F451

I'm not into racing just yet. Got a '04 KTM 250 EXC for trail riding though. Loving it. Most of my riding buddies are go fast racer types, so I'm hoping to do an enduro or race or two this year. Just got back from some riding down in Reno. I'm the goof ball on the right.



More riding pics here (if you're really bored): http://edb.smugmug.com/

And thanks for the tips on the PacNW yahoo groups site. I registered for it, so may be calling on some of you guys if I actually take the plunge on the 928.

How about yourself? You into dirt biking?

AJK

Ed,

I just went thru this so I can give you some first hand advice.... Don't buy the car! It will cost you between $3-5K to replace the gaskets and that is assuming you can find a competent shop that knows 928s. Otherwise they might do more harm than good.

There will be other things that need fixing and by the time you are done, IF YOU ARE REALLY LUCKY, you will have put more money into it than it is worth. It you are unlucky, you will have put MUCH MORE into it than it is worth. Consider this. I got my car last May, for free. It is still not completely right and I have put about $2K more into it that it is worth. Don't gp there. Buy one that has no known problems and you might just break even on the deal.

Imo000

Ed,

As a comparison, I bought my '85 with a broken t-belt. Had to buy another used head and refubished both of them, new gasket belts, water pump, brakes, etc and still only cost me $1000. It is highly worth to buy a car like this but ONLY if you can do your own wrenching. If you can't just let this one go.

dan davies

last year, one of my head gaskets went -left side i think ,no oil was in the water ,but water in the oil and overheating, both gaskets replaced-it was an engine out job,goes fine now

docmirror

Quick checks, milky dipstick, or condesation on dipstick. Gooky looking, smelling coolant. Pull plugs, look for one or two that are just way too clean, like new kinda clean.

Cracked block isn't a deal killer if you get it right. Just R&R the engine if it's cracked. Being where you are, a froze block is a possiblitly, so plan for an engine and if it's less than that, you're ahead. Only makes sense if you turn the wrenches. Condition of the paint, int, trans, options, wheels, ride will make the decision. Remember the theory of 'comparitive neglect'. If the PO spent all this money on it recently it sounds like a comparitive neglect car, and the rest of it could be borderline.

think of it as an opportunity to mod the engine/heads while things are apart!

Doc

Jim bailey - 928 International

Also be real sure that you are going to be happy with a relatively low horsepower small V-8 (284 cubic inch) in a 3,300 lb car with an automatic transmission.

T_MaX

One thing to keep in mind when buying a 928 with a known blown head gasket!

WASH DAMAGE!

If the car (a 928) has been driven much at all with water entering into the cylinder(s) it will wash the oil out and the rings will scare the cylinders bad enough that you will need to have them honed or even bored.

F451

More good info to consider. Thanks guys.

F451

You guys are cracking me up!

No really, both sets of advice are valid.

I've gotten a ton of good advice, but until I see it for myself, I won't be able to decide. One thing though, is even if it turns out to be a blown head gasket and I figure on repairing that, that will only be the beginning and I know that.

It would be nice if I fixed the head gasket and the car was fine after that, but I'm not counting on that. I'm sure I'll find other things wrong with it. Hopefully non major, but that is always a possibility when you buy used.

Anyway, I'll keep you guys posted. Thanks. -Ed

F451

Hey guys,

I thought I would follow up here. I ended up buying a nice '83 944 about 3 wks ago. Good to very good condition. 65k miles, I'm the 3rd owner. Lots of recent work to it (t-belt, water pump, rad, tune up, etc), I think I got a decent deal on it.



But. I am considering selling it already. Its a great car, and lots of fun to drive, but its a tight squeeze for my 6'5" frame. And its pretty slow. I knew the early 944's weren't road burners in the acceleration dept, but I didn't realize how slow they really are. Its still a ball to drive, and handles really nicely. I'm having a ball driving it, but between the tight fit and the lack of acceleration, I may be selling it shortly and be back in the hunt for a 928.

Ed

F451

And I looked at the 928 with the blown head gasket the other night, and that didn't pan out to well. The guy selling it was basically a knucklehead and a major bs artist. He told me the car was running. When I got there I find out it hasn't run in 2 yrs, but he says we can throw a battery in there if I'm serious. That kinda ticked me off. If it hasn't run in 2 yrs, no problem, just tell me up front. He seemed like a decent guy on the phone and my bs meter did not go off then, but I guess sometimes you just can't tell till you meet someone.

Then I asked him which head had the blown gasket and he said he didn't know, but that his "master mechanic" buddy had confirmed that is was a blown head gasket. I said something like, well it would be good to know so you could check out that gasket and replace it, and he went on some story about how, no, you don't just do the one side, you would do both sides, so it doesn't really matter, blah, blah, blah...I was like "ok, whatever pal..."

He had also described how the interior was almost completely redone. Umm, that would be a big no. Broken switches here and there, panels taken off and not replaced, etc, etc.

The car also had a pretty lousy paint job. You could actually see runs in the paint on the back bumper panel.

And the final straw was when I went to sit in the drivers seat. I had told the guy that I just wanted to come up and take a quick look and sit in it to see if I fit in the 928's. He said no problem. When I go to hop in the drivers side, the seat won't move and I can't squeeze in it. That's when he tells me - oh yeah, that thing is stuck and he proceeds to work up a sweat trying to get it lose.

Apparently the seats are not the original electric ones, they are manual seats (not even sure if they are 928 seats) that he put in there.

What a freakin idiot. I had already pretty much decided I was'nt interested in this car since the guy was so full of it, but when I couldn't even get in it to try it for fit, that's when I knew to stop wasting my time and get the hell out of there.

I think I'm learning that you get what you pay for (once again), and that if I want a 928 that is worth purchasing, I'm going to have to up my budget. It may mean I will have to wait a while, but in the long run, it will be worth it.

Anyway, just thought I would update you guys. Thanks. -Ed

Imo000

In this case, he is actually correct. If you have a blown head gasket you really should replace both. Especially if its an original gasket. Since everything is already apart it will only take a little more work to pull the other head.

ross-g

i had to buy 2 928 to get 1 with a good motor now i just have to splice the 2 together to make 1 good 1.

ross-g

nice job resurecting a 4 year old post LOL