement:


How will your situation fit in to the "impending disappointment" that Greg describes?


There's a more current thread here (last month or two) that asks forum members to describe 'reliable' in their own 928 terms. Read the thread here: https://rennlist.com/forums/928-foru...-reliable.html Decide how that might relate to your 928 ownership expectations.

Now that the cynicism is out of the way, It's certainly possible to have a 928 as a daily driver. You'll be starting out with a car that meets all the "reliable" definitions laid out in the "how reliable?" thread. That may mean that you find a car that's reasonably close to the definitions already, and that you invest the time and $$ needed to bring it into full compliance.

Then decide how you will keep it that way -- that's probably your major dilemma after purchase and initial mechanical/electrical "recovery" are done. The last 928 is 25 years old now, and the early ones are over 40. If your updated living situation includes outdoor parking and no way to do any work on the car yourself, you'll be slave to the talents and $$ needs of a local specialist if you can find one. Atlanta metro has a couple places that are good with the cars, and there are other owners there who can help support you doing the work if needed. Those places may be around the corner from you or across the city, and I'll venture that they don't do a lot of "while you wait" 928 services at least not without an appointment. The good folks are booked literally months in advance.


What will your fallback be -- Uber or Lyft, maybe a rental car? Do you need to drive to work every day to survive above relative poverty level?


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In another RL forum a year or three ago, there was a thread from a recent college grad who just received his first job offer, and was looking for a new 911 twin-turbo. He shared his numbers, all of which told me he needed to be looking at a commuter car rather than an extreme-cost statement car.

Meanwhile, most folks look at the 928 and think it's for folks who can't afford a new "real" Porsche. Nothing could be farther from the truth. A new Macan full-maintenance lease is cheaper than owning a 928 as a daily driver, and is much more likely to get you to work and the pool hall when you need to.

Decide how important the 928 is to you, and why. Many here started out with the "I've dreamed of having one since I was a kid" or they watched Risky Business and Weird Science. They look at the current market numbers and figure it's a good time to buy that $40-95k original-cost car for a tiny fraction. A major reason the regular market is tough on most 928's is because they are old and need a lot of attention to bring them back anywhere close to where they were when new. There are exceptions of course, and while they are undoubtedly the best bargains for 928 ownership, they aren't anywhere near the prices of the ones you find on Craigslist or Auto Trader. There are still too many 928's that fall into the "used-car" category, skewing buyer expectations.


All that said, I'd DD mine in a heartbeat. In fact, I did just that for years when we were near Los Angeles. But... I worked from home, and traveled a lot of the time on business. I have a garage with my own hammer and screwdrivers. 928 International was relatively local. And my work-from-home wife's car was available if when I needed it.

hacker-pschorr

It depends on the car. The local repair shops I frequent always have cars sitting and waiting for parts. The vast majority are late model cars, less than 10-12 years old.

If you really want to dig into this, at what level of car are we talking? Something "on par" with a 928 in modern standards or a GMC Pickup where almost every part is in stock at Autozone?

Sure a case could be made for certain mass produced cars where a good number of parts are available far and wide. The same cannot be said for late model cars from say Mercedes, BMW and even Porsche.


The older I get and the more time I spend with "new"(er) cars the less I'm enthused about ever owning one. My wife's daily driver is 17 years old and I expect her to be driving that for at least 10 years.

Jeremy Mote

What I'm hearing is "wait until I have somewhere to put a second car". Which is fair enough, I guess I just need to put this dream on the back burner again.