MelissaInNJ

Hi, while researching the 944 I stumbled across 928's. I basically know nothing about them. I asked my husband which he'd rather own of the two and he said a 928 without question. I know I'd like to trade in my Subie for a Porsche. I was leaning towards a 944. But now I am interested in learning more about the 928.

I would have to have the more rare manual transmission.

How does the annual maintenance cost of the 928s compare to the 944s high maintenance costs. Comparable? Higher? Lower?

Just from some basic research I see prices for 928s are all over the board, but I could have a 928 for the same money I expected to spend on a 944.

Some thoughts for a newbie are appreciated!

Melissa

bcdavis

Probably pretty similar cost to operate.

It really has a lot to do with the condition of the car.
If you get an old, beat-up, leaky, creaky, nasty 928, you will end up spending 3x what you paid for it, to get it running nicely again.
But if you spend the extra $ for a really nice 928, then you will not have all those problems.
The newer, the better, unless the older 928 has been really well-restored, etc...

jserio

Make sure the owner has service records. Also do not get any Porsche with electrical issues. Once they are an issue they are pretty hard to find. Also make sure the A/C works.

Abby Normal

Without knowing what your budget is, it is hard to quantify. Both are great cars and have different personalities.

Ferris B

My recommendations:
Post the question on the 944 board also. It never hurts to get too much information, plus there are a number of folks who currently own both who can be a little more unbiased.

GET A PPI!!!!! The money spent on a PPI will be well worth it, especially if it uncovers some issues.

Use eBay as a price guide, but be cautious about buying there. As with anything on eBay, do some research on the seller and car.

Newer is better, IMHO, especially if your budget is into the $30k range. The later S4s and GTSs are awesome, but the 5sp is more rare.

Drive a few 928s, and you might just be sold.

Good luck.

athenian

Having owned both cars I would have to say it depends on the car's condition and YOUR driving style...I enjoyed my 944 because it was very easy to drive, nice balanced and lighter than my 928...One of the complains - not enough HP (so go for the Turbo cars, if you find one in a good condition and not abused).

Maintainance cost is more on the 928 (from my experience)...The timing belt and water pump is a major issues on BOTH cars...have them checked before you buy. However my 944 had NONE of the electrical problems I see on the 928s...It ran like a champ all the time....Engine vibration on the 944s is sometimes a problem (leaky balance shafts)...

Used 944 parts are easier to come by (a lot more 944/924 cars produced than 928s)....So parts for the 928 are MORE expensive....My local junk yard has two 944s for parts but I have never seen a 928 in a salvage yard ANYWHERE!!!

As for the asking prices for both cars, I would stay away from a cheap 928 car no matter what year..A cheap car to me means a LOT of headaches down the road...The 944 cars on the other hand are much less expensive to buy (as they should since they were less than half teh price of a 928 when new)....If I were you trying to decide between the two cars, I would opt for a 944 Turbo car or a 968 or a later model (1987+) 928 S4....

All the best - VK

bd0nalds0n

The GTSs have a well documented oil consumption situation that may be unknown to the casual buyer. There are arguments as to whether this issue was by design. You should at least be aware of it if you're looking at a $30k+ 928, since many S4s and GTs do not fall into that asking-price category.

Beware the low priced 928.

You can also do a search for 928/944, the topic has been covered frequently.

MelissaInNJ

I did. They said the same thing to make sure to post over here. You'd be happy to know they said you were a nice bunch of people.

Melissa

hacker-pschorr

A few members of that side must still be at work

heinrich

Melissa, I've owned more than one of each, and a 911. Service cost on a 928 in excellent shape is same as 944. However, service cost of a beat-up 928 FAR FAR FAR exceeds service cost of a beat-up 944.

Remember a 944 is a 4-cyl, very simple, conventional car. The 928 is a supercar. It is incredibly complicated. However, my view is the 928 is a superior car in general. Also superior to the 911 of same eras. The 944 turbo is every bit as fast as a 928, but because it lacks the 928's supercar sound, I prefer the 928S4 over it.

Depends what you want. if you want a Porsche on a budget you cannot beat the 944, for price-performance-reliability. But the 928 is just such a pleasure ... even the old buggars are grin material.

Drive both. Make your own decision.

UKKid35

A major consideration has to be whether you are willing to do some of the work yourself, or whether you will be paying for it to be done for you. We are very lucky to be served by the "Big 3" (even in the UK it often makes sense to import parts from one of your suppliers). Here it costs $100 to fill up with gas, so fuel economy is a consideration, however once you get to drive the car all logic seems to evaporate. Be prepared to make a commitment and you will be well rewarded.

SharkSkin

I bought a cheap 1978 928 for $4200. I'm into it for close to $13K now, including a radiator project that I have not yet posted to my site. It has been very satisfying for me recovering this car from the brink, but if I didn't do 95% of my own work the tab would likely be closer to $25K by now. I'm OK with that, since the car was cosmetically OK and body/paint are not my forte. I might have found one in better shape mechanically and still spent the same on body/paint. You will have to look at your total budget and factor in the typical $3K+ that will be required to bring the car up to spec, more if you have a shop do the work. You haven't mentioned whether you or your husband would be doing the work, or if you will need to have someone work on it for you. That bit of info will really help put things in perspective for those trying to help you.

Take a peek at my site if you want to see the work I've done. None of it is rocket science, anyone with a bit of mechanical aptitude and a few tools could do the same.

Normy

What nobody has mentioned so far is how the personalities of these two designs differ.

The 928 is a "GT" car, while the 944 is more of a true sports car, in my opinion. I ment with some Porsche fanatics in Cocoa Beach a few months ago, and of the three that arrived- two were 944 turbos and one [mine] was a 928. It was amazing to look at their cars and see the differences.

The 944 Turbos were like my racing shoes: small, very lightweight and with no cushioning or padding, just heel support. My 928 seemed more like my ASICS Trabuco- bigger, tougher, and certainly more coddling...but certainly sporting. You see...a 944 is like a 911 in that it is NOT designed for transportation...it is a "toy" in that it is for having fun...on curvy roads. The 928 was designed be the alternative to Part 135 Air Taxi services, or private jets. It was designed to be transportation first and fun second. It was designed to run down the open German Autobahn at 150 mph for extended periods...while delivering its pilot to his or her business meeting in unruffled comfort.

That's why I think the 928 is truly twice the car that the 944 is...even if the turbo 951's can easily be made to be WAY faster than a 928!

N!

Rich9928p

Don't overlook the Automatic Transmission. Drive both and then make your decision. The 928 A/T is an excellent box, it is the same as used in Mercedes 560s. My street 928s are A/Ts and my track 928 is a 5-speed so I know where each is best.

Steve J.

That's what I was thinking - Don't write off the Automatic until you try it. I never thought I would own a sports car with an automatic transmission. The 928 is an exception. But, like Normy said, the 928 is more of a GT than the 944.