Lagavulin

Whose talking about 15 year old Corvettes? By the way, my dog does not own one.
You mean just like the front and rear of all 928's up until the S4's?
Last time I checked, there were plenty of 928's up for sale too; so what's your point?
Oh man, this one is really funny!

Do you mean to say that it'll never have the same allure of the discontinued and forever frowned-upon 'Porsche' 928? Are you saying that it won't have the allure of a car where in 18 years they only produced 60,000 units since sales were so ...lackluster?

Aren't you aware that within the 'PORSCHE' community, the 928 is pretty much laughed upon? So much for your 'allure'!

Since you appear to be someone who's hung up on owning a name, 'PORSCHE', unfortunately for you, the model you chosen is not too highly regarded outside of our small rabid community. To me, I like the 928 because it's a good car, and not because it happens to be a 'PORSCHE'.

And you point is.... what? Are you implying that because there are more C5's on the road that it's a lesser car? By the way, if I were you, I wouldn't try racing not even one of all those C5's you see everyday since everyone of them will kick your ***, despite the fact that you are driving a 'PORSCHE'.

worf928

H, the source of that quote was from either a C&D or Autoweek article from the 1996-1998 time frame - if memory serves. The article detailed the story of the folks from Japan swimming the pond to consult for Porsche. That quote is one of the few items I committed to memory from the article. The other was that when the gig was finished all the retired Japanese execs went back to Nippon and bought Porsches.

Also, again if memory serves, the article described that when the execs walked into the factory fresh off the plane they saw parts shelves than ran all the way to the ceiling. The very first thing they did was order the parts shelves cut down to man-height. Inventory costs were out of control. The time spent hunting up and down the shelves for parts was wasted. And, by forcing more of a just-in-time inventory paradigm the Porsche folks had no choice but to begin a program of supplier and supply-chain management.

I have no doubt that you consume Porsche history. Your memory may be better than mine. So, if you remember any more tidbits I'd love to read them.

I have C&D and Autoweek back to about 1990. So, if someone can narrow down the dates I can pull the mag. But, I'm a bit too lazy right now to look through 20 years of mags. Actually, I'm not too lazy, but in a few minutes I'm going to go out to the garage and .... work on the '89 some more.

EDIT: I just searched through Autoweek's and C&D's sites. I didn't find the article on either site. However, neither site seems to have too much on-line content prior to 2000.

heinrich

Lagavullin if your dog doesn't own a Corvette I wouldn't so blatantly publicise the fact ... shhhhh .... wouldn't want to fall behind the Joneses now

Note to all:
The928 is not laughed-at, scorned, frowned-on. Nowehere I can see. I *am* in the Porsche community. I am an active PCA member and spend a lot of time around other Porsche drivers and owners. I have done that since I was born, literally. 37 years. My fellow Porsche 944 and 911 and other owners have never laughed or scorned or otherwise. In fact, I keep getting very enthused comments from them. When I drive my 911 or the 944's, I have never heard a scornful comment aout the 928.

My dad drove 911's and 356's all his life. I don't think I ever remember him managing to outrun, or even try outrunning, a 928 back in the day .... the '70's and '80's and '90's. No chance.

The only people with a chip on their shoulder about 928's are .... 928 owners.

Fastest928

Porsche uses the marketplace as engineering test bed for their technologys...if they perfromed half the testing I did on the Ford Escort, they would be out of business.

We strife tested that poor little Escort for almost a full year on every omponent...millions of cycles of testing, hours and hours or dyno testing, NVH, paint, etc. I ran the Ip program for that vehicle and had over 200 engineers and folks dedicated to the design, engineering and testing of just the IP. More than Porsche had on the whole 928 project!

Bottom line, the excort sold millions of units, went 0-60 in about a minute, get to about 90 in a day, and handled like a small truck. BUT, was reliable as salt.

The 928 sold 30000 units, goes form 0-60 quick, can top 170 mph at will, and can be raced against newer vehicles successfully. And it has support systems reliability issues...the core design is bullet proof....the details leave alot to be desired.

Porsche is small car company, and auto revenue is not its primary source of income....building cars is an "expression" first and a business second.

hacker-pschorr

heinrich

Hacker think about it. Maybe my experiences are different from yours, but have you ever heard others run the 928 down? Not me. Even some of the staunchest 951 racers I've encountered have been very respectful and impressed with the car as the excellent Porsche it is. Lagavullin, I was pulling your dog's leg

Red UFO

The only time I ever see people talk down a 928 is because they are 911 snobs. Never see a 924/951 people throw them under the bus.

hacker-pschorr

heinrich, I'll have to agree with red on this. I've ran into a few 944 people through the years that looked down on 928's, I got the feeling it was due to not being able to afford one.
There have been a few journalists that bash the 928, usually the US mags, the European editors (and the top gear staff) love the 928.
Bottom line is the 928 could have and should have replaced the 911 back in 1977. Porsche showed how weak their marketing skills were on this one. IMO Mark Anderson continues to embarrass the Porsche factory who wouldn't take the 928 racing. I can only dream of what a 928GTS class car would be like (oh wait, Kelly Moss has one, just doesn't run it very often)
I stopped by K-Moss few months ago to check out the 944/928 race car. It was 3 shelves up on the back corner. Has not moved in a while. There was a red 928 convertible outside. I've been meaning to post pictures.

heinrich

Well that's a whole different kind of scorn Hacker ..... those that so scorn are truly not qualified. Look at the greater Porsche community and there is no scorn. Only appreciation, or ignorance.

SharkSkin

When I went on the NorCal Pizza Run right after Thanksgiving.... mostly 4 cylinder watercoolers... I heard nothing but compliments about my shark, as well as Ron and Nicole's. The other Porsche events I've been to have been about the 928, so no fair bringing all of those kind words into it. We shark owners are prejudiced, no doubt about it... but I love that about us.

Lagavulin

Yep, I know exactly what you're talking about. It took me awhile to learn how to drive the car since it's so powerful and light. While driving on the street, I always keep the computer on, and always roll the throttle on which is the most important thing to do or else the car will get out of control. Just like the supercharged cars, it must be driven with respect.

I really learned alot about the car when I went to Road America for the first time with a healthy car last October, and was timed at 2:52 completely stock including the tires. That is by far the most fun I've had outdoors, and I can't wait to go back in the spring! Since the track day, the car isn't nearly as fun to drive on the street anymore since one can only use 5% of it's potential compared to running it wide open on the track and sligning it through corners at high speed.

Don't get me started neither as I know they're horrible for the track!

I'll be addressing the driver seating this winter, as well as put an engine oil and tranny coolers on the car.

'H' we're good over here; sch-weet China!

Red UFO

I doubt people will diss ya to your face. At the track even the rich dudes tracking 996 are nice. The real test is traffic. I think about 99% of every 944 that ever went by flashed their lights. But you drive by any newer flavor of a 911 and they don't even know your driving a porsche let alone give a crap. My batting average for 911 flashing lights or thumbs up is 0%.

Perhaps they are leasing the badge but not in love with the company.

Sure you'll have a few 951 turbo junkies that like to raz the 928 but they still respect it, they're just talking shIIt. To me the 911 people really mean it at heart that our cars are crap and it shows by them. I think the only ones to like the 928. Are in fact 928 owners who also own a 911.

BC

Water pumps are a metal plate, a metal or plastic (ugh) impellar, a pully, a shaft, bearing and seal. Leaking is no concern of mine - thats not a problem nearly as much as a stoppage of some sort that could affect the cams.

SharkSkin

Red, I agree that people are unlikely to diss me to my face. But beyond that, the overall response to the sharks seemed to be genuine appreciation.

heinrich

I think we need to design the friggin wpump out of our timing belt train.