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I've driven Toyotas my whole life, all I ever cared about was vehicles that lasted long and were good value. Then, one of my friends was gifted a 1980s 944 which he brought back from the dead. We took it for a spin in the hills, and as he was taking a particularly sharp turn, the centrifugal force pushed me against the passenger's side door, I looked out over the cityscape at night, and Ferdinand Porsche's ghost spoke to me.
Like Paul on the road to Damascus I must now change my life. I simply must have a Porsche, and I want one from the 1980s, and I want one that I have to put a lot of work into, so that I can understand the car.
As I did my research I gravitated more and more to the 928. I loved the car. My buddy has an extra one that has been sitting for years and is in awful condition - exactly what I'm looking for. We weren't able to get it to start, but it might have been the battery we were using. My buddy swears it will start, so I'm going back in a couple days with a better battery and hopefully it will work. I've put its pictures below.
I know a little bit about maintenance, on my Toyota's I've done spark plugs, shocks, brakes, transmission fluid from sealed transmissions - little things like that. I know this is several quantum leaps beyond what I have any experience in. Here is what I figure I will need to do to get the car in the kind of shape I would want:
1. Engine repair:
Replace Gasket head
Water pumps
Timing belt
various hoses
probably replace engine mounts
spark plugs, fuel injectors
2. Electrical
really dependent on what happens once we get it running, not sure what is working and what isn't.
There was evidence of mice under the hood, but none in interior of the car
3. Suspension
Shocks
ball joints
bushings
4. Interior
lol. Everything.
What do you guys think? Is this a several year, tens of thousand of dollars project? or is it something I could do in a year, only spending a few thousand? I have friends with knowledge and tools, which helps immensely. Any insight, advice, or suggestions from any of you would be greatly appreciated.
If you are in it for the journey... that looks like a long voyage. I am sure others will jump in and say that that is a parts car... period. I am of the opinion that if it runs and the mechanicals are OK it can be saved. Don't think it can be done in a year for a couple of thousand dollars, but for that you can probably have a running driving project car that you can drive around between future improvements. I started with a running and driving car and have $5000 into it over 8 years and it is still a running and driving project. https://rennlist.com/forums/928-foru...-s-thread.html
A similar challenge was discussed here https://rennlist.com/forums/928-foru...-restored.html
What year is the car and where is it? If it has been stored in a dry climate there may be hope.
Hey, the hood struts work, so you're halfway there! ;-) I'll defer to the experts, but that may be a '78 or '79 based on the instrument cluster. Those have a little extra panache, being the first models.
Too bad the interior is so rough. I like the velour pinstripe option even more than Pascha.
Thanks! Those two cars you listed look to be in much better shape than this one! It is a '78 and has been stored in the bay area. So not much rain, but a lot of fog.
I think that for that car, you're going to have to commit. I think it'll be worth it but I'm insane about these things, I think. That engine bay looks a lot like what I have going on in my 968.
run away from it ! even automatic i see.....
Let's assume you get it for free, you will need at least $20k to make it a "driver"..... look at what you can buy "now" for that .....
This is a parts car .... no more. Unless you want to sponsor parts suppliers
run away from it ! even automatic i see.....
Let's assume you get it for free, you will need at least $20k to make it a "driver"..... look at what you can buy "now" for that .....
This is a parts car .... no more. Unless you want to sponsor parts suppliers
Wow! You think 20k just to make it a driver? That is way beyond my budget. Could you please elaborate on how you estimate those costs?
you can't build a 928 on a toyota budget. You might get it running but that is where the real money starts to fly out of your wallet with an epic sucking sound. Don't touch this with a 10 foot pole and several others pushing. Ever seen the youtube video where they flush an aviation toilet, and it sucks a whole roll of toilet paper the length of the aircraft isle in one flush? That's what is going to happen to your wallet & unless you keep stacks of single ply airline TP in your wallet, it's gonna hurt. Look at what you can buy for 12-15k. Buy it and spend the next 3-5 years driving it and wrenching on it. Cars like this go through multiple hands sucking money and time along the way before they are done.
It seems the financial end of this is a major consideration for you, why not expand on what that is to you in reference to this potential project? You can get a very quick thumbs up or down as to whether that would work or not.
$20K is probably a good number. The body work and new paint alone is many thousands of dollars, the interior is also $$$$. Sounds like you and your friends can wrench the mechanicals but there too the parts costs alone add up super fast, again thousands.
I like the year and the manual trans. But that’s about where I stop with her. One of the most expensive gifts anyone can give you is a free 928 like that one.
you can't build a 928 on a toyota budget. You might get it running but that is where the real money starts to fly out of your wallet with an epic sucking sound. Don't touch this with a 10 foot pole and several others pushing. Ever seen the youtube video where they flush an aviation toilet, and it sucks a whole roll of toilet paper the length of the aircraft isle in one flush? That's what is going to happen to your wallet & unless you keep stacks of single ply airline TP in your wallet, it's gonna hurt. Look at what you can buy for 12-15k. Buy it and spend the next 3-5 years driving it and wrenching on it. Cars like this go through multiple hands sucking money and time along the way before they are done.
It seems the financial end of this is a major consideration for you, why not expand on what that is to you in reference to this potential project? You can get a very quick thumbs up or down as to whether that would work or not.
$20K is probably a good number. The body work and new paint alone is many thousands of dollars, the interior is also $$$$. Sounds like you and your friends can wrench the mechanicals but there too the parts costs alone add up super fast, again thousands.
I like the year and the manual trans. But that’s about where I stop with her. One of the most expensive gifts anyone can give you is a free 928 like that one.
Yeah, sure, thanks. I was hoping to get it running, electrified, and suspended for less than 2k. It sounds like that is possible? But then the interior and body is the money pit? Would it be possible to do the interior for another 2-4k if I was scavenging junkyards for compatible parts? Or is that way too optimistic?
The problem is that there just isn’t great 3rd party support for parts. These cars really don’t run well on cheap parts and you’ll be chasing your tail trying to figure out if the pieces you just installed were any good when it’s idling hard or stumbling.
Porsche does have almost everything you need, but their prices have EXPLODED in the past few years. I’m nearly 20k into a 8k car that was running just fine when I started.
The problem is that there just isn’t great 3rd party support for parts. These cars really don’t run well on cheap parts and you’ll be chasing your tail trying to figure out if the pieces you just installed were any good when it’s idling hard or stumbling.
Porsche does have almost everything you need, but their prices have EXPLODED in the past few years. I’m nearly 20k into a 8k car that was running just fine when I started.
1. Best first post of the year so far! "Like Paul..."
2. No great 3d party support for parts? I must disagree. Roger at 928srus.com, "a stockist, not a jobber", Dr Brown for great upgrades to stock items, 928international for used, 928 Specialists, Pelican, etc etc. The parts picture is not dire at all, although occasionally, when it is a Porsche or nothing part, the price will indeed make your eyes water. But for >100K miles and ownership since '07 of my 86.5, availability has not been a problem, and even more important, neither has tech support, thanks to this forum.
3. You have the right attitude, go for it!
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