sendarius

I bought my first 928 (LHD '88 S4) because my 944S2 needed a clutch and I just KNEW that I could save a metric shedload of money if I did the work myself.

I figured that (given my ridiculous work schedule) it would take weeks to do, and I would need a car to drive in the meantime. So I added the savings by doing the clutch myself to the amount I would have to spend on a rental car for however long, and decided that I could BUY a car for less, then sell it once done.

Having had the 944 as a DD for years, there was no way I could bring myself to drive a JapCrap econo-box, and a 928 was the only Porsche option in my price range. Oops, HOOKED, end of story.

shmark

Bought my first one 8 or 9 years ago. I had sold a couple other cars and was looking for a project. I'd already done the 911 thing and had a couple 914s too, so I wanted something different...hey how about a 928? So I found a mechanically solid, cosmetically challenged car as a fun project. One month later I lost my job. Boy doesn't that suck. So I ended up with a ratty-looking, nice driving 928 as my DD for almost a year without power steering...my forearms still hurt. After a total investment of nearly $10k I sold it for $4500 and moved on.

But I always liked that car and so two years ago I decided to give myself a birthday present, this time a nice one with complete service records. Here's the day she arrived, one day after my birthday, cold and raining but still a great day!

jeff spahn

I don't know how I got started. Probably Risky Business and Scarface. Weird Science surely sealed the deal when he did that burnout at the end.
Drove an 82 Weissach for a while in San Diego. Just love the car.
Always been into cars that were different. Had an early Mustang GT Turbo (can you say no tires in that size available). Merkur XR4Ti rebadged as a Sierra (lots of stories with that one).

MattCarp

Ok..so I was out of college for a few years, a young consultant at Andersen Consulting. I had just totaled my college car - a 1984 Ford Tempo with a drivers airbag (no injuries!), and was driving a old Bronco II to tide me over. I was saving for a new, Contour that Ford had just released. I wanted a loaded mid-size sedan. But at $23-24k, I had to keep saving.

Then, in 1995, I drove by a used car lot and saw an 84 black 928S with 59k on the clock. I really didn't know much about Porsches, but I loved the lines on the car. I liked the wide stance, the rounded rear end, and the cockpit. The engine looked beautiful. The dealer wanted $13k. I thought, "I could buy that AND a used Corolla as a daily driver and still spend less than a new Contour". Was I ever mistaken!

So I bought the car in December without doing too much homework. [Then I bought an '88 Saab 9000 turbo for the daily commute but that's a different thread]. The car was garaged until the spring and then I changed out the fluids and started driving it. Got lots of looks as the car looked great for being 11 years old. Fixed a lot of misc plastic, but found that the car was losing coolant and not on the ground....

I was working in Cleveland and took the car to the local dealer, Stoddard. They called me and said, "Yes, we found your coolant. You have a bad head gasket. We'll start at $1500 for the right side, probably $800 for the left, and look at the rod bearings for another $800". I had barely driven the car, still making payments on it, and was floored by easily $3k of work. So a friend says to me, "Matt, you can get an awesome set of tools for $1000". That's when my education began!

So I bought the WSM on fiche, spent evenings at the library using their fiche readers, and then found the Porschefans list. On the list were some guys who talked me through it (I recall John White), and I learned A LOT. It took me almost a year, but I got it back together. Found out the PO had the air pump delete, headers, cams, and head work done! Anyway, got the car back together and it was a blast!

Knowing what I know now, it was painful, but I'd do it all over again...

911tracker85

one of my neighbors has a nice 3000 Healy, think 66? he has had it for years... yes, obsessed.

but he often comments how much he enjoys the sound of either my 911 or the 928 when I drive by.

LEADASS

since I was a young lad...what a car, kinda sexual, I've loved them. I'm just a carpenter/builder, college dropout... there's no way I could ever afford such a divine muse. One day I'm driving around and see an 82' auto on the side with a very affordable window sticker. I missed that car (thank GOD) I think it was a basket case. Talk about an obsession... I just couldn't let the 928 go. E-bay, Craigslist, etc, Ilooked at every 928 on the eastcoast within 1000 miles. I narrowed it down to an '84 5-speed in mass. and an '86 auto in conn.. The 84 was nice but bad paint and mud-n-snows put me off. Besides the guy had owned the car for two years and knew nothing. I drove to conn. and saw Greg Goodspeed drive up in his '86. I saw him coming from a half mile away, I told my Father (who I dragged 4 hours away to look at my obsession)..'that's my car right there'. I found that Greg was a freak (I can only aspire to be) and I drove the car home that afternoon. Dude there's nothing like blowing by your old Dad at 125 mph with a **** eatin' grin locked on your face. I will never sell this car. I mean that. I'm planning big changes, but it'll always be that dark blue angel I saw Greg drive into the Home Depot parking lot. In a way it'll always be his car, But every time I tear into a project I own it a bit more.

jayc67

Isn't that strange? I'm the same way. I've had all manner of cars over the years but I've never had any real attachment to them long term. An NSX was as close as I've come to a "I'll never sell it" car, but I was offered a silly price and sold it so I wasn't THAT attached I guess.

But this S4 simply is something I wouldn't sell. First off I'd never get my money back and second I'd never get back all the skin pieces and blood I've deposited all over the thing. My DNA is on just about every piece of the thing.

Something about working on this car has attached it to me in a way no other car ever has.

And, I've pretty much stopped my car buying as well. Not because the 928 takes all the money, just that I no longer see cars that I feel like I have to drive home. I just look at them and say "Nah, not better than the Porsche".

pcar928fan

Leadass I love that story man!

sweet928

I was in HS, age 16ish. Risky Business introduced me to the 928 and around the same time, a friend of mine started talking to me about a business idea that would make us a "fortune". Got me really excited and I started thinking of the first thing I would buy with my soon to be fortune.

I drove my moped to the Porsche dealer in town and there was a 85 black/black 5 speed on the floor. The salesman knew I was not a buyer, but he let me dream my dream and I sat in it for ten minutes or so. Every piece of that car was perfect to me. It was truly my first love. I swore I would have one.

The business deal turned sour a few days later when my friend reported to me that his plan was actually illegal and was what was called a pyramid scheme. I was so disappointed....now how would I ever get a 928?!

While in college, I got a ride in a very wealthy friend of a friends red S4. It was my first time driving in one and I was hooked. I always loved the looks of the 928 and now I had driven in one and knew I would find some way to have one - one day.

Fast forward to after graduation from college. A year into my new job, I was looking though the classifieds. Something I would do at lunch every day of the week. One day there was a red 87 S4 for sale, just like the one I had been in during college. It had 22k on the clock for $25k, auto with BBS wheel and a Autothority chip. I thought that is a bargain and I'm going to buy it. It was at a BMW dealer a few towns over. I went that day after work. It was parked out front and in mint condition. I knew I must have it. Drove it and bought it.

I felt like a king in that car. Was amazed at it's world class power, handling design and engineering. I'm on my third 928 and will always own one.

Mogans

I wanted to buy a used Porsche and was looking at 944's. This was probably 1996. A buddy of mine told me that if he was going to buy one, it would for sure be a 928. I didn't know anything about them, just from Risky Business, etc. But when I saw one in person I was hooked. My first was an '81 (Red Wine Metallic pictured below), which I loved, but wanted more performance. I sold the '81 to buy my GT, which I still own. A couple of months ago I bought an S4 because my GT is in the States and I'm in Europe. I really love these cars and don't imagine I'll sell either of them. I just feel like the car fits me somehow.

concor

A friend of mine crashed his Volvo and I talked him into buying a 944. While browsing at different Porsche specialists with him looking for a 944 I saw 928 in the same garage. I had my 944 for 2 years and figured a step-up would be awesome and not too expensive. So I asked for a test drive and got in. I stepped out immediately asking how an automatic works. The seller looked at me rather spooked and said I should definitely not put down the pedal because it WILL slide. It was raining too. So talking to myself out loud not to use my left foot all the time I did a very nervous test ride, while listening to a monotonous 1000 rpm v8 motor. Still kinda dubious about it I bought it the next day. That was a year ago and I love every part of it today. Love to drive it, look at it and work on it!

Jerry Feather

I think you misunderstood what I was trying to describe. I was talking about getting into the driver's seat of a 928 and not into the door. Getting into the door would require that I be much thinner and would not do much good since you cannot drive the car from inside the door.

I did, however, try the method you described. When I put my right leg on the dead pedal I found that my right foot was over by the center console. I also found that my left hand was on the ground holding most of my weight. My left leg was also on the ground up to the knee, and the right cheek of my butt was just barely on the door sill.

I found that in order to get myself completely into the car required me to lean further out of the car in order to get my right leg to articulate in the right direction since I only have one knee in that leg, and then push most of me butt first into the car where I could straighten up. I don't like your method at all.

Then I tried to follow your suggestion the you use the doors to get into and out of a 928. WOW, That one really throws me. First I found that one way to use the door to get into the car was to open the window all the way and then put my whole body throught the window from the inside up to my waist and then, with my legs bent at the knee, simply close the door. That doesn't work either since I ended up on my knees in the driver's seat with most of my body outside of the car.

Next I decided that you had something else in mind when you use the door to get in and out. I ripped one of the doors off and layed it on the ground with the top/window frame part inside the car and with the window rolled up I simply used it as a ramp an slid myself into the driver's seat. Now there is a method that comes close to the one I have been using for a while. And, it is much quicker that my method. The only problem is that driving the car with the door ripped off tends to defeat the efforts of the heater this time of year. I suspect in hot weather it is also going to cause problems with the AC.

When I get the door put back on I think I will stay with the method I previously described. And, that is still how I get into 928's.

Randy V

Based on your description, you must possess a rather large carriage.

waveflux

I lusted after 911 turbos in high school, so when my mom was looking for a new car, I talked her into a test drive. Needless to say.... she hated it. The dealer had a new 928 he thought she should try, BINGO! That was in 82. It got passed down to me when she moved on to Mercedes. When it was time to spend my own money, I went with the s4.