fiatrn

Cheb - you asked why I don't like it, I told you why I don't like it. It is great that you have secret first hand experience with the car, but that still doesn't mean that it is available. But my real issue with the car is that I don't like what they've done stylistically. In fact, I hate it. I think they've spoiled what I like about a 928, and not made it look any better.

Styling is subjective, but so are emotional responses to a car. And emotional response to the nardone styling is that I think the car is ugly.

Now, I'm not your target audience, so it doesn't matter what I think.

But I think the Sterling car keeps what I, emotionally, like about the car. And I think that answers your question alone - the dislike for your nardone car that I've seen here is about styling, not technical stuff.

Neither of these cars is currently actually available for purchase. The fact that some company will take your deposit for a car they haven't built doesn't really matter any more than someone here wanting to buy a production version of the Sterling car, or people wishing that Porsche would reboot the 928 using Sterling's changes.

928 GT R

Hmmmmmm, I did not see much "hate" until your unfortunate post... The Nardone (please check your mis-spelling), has been discussed ad nauseam elsewhere on Rennlist and it is great that they have 10 deposits. Why it has to be promoted/defended here in "The Sterling" thread - is beyond me.

This is a thread to introduce Rennlisters to what has been some of the most intense and determined work ever achieved by a private 928 enthusiast. He has been at it for over twenty years!

I would like to hear and see more information on "The Sterling". It exists and has taken huge personal investment, creativity, engineering skill, electronic aptitude, research, personal sacrifice, thousands of hours and thankfully, an understanding wife - to bring to fruition.

Lets get back to "The Sterling"...

Bigfoot928

take it from me, a complete build can take weeks if not several months months from initial startup to a running driving car, and then there are tuning phases and that is with me following the footsteps of Louie Ott, Simard and others with strokers and ITB's. I have the tuning data from 3 different Strokers with ITB's and all have variations in the builds. All 3 are drastically different. I don't know what others do but I've done 4 oil changes in less than 1000 miles and plan on a fresh oil change when heading to the dyno in about a month. Tuning will be a 3 day event tuning with 93 octane pump gas, as well as a whole day just on E85 and blending the maps. Each day will start with plug and oil changes. There will also be additional tuning with the airbox and different horn lengths later in the fall. Then there will be additional tuning sessions during January or February to tighten up the areas of the maps that can't be tuned when it is 100 degrees in August.

If Nardone has squeezed in another gear into the already small and weak 928 gearbox, that is going to be a hairball at best to keep it together. The gears will have to be 18-20% narrower than stock just to physically fit another gear in the same box. They may have a bunch of "engineers" working on the build, however we don't know how many collective decades they have working on the 928's and the inherent strengths and weaknesses. It other words they may no know what they don't know.

Cheburator

Sterling,

Two things:

1) I really like your work and would like to find out more about the car presented in a coherent manner if you wish to share them with us on Rennlist. I have followed your monster builds from day one - I bought my first 928 in 2003 and your first Variocam iteration of the stroker was inspirational to say the least…

2) Unfortunately the gearbox dissing is very similar to the one heard about their engine, and yet they made numbers which are far better than any other normally aspirated 928 5.0 engine which can be driven on European RON 95 daily. Dare I say it, they were the first ones to build an engine which looks factory and can be serviced and diagnosed like a MODERN OEM 32v 928 engine.

You know, their stupid engineers didn’t have to go to the dyno to try out different horn lengths like I did and like you did/are about to do again. They already knew the answers - because they have been using software to model engines professionally since Peugeot used them on their Group B cars and Maserati used them for the MC12.

Something tells me that the other set of stupid engineers with no knowledge of the 928 but with thousands of hours of racing experience at the top of Motorsport such as Group B, WRC and GT racing for Ferrari and Maserati - transaxle cars - may also be able to model gearboxes and build them to last…

The 928 World is fairly small. It’s appalling that enthusiasts are badmouthing the ENGINEERING side of great projects, given that we all may stand to benefit from trickle down effects…

Bigfoot928

there are already several "Nardone" threads and that is where you should be discussing that. Not in this thread. It has nothing to do with my build. I didn't call them stupid engineers, but you did... we also routinely talk about how Porsche specialty shops royally screw up 928's, so comparing engineers with experience on other cars falls into the same category.

928 GT R

Per your discussion - I have the Ott development mule and it retains its original 928 GT gearbox. Louie warned me that the gearbox was vulnerable to full throttle acceleration and specifically warned me against doing any sort of a hole shot. That doesn't imply that I'm changing the car because I'm honoring Louies product as a statement of his genius and the times he built it in. Speaking to your fuel mapping, I have Louie's and the dyno results showing 603.1 HP at the rear wheels, you are welcome to it even though it may not be pertinent to your build. Most of us respect that the 928 5-speed is vulnerable to anything over 450 hp for sure and many have been eaten with lower HP. I have never damaged one as a fast but "soft hands" driver.

As I recall you have fitted a robust 6-speed and I think adding the specifics of that would be beneficial to me and others with high output engines or aspirations to retain manual gearboxes.

Enjoy!