Phil Silano

One question you haven't answered. Are you able/willing to do your own wrenching??? I bought a "clean" car last year and have had it up on jack stands about 25% of the time since then.

Do you need this as a daily driver? Are you willing to get the service manuals, tools, etc?

I am not ready to say that you are buying a problem but I agree with an earlier post, get past the infatuation and look at the situation with a VERY cold eye.

Also, I do believe in omens. Yours do not look good.

Phil Silano

DoubleNutz

Firmly agree...I think ypou know that you should already expect to pay half the price of the car in repairs. I my opinion I think $1500 is not bad as long as the work is done properly.

Thaddeus

Get your money back
Get a PPI on the same car-- on your nickel (shows continued good faith to the seller)
Figure out what it's going to need for real
negotiate with the seller on that basis-- but negotiate fairly

If you handle it right, no hard feelings if you walk or buy.

zero2sixty

The problem with 928's is that there are not a lot of them for sale on every corner. I am not a fan of buying from a picture off of ebay or autotrader. I must drive the car and see what it for what it really is. So, 90% of the 928's are all price in that $10-$20 mold. I see most of the 87/87 models are well into 100,000 plus range. Many have been beat yet peope still pay the $10k plus.

I am used to paying a high price for repairs on such cars. I have a 1999 Merceds S500 and a Lexus LS400, my wife a Infinit QX4 and a 1980 Vette. I know cars are not cheap to maintain.

I had owned a 1980 928 back in the early 90's and never had many problems. Always loved the predictable feel and road manners.

Now and Iam told by the mechanic to bend over- all 982's cost a ton. Many board members also echo the fact of high maintenance bills.

Now I am questioning myself. Why get a car for $12,000 that could just as easly cost another $12,000 in maintenance? Be it a 1987 or a 1993 model? Same case? Always going to be problems? Always going to cost a ton? I do not mind spending a couple of thousand to get in nice working order. However, if it is several thousand dollars each and every year for the life of the car- maybe my best bet is spending $30,000 (which is sounds like I could dump into this deal with the cost of the car and life time of maintenance issues) and just buy a reliable Acura NSX for $30,000 - get just as many looks if not more and not have to loose sleep everynight.

Where is the line drawn on this. I can get evaluation of a car but then that is not going to be the end all either.

I love the 928 but my lord, really sounds like one has to not mind getting kicked in the chops every time you turn the key.

Any help here? I feel like I am falling off the fence onto the other side.

Sixty 2 Zero (real fast)

Thaddeus

These cars are exotics. (shrugs) No different than a Ferrari or a Lotus.

You don't get something for nothing.

You get the PPI up front so you can roll the dice and avoid the big stuff. Then you can enjoy the car.

If you want no worries, no surprises, and you don't want to have to wait a few months to find the right one, there's some nice Honda Accords running around. I have one. It's a great appliance.

goliver

Can or do you do your own work on your vehicles? If no and you just want the gee whiz factor than I go get that NSX and have the Honda piece of mind. If you really do love these cars they aren't that bad once you get on top of the maintenance curve.

bwebb77

No, you don't have to spend thousands of dollars each year. It's just the initial cost that can get you. Once you get the car running good it doesn't cost that much to maintain. But you do have to remember the car is going on 20 years old. Most of us look at the worst case serino. Most of us like to have our cars running as they first came off the line and that requires some attention. We just want you to be aware of some of the "worse case scenarios". I say do the PPI and if everything seems to be in order, then let him pay half and get the car.

zero2sixty

The truth is even with this PPI everyone is talking about- it does not protect from any future break down and/or repairs that might be needed. Also, most cars even many owner cars on this board could have a PPI and a ton of stuff could be found. Like working on an old house, how far in do you dig? You could keep on digging till there is nothing.

Anything that has wear is going to be need to be replaced at some time. The PPI is not going to prevent that. I have always heard the water pump and timing belt- MUST MUST be changed. These items are going to be changed.

Reality is that if I have to adjust the selling price from $15,000 (which I did down to $13,000) with a PPI for all needed repairs- hell it could take $10,000 in repairs- who knows? The car has to have some value. Is it worth $2500? Maybe not if I have to dump tens of thousands into it as it appear from board members.

Who is driving the perfect 928 that has had a PPI and is not having to drain all their blood each month for repairs.

I will give anyone on the board $20,000 for a clean example of a 924S4 and above if than can state that it is "THE CAR" and you should be ok driving it. Everyone has their own ideas. If this car is prone to breaking down and having mechanical issues most of the time, then maybe the 928 is a car that I should pass on in its entirity... I sure hope not.

docmirror

Oh, I see. so get a bottom of the barrel NSX? I'm gonna break your heart, but reality is, maybe the 928 isn't for you. I think you should shop for a new Miata.

BTW, you ask for help here, you've gotten a bunch, from some very sharp people, but you don't listen to the advice very well. And you also don't answer questions put to you, in order to make a more informed response. We'd like to encourage 928 ownership. We want people to love the cars, and enjoy them. I don't think you will enjoy it, if you obsess over the cost of ownership. The Miata is much cheaper to own and operate.

Doc

bigs

Y'know, many years ago I just plain fell head over heels in love with a girl.

I didn't sit down with my calculator and do the math on what marrying this girl would eventually cost me in "maintenance" over the years.

I could have employed a reliable and trusty hired girl to do all my daily chores and spent far less than I have on the woman I love.

But then I wouldn't have had the sheer joy of spending the last 35 years with the girl I love.

If you love the car, negotiate a deal with the seller and buy it. Jeez, with the stable of cars you've got, surely you can afford some fix-up costs. So, again, if you love the car, buy it!

Ketchmi

928's are a pure joy to own & drive if they are properly maintained. I put 3 years on my 86.5' without doing anything major after purchasing it, then I got the bug and started improving it.

If proper maintenance schedules are followed, you can expect 200 to 300k miles from it. Timing belts get changed every 45k miles or 5 years whichever comes first, retensioned every 15k miles. Leaks get repaired soon after they are noticed, flush the cooling system completly every two years, as with the brake fluid. Oil? Once a year is usually good enough depending on mileage. Plug wires are usually good for a decade or two. Most rubber underneath the hood has not been touched since new on most of these cars. Redo the vaccume connections and hoses under the intake and it should last another 18 years. Transmission fluid every two years also.

It's not cheap to bring one of these cars back from abuse but once it is, they are one of the most reliable and best vehicles I have ever owned.

This car sounds like an LH brain to me. If it hasn't been replaced, it's due. Once again, replace it and it's good for probably another 18 years. (unless it's from JDS Porsche, his may last much longer!) Find someone local to you and arrange a LH brain swap. This will answer that question and could possibly get you into a (sounds like) really nice 87' for decent money.

It was an $80k (1980's dollars!) supercar when it was made, don't expect Honda repair bills. But then again, you don't have to pull the engine every 15k miles to do the timing belt. (Ferrari)

DoubleNutz

Any car that is 10plus years old is going to cost you some cash and I am a firm believer that you should not buy a 928 if you are not prepared to deal with maintenance challenges or up keep costs. The garden is no rosier on the NSX side either for a 10 year version of that car especially when you have to engine or tranny pop that money *****...OH! Fegedaboutit!

For the record,,, I have owned Porsche 993, 996, and 996 Twin Turbo. The 996 was extremely reliable but pray the bastard does not break because when it does it can easily become the money pit (drop $5-7K in a NY minute) that I found the 993 to be (especially since anytime you have to do serious work it means an "engine pop")...The 996TT just leave you wallet and check card at the Porsche dealership. The 928 in my humble opinion is no more expensive to own and maintain than any current model Porsche. The only Porsche that I have ever owned that was a downright money pit and cost me more to own than the 928 was the 993.

Thaddeus

Doc, don't be too hard on him. Remember, he bought a car and then immediately 'saw the elephant'. He's just jumpy is all.

I agree though about the last part of Doc's post though, 0to60. I don't think 928 ownership is for you. You'll never be able to relax and be happy with the car, so you better look for something else.

Where is that S4 located, if you don't mind my asking?

zero2sixty

If I am coming off as negative here, I am sorry. I had a mechanic who works on all the exotics look this car over today. These were the items he found after spending three hours on the car. I guess my question is this- Is a PPI any different than what I paid the mechanic $250.00 to do?

I paid him his inspection fee and he found around $3000.00 in repairs. The seller says he will cover $2500.00. My frustration is that I had the car look over (after the fact, my fault- but none the less it was looked at)... Items found, can be repairs. Most say run to the hills. I would think that if this mechanic- Hi-Line European Automotive Experts spent that much time looking the car over then it should be a pretty good bet that for now anyhow, this is all the car needs to be put back into working order. I Do not want a Miata or Honda. Why throw stones. I have listened and have been taking notes. I am just a little frustrated in that it has been looked at, I can get the repairs done and for some reason that is still not good enough. I do not know, maybe I am not making any sense.

I do appreciate all your comments and help.

bwebb77

Ok, sounds like you trust the mechanic. So, let him pay the 2500 and take the car. Yes, with that fleet on yours you'll be OK and get many years of enjoyment. Do or can or do you want to work on the car yourself?