hesketh

Hi all

hope you are all keeping well under the circumstances.

Im based in the UK and i want to buy a 928 Porsche

Ive been offered a 1985 Porsche 928S2 4.7L 310BHP

The car looks okay from all angels a few rusty areas and it will need a bonnet repaint as its quite faded.

The car as got 120,000Miles on the clock with a history folder.

The interior looks in all decent condition too.

What should i look out for when i go and look at this car in person ?

It will need the belts replacing the owner has told me as not been used for about a year or so

Thanks in advanced.

C531XHO

3 things I would be looking for beyond general condition and upkeep are engine killer items;
1) records of coolant maintenance - corrosion at the top of the cylinder tubes can be a killer
2) as its an auto check records for flex plate inspection and release of tension. In some models the driveshaft/clamp slides forward putting pressure on the crank which destroys the block. Can't remember which years this affects
3) timing belt/water pump is a service item but you might actually be looking at an S model rather than an S2, which most will say is a non interference engine in case the belt breaks. If it is an S then you can tell by single rather than double distributor. Also S has three speed auto but overall they are a very sweet version of the 928 with many early features but still with a good level of power and simpler systems

Look at the new owner section of Rennlist and have a good read before you make the effort to see it, assuming that's even possible sometime soon

D

hesketh

C531XHO thanks so much for the quick reply.

thanks ill ask him if he has any coolant records.
he told me the flex plate had been recently adjusted.
yes timing belt/wp and other belts he said will have to be changed as its been sitting for a while now,
if i get the car it will bethe first job i get done is the belts and WP
this is an s2 so if the belts snap the engine is pretty much killed.

Yes ive read the auto is from MBenz and very solid and reliable.

Thanks for the tips and yes ill head over there now and take a look

much appreciated.

H

StratfordShark

Usual principles applying to any used car in terms of external inspection and test drive so I won’t labour these.

But more important with 928 than most cars, look very carefully through the history file. What evidence is there of someone willing to spend money to stay on top of maintenance and service issues? Has someone cared? On top of regular fluid changes, what about all the other things that will be due on a 928 of this age/mileage? Suspension refresh? Timing belt? Intake refresh? Engine and tranny mounts? Fuel, power steering, brake lines and hoses? Caliper refurb?

hesketh

thanks for the great reply,

the thing is he hasn't done much to the car for the last year or so as he lives on a boat now so there will be a lot of things to do i'm guessing.

all the basics - oil change, all filters, new battery, new spark plugs and maybe leads too and all the belts

plus all the things you've just pointed out too me to ill have too see him when the lockdown is over and see whats actually been done to the car before i commit to anything.

thanks for the reply Shark.

Best

H

belgiumbarry

i hope you are aware of the value difference between a auto versus a manual....sure now , when such cars are sold/bought as "oldtimers".... fun cars for sunny days…..not dailys .

I cannot speak of RHD 928's , don't know how much there are on the market in the UK ....we look at LHD of course.

I was looking to buy a second 928 , decent shape and for sure a 16V. I found a very nice ( grey /black leather ) auto S2 ...asking 14k. All classic problems were recently renewed , i counted for about 7k new parts in that car ....but i didn't wanted a auto. That car was for sale 6 months , ad was gone…. to come back later with a asking price of 12k....don't know what happened as today. I was tempted, as i have all parts to convert it to manual....

I found the same car ( grey/black leather) , nice condition but not with "7k" parts recently done, manual.... after much discussion they lowered and stopped at 25k asking price…. finally i didn't got it , i wanted to go 20k for "that" car .

In the end i bought the "same" car ( manual ,grey/black leather ) in Germany , as it had a new " low mileage " engine and a S4 LSD transaxle…. for 30k. In & out condition as "new" , sure for a 35 years old car….and drives great , so i think i did buy well....

I tell this story to show that the 20% value difference , often claimed in the "US" ? , is sure not the case here in Europe....here i experienced a 50 % value difference looking at 928's.... sure in my 2020 search for a grey /black leather ,16V ,nice condition, : 12k auto , 25k manual....same cars , same condition….

gazfish

Hi H,

Will you be doing the work yourself?
I’ve had my similar version for around 4 years and have spent 7k in parts over that time putting things back to stock and catching up on maintenance, if you’re going to be paying labor rates and can find someone who can work on it you’ll be spending 3x that.
Did you get any pictures of the dashboard, most are warped/cracked and a pain to remove and re-cover.

Gary

P.S. First job is to install the steering wheel the right way up :-)

belgiumbarry

think the steering wheel is OK.... wheels are at a angle .

StratfordShark

Is odometer gear broken? Mileage has been unchanged for four years, but it’s been MOT’d every year up till 2019.

The MOT record is worrying - one of worst I’ve seen on a 928 including structural corrosion fail points. Check what was done to address those, but I think in buyer’s market for 928s you have plenty of alternatives. I would prioritise finding car kept by enthusiast.

928 GT R

Love those Sport Seats!

Congratulations if you get it!

murray928

The door cards are not correct for a 985 model S2. It should also have twin distributors. |t looks like milometer might not be working as 0000 on the trip meter.
Having bought an '85 myself six years ago, ended up restoring engine and gearbox completely, new suspension, aircon compresser and condenser together with hoses, new radiator and hoses, replaced power steering pump, water pump and timing belt and tensioner.new ignition switch. fixed mileometer, new fuel level sensor, new fuel and transmission lines (ptfe) new greg Brown injector adapters and new 24lb injectors. complete repaint with windows out. new window switches and seals, new front spoiler, new rear boot seal and rear window wiper motor.My advice would b:e be prepared to spend up to 20,000 to get the car right after you buy it.