Hello 928 Enthusiasts.
I have been lurking on the 928 forum for a few months, asking various questions as I go. I found a 1987 928 S4 back in early Nov and bought her. Before I get into the details, a few items about me...

I own a 2008 Boxster S Limited Edition - #005 of 250 - that I bought new and a 2008 Cayman S Sport that I bought when it was 3 yrs old with 7400 mi (obviously a garage queen). The LE is my spring to fall ride while the CSS is my 'winter beater', DE toy, and summer show car.



I'm also a hobbyist Wheeler Dealer, specializing in 5-10 yr old Boxsters & Caymans. This S4 found me while I looked thru KC Craigslist. An estate was selling her. The owner recently had passed away and the estate wanted to sell the car quickly. After several phone calls and text msgs and checking with a friend who knows more about 928s than I do, I agreed to buy her. I love a good adventure, so the next day a different friend and I drove 3 hrs with a U-Haul truck and trailer to go get her in north central Iowa.

Tale of the tape:
81K mi
automatic
numerous stops in IL, IN, and finally IA. no rust
amazingly CarFax goes back to 1991 and 30K - no accidents listed
it has been repainted. ten footer but the car itself hasn't had any body work
seats are in surprisingly good shape
cracked dash

She is a cat in the sack, as I don't know if the engine runs. The last documentation says a state inspection in 2007 but I'm sure it's been more recent. The plan is to get her running and cleaned up and then I'll look at what might need fixing - headlights, sunroof, etc, fixing what I can to make it more valuable. No documentation on the timing belt / water pump, so they need changing. I found a nice document on the TB/WP process and it's above my abilities, so I need to figure something out. I plan to sell her in some sort of running state as a project for the next owner. But the more I read and watch videos about 928s, the more she tugs at my heart.

I've been replacing fuel hoses, injectors, strainers, and filters since I purchased her. Have gotten to the point where I feel like I can attempt a start.

While I had her on the trailer, I stopped at a car wash and got the leaves and pollen off. These pics are prior to the wash. My brother says I'm crazy for taking on a 928. We'll see. Should make a nice winter project.

 

Rob was nice enough to decode my VIN. Nothing too exciting, mostly audio stuff...

1987
C02- 49 state US model
M28.42- engine serial # range 81J 05001>10000
A28.12- transmission serial # range 16 H 00001>05000

I158 - Blaupunkt radio Reno SQR46 - 87-88
I302 - Type designated on rear end
M418- Protective side mouldings
M490- Hi-Fi sound system (8 speakers, 1987-88)
M494- 87-88 Additional amp Blaupunkt BQA 80
M650- Sunroof

I decoded the body color and found it to be Felsengrun - Granite Green Metallic. I thought it was some form of gray before I found out she was green. When you get some sun on the color, you can see the green hue. I need another green car. Also, the factory radio is still in place.

Here are some pics after having her bath and some mild compound & elbow grease on the hood.





The headlights work!

 

Good luck on your path,
keep this thread updated

 

I’m with your brother on this one.

You really need to get it running without continuing to throw money at it in parts and hired labor, and then reevaluate the situation.

I don’t see it as a keeper based on your other cars, it doesn’t seem like a good fit.

Off topic, but the color: I’m looking at it on my phone, you are there, so this may mean nothing. But, the headlight buckets look distinctly green, the rest of the car looks silver / gray. Plastic odometer wheels dry out and break, you won’t know if it is working until you can drive it.

Relay, relay, relay, but I would disconnect the LH and EZK connectors to see if there is corrosion growing in there since the car seems to have sat outside in oftentimes snowy weather for some time. I wouldn’t buy any new parts for that car without a true diagnosis that they are required because you already know your exit value, don’t give in to illusions.

 

An S4! And a bonus original radio! Be warned: S4s are not worth a ton of money, and they are addictive.

It looks pretty much like every other non-maintained later car - lots of work needed just to find out what work is needed. Agree with the above post - I wouldn't replace too many parts until you know more about its needs.

I am no guru but the basic stuff applies. Does it have oil? Gunky old fuel drained and fresh fuel getting pumped to the rails? Compression? Spark? Will it crank? Etc. You'll know a lot about it once it's running. It's a gamble to start an unknown engine. But it's not worth doing a lot of work (e.g. timing belt) unless you know it's ultimately fixable. Who knows, it might start right up. Most won't catch fire, seize, or other catastrophe (but some will).

I am interested in how the veterans would approach a barn find like this if anyone wants to chime in.

 

Crank end play check first.

 

Everything I've worked on so far has looked good. Oil looks good and is at the proper level (and she hasn't dripped any oil on the garage floor). Antifreeze is dark green. Plugs were clean and properly gapped. The old injectors didn't look that bad - the o-rings were still fairly plump. The gas that's come out of the fuel rails and gas tank looked good and didn't smell funky.



I poured this batch into my lawn mower and mulched leaves in my yard.

I've already spent close to $2K in parts - new battery, fuel injectors, fuel lines / hoses / strainers, and filters. But figured I needed to replace 30 yo lines. No need for a bbq. I put a little Marvel Mystery Oil in each cyl to let them soak.



Don't want to commit to the TB / WP until I know she runs. That approach will no doubt upset some people. I had a friend come over Tue and he manned the ignition key while I peeped thru the left cam cover hole and watched the belt. The engine and belt both turned nicely. Won't be driving it much when it starts, just out of the garage and turning it around so she's in a better position for the TB operation. Risky approach not changing the belt first, but like chart928s4 said, the TB / WP is a bigger commitment for an engine that runs. And sometimes you have to be Tom Cruise and say What The...

The first attempt at starting ended in failure, but that's the topic of another thread. Someone in that thread asked for the back story, so here we are.

 

I'm aware of this and it's 3rd on my To Do list behind starting and TB / WP.

 

I find listening to Worf928 is always a good idea.

TB/WP is ~$1K in parts and 2-3 days of work DIY and $2K+ for a 3rd party. Crank end play check is basically free and economically should come before TB/WP. You need to buy or borrow a runout gauge. If your bearing is shot it is a signal to immediately stop spending.

 

OK, I'll move that up on my To Do list. No disrespect meant. You guys are awesome.

 

Move it to the top of your list.

 

Why do a TB/WP on an engine that’s getting its crank case chewed into by the crank counter weights because of a failing trust bearing?

Thrust Bearing Failure is a leading cause of 928 death for 87+ (after collisions.)

You don’t want to be “That Guy.”

 

I love following along on these projects, especially when they're someone elses. Can't believe how well the car cleaned up. I'm of the opposite opinion that once you get this car running, you'll absolutely want to fix it as it's completely different than the other Porsches you own, being an automatic and a comfortable, high-speed cruiser. I have all my Porsches because each one is very different than the others - who wants a bunch of cars that are all the same - well, the 928 guys do which is why you see anywhere from 3-23 cars owned in the signatures

Interested to follow along on the adventure and Good Luck.

 

perhaps put a wrench on the crankshaft and pull it through a few times by hand....check the timing belt /cam sprocket marks. maybe it has already slipped timing? (never mind..i see youve already cranked it over)

then id just get it started..idling and then go from there.

it will start and idle with a bad thrust bearing...it may not later when it warms up though

so, yes, check the thrust bearing. no point going farther if it is shot. Id either sell the car at the point (disclosing it)...or pull the engine and have at it.

I'm with you on the belt. yeah it obviously needs doing right away, but not to make the car startable.

getting it started and let it idle for a while and get the internals up to operating temp....listen for odd sounds. you will have sticking lifters for sure and probably some odd accessery squeaks. go through all the switches and check for functionality. Jot stuff down in a note book.

got a start somewhere. Another nice save i think!..it has cleaned up nicely so far.

 

Welcome to the Shark Tank.

If you haven't done so already, read through the "New Visitor" sticky. Loads of valuable info.

For your 'no start', I would go back to basic diagnostics (yes, I read the other thread).

Check spark. Check injector pulse (noid light). Check to see if you are getting power to the fuel pump.
Which ones of those you do or don't have will give you some guidance on where to go next.

Common failures are the relays that power various things, Crank Position Sensor, the fuel pump itself, the LH fuel injection computer. Each of those failures will give different results for the tests above.

I agree with checking the crank endplay before anything else. It's a pretty simple & quick check that will give a 'go/no go' answer for the motor. If the thrust bearing is shot (too much play), the motor is toast. I would think, given the back story , that thrust bearing failure is not likely, but the consequences are severe and the check is simple.

I would hold off on the TB/WP and even fuel lines. If you are just getting it started, a fuel line letting go would not be as dangerous as on a fully warmed up motor. A hot exhaust is the typical cause for a "Car-B-Que".

I hope you understand that the value of 'driver quality' cars is not all that high. The idea of getting it running and selling it for a profit is not super feasible. Especially if you aren't doing your own work. The TB/WP is involved, but not terribly difficult. Unfortunately, depending on what you find inside, parts may get spendy. Are the cam gears in good shape? They aren't cheap. Factory water pumps are really expensive. Roger sells the Laso for a lot less, but still not cheap. The Chinese knock-offs are not something you want to consider.

OTOH, it's a really amazing car for what it is. Pretty rare, very comfortable, a joy to take on any journey. Once you get it running reasonably well, drive it some. If you keep it, you will find all the support and help you need on here.

Good luck.