csb5150

I am torn between 2 beauties -- a 1986 928 and 1989 951. Both have comparable miles, both are comparably priced, and both are Rennlist cars. I assume that this forum has bias, but wanted relative pros and cons and opinions. This will be my first Porsche, a weekend toy for me. Your thoughts are much appreciated.

Mongo

read my post on the 944 forum

Same goes for you 928 boys! Help me turn this one to the dark side of the Force

FlyingDog

Drive a 89 (or very similar) 951 and an 85-86 US 928. They're both great cars.

Mark

See my sig below!

You are comparing apples to oranges. They are both GREAT cars, just different purposes.

You need to drive them both - and decide for yourself which one meets you needs....I "needed' 1 of each

heinrich

The 928 IF an 86.5, is worth it and the better option. However the 952 is a more expensive car. I'd take the 86.5, or if it's 86 I'd take the 952. BUT I really hate the turbo lag.

Mark

Awww c'mon heinrich...if you keep your revs up enough there is no lag after 1st gear!!

("If ya ain't hittin' the rev limiter - ya ain't driving her hard enough!" - quote from my 951's PO and 'builder' when we discussing a particular AX problem I was having)

heinrich

Well Mark it's a strokes for folks thing ... for me, the 928 is barely enough in 1st till 3200RPM ... the 952 ... well, yawn, why bother

tomcat

I was thinking the same thing when before I decided on my '85 928. I think it comes down to comfort and sound. A 928 is just a great car to cruise in. You definitely feel the weight of the car compared to the 951 which seems kinda twitchy (nimble).

The 951 IIRC just makes noise compared to the 928 at full accel. When the turbo kicks in it's like being suck in by a vacuum cleaner. In the 928 the accel rate isn't the same, but you can't beat the sweet sound of a 928's 5 liter V8 at full throttle.

If I had to do it again, I personally would make the same choice. But I don't think you can go wrong with either choice.

tammons

I also like 951's. Do a few mods like the fast chip and a big turbo setup and you are way up in horsepower. A 2.8 motor and the matching chip and turbo and you will run rings around almost every car on the road.

I had an 87 951 and I really liked it. It was a real rocket.
951's are a lot smaller, harder riding, but very nimble in comparison.
A 928 is a real cruiser with low end torque.

I work on my own cars and after figuring out what it takes to do a R+R on the turbo (24 hours by the book), clutch (drop the entire rear suspension/trans/etc, and spending 3 hours replacing a thermostat, i decided it was time to go back to cushy 928's.

The 951 engine compartment is extremely tight and 951's are high maintenence. Probably not that much worse than an 86 928 though.

If I were younger and didnt mind being under a car every week I probably would have kept it and built a 2.8L engine for it.

I opted to go back to a simpler 83s 928 16V, rather than a 32V.

Lloyd

I have both. I have owned the 1989 944 turbo for about 4 years. It is a rocket and built for nimble handling on the track or the backroads with no modifications. The 1989 "Turbo S" version is a much better car than the previous 86-87-88 normal turbos. Compare the performance specs of the turbo versus the 928. If you want a nimble, fast sports car right out of the box, go for the turbo. The 928 is what Porsche designed it to be "a grand touring" machine. It can be a good track car with some work but it is really in a different catagory. It really depends on what YOU want to do with the car.

anonymousagain

Definitely drive 'em both - regular relaxed in city/highway and then foolin' around for fun city/highway. You'll get a better all around impression and should be able to pinpoint pros/cons much better than just driving w/out intention.

Likely, the shark will be more engine tolerable lugging around town and provide the bigger grin @ WOT around triple digits... the 951 will be more in/out maneuverable around town and chipped provide a sweet ear-to-ear when in point and shoot mode in the twisties.

Like Heinrich said, different strokes for different folks...keep in mind as well, that sharks like to be boosted and there are 3 or 4 solid SC/Turbo options available as well.

Good luck!!

Bill Coleman

I don't think you can go wrong with either car. The last 951 I drove was chipped and had little or no turbo lag. I would have bought it if the guy selling it wasn't such a flake.

How about this for a 3 car garage:
'89 928GT
'89 944 turbo
'89 911 turbo
Haven't thought about that combo before, but it sounds like something to aspire to!

SwayBar

I do not like driving the 951 in the city.

Off-boost, one is lugging around 3100 lbs on four cylinders; as a result, it is a complete dog in any city traffic with a speed limit of 40 and below. The low speed limit combined with other cars on the road means no help from the turbo while attempting to jockey for position. A no-torque four-cylinder engine driven in the city is a prime candidate for a positive displacement blower.

On the other hand, out on the highway where it can finally stretch it's legs, it is a very enjoyable car to drive.

hacker-pschorr

I've driven both, and I own two 16V 928's and a 16V 944. I would take the 32V 928 over a 944 Turbo.

They are totally different cars, if I had narrow it down to one, I would sell my 944S. The 928 is easier to drive, instant power at every rev range. If you ever go on a long trip, the 928 wins hands down on comfort.

MarkRobinson

After reading the above, & having owned multiples of both before, get both! You'll kick yourself in the butt for not doing so & making the stretch! both are equally delightful in opposite ways.

Plus, you can always turbo the 928