Having owned 944s, 911s and 968s I last year made the move to a Merc SL500 ('95 model). I miss Porsches though so am thinking of selling up and satisfying a long-held desire to own a '93 or '94 928 GTS automatic. Can any of you owners/experts enlighten me on the ownership prospect? Am I letting myself in for a potential hell of electrical gremlins and bills? The 968 Sport, my fave car of the lot, was reliable and (for a sportscar) cheap to run. Any advice appreciated.

 

Read thru the admkin post for potential owners - this is a good start.

Since you've had a 944 and a 968, you are already aware of the tbelt issues.

Another area is the electronics. The 928 has literally over a mile of wiring in it and numerous relays. The relays can give you fits.

The LH Brains are getting old and are prone to sudden un-announced failure. Rebuilt units are anywhere from $500 to $1100, depending on source.

The engines in the GTS models have been noted for excessive oil consumption (1 qt/1500 miles in the owrse cases I've heard of).

The aftermarket availability of parts does not yet equal the 944's, but is better than the 968's I believe.

The low end torque along with the sweet sound of the V8 exhaust is incredible.

hth and best of luck in your search!

 

Dr. D.,

If you are looking at a GTS A/T with under 60K miles, I would have the oil filter cut as part of the pre-purchase inspection. Some (actually very few) '87 and later automatics had some issues with Thrust bearing failure. It is rare, but is easily checked by cutting the oil filter open and looking for glitter. If the car checks out, make sure that releasing the front pinch bolt on the flex plate hub becomes part of your usual maintenance routine. It's a fairly nomimal task and will ensure the long life of your engine.

928's that suffer from thrust bearing failure seem to do so within 30-60K miles. If your GTS candidate has more miles than this, you are most likely over the hump and don't have to worry about an impending failure so long as you ad releasing the front pinch bolt part of your routine maintenance.

As Jay mentioned, oil consumption is a factor with the '93 and early '94 GTS. I don't think that 1 quart every 1500 miles is unusual.

Good luck in your search, I'm sure you will find the GTS to be a high performance powerhouse that is very enjoyable to drive and own.

-Adam Birnbaum
'88 S4 A/T

 

Dr. D,

I've owned a 1993 A/T GTS since new. It is a fantastic car. IMHO there is no difference between S4's and GTS's in terms of reliablity. I've had no oil consumption problems with mine.

The 5.4-liter motor has tons of torque and the A/T does a great job with it. Very easy and enjoyable to drive.

There aren't so many GTS's. There is one silver car listed very high price somewhere in the south that has a bad dash repair and hasn't moved.

A pre-purchase inspection by a 928 mechanic is a must (not just a Porsche mechanic, most work on 911s). Another thing to check that most wrenches don't is the PSD unit (ahead of the left rear tire). Odds are it hasn't been flushed and it needs to be.

If you have any more questions, please ask.

 

Richard wrote:

[quote] I've owned a 1993 A/T GTS since new. It is a fantastic car. IMHO there is no difference between S4's and GTS's in terms of reliablity. I've had no oil consumption problems with mine. <hr></blockquote>

There I go speaking in generalities again.

We have two '93 GTS 5 speeds and one '94 A/T up in our local group, they consume about a quart every 1500 miles. I don't know that I'd consider it a "problem", just a potential part of ownership. Maybe it's all the rain we get up here, instead of being in the nice sunny dry desert.

-Adam Birnbaum
'88 S4 A/T (who would love to have an oil consuming GTS)

 

Thanks a lot for the advice, everybody. FYI I live in England and the car I would buy is in Germany (around $20,000 US for a good 93/94 GTS auto with history; 25% cheaper than here in the UK). I'm no mechanic but have a good Porsche (but not 928) specialist nearby in London.
Richard, you said "IMHO there is no difference between S4's and GTS's in terms of reliability" - which is fine but I don't know how reliable S4s are, having only owned other Porsches, not 928s, before. Are we talking 968-style trouble-free, or Ferrari-style "supercar, superbills"? You can't run a 928 GTS on a budget, I know, but while $3k a year maintenance & repairs is fine, $5k + is not.... Any thoughts?

 

Dr D,

I owned a NA 968 and now a 928 and would have to say this. The 968 in the year I drove it cost me nothing in maintenance short of an oil change. The 928 has cost me everything in the 6 months I’ve owned it because IT WAS NOT TAKEN CARE OF by the previous owner, a surgeon who I assume even had money.

I believe the 968 overall is cheaper to run then a 928. Both services and parts should be cheaper with the 968 although I’m not an expert on this so anyone that is should chime in here.

I think if the car (928) has had proper upkeep, then you should be in the ballpark for much less then $3k a year but if you have to catch up on it’s maintenance, then that will cost you accordingly to what’s needed until everything is correct again.

IMHO, the 928 will be the cheapest and most reliable of those you mentioned as a daily driver.

Good luck,

Tim Delarm
<img src="graemlins/beerchug.gif" border="0" alt="[cheers]" />

 

[quote]We have two '93 GTS 5 speeds and one '94 A/T up in our local group, they consume about a quart every 1500 miles. <hr></blockquote>

Don't all Porsches burn?
My girlfriend's 2001 Boxster needed oil every 1200 miles. Her father's 2001 BMW M5 burned off a signifiacant amount of oil every 900 miles.
I wouldn't call it a problem, it is just a fact of German engineering.

 

Hmmm...I'm coming up on 2500 miles on last oil change and not burned a drop. Alright, who's adding oil to my shark???

Tim Delarm
<img src="graemlins/roflmao.gif" border="0" alt="[hiha]" />

 

No offense intended in any way, but do you baby the car?
I know a Porsche mechanic who says it is VERY common, unless the car is driven mildly.I also live in New England....twisty roads, rain, snow, ETC. The cars are driven HARD around here.

 

No offenses taken. I certainly don’t hot-rod it from stoplight to stoplight but I’ll certainly take advantage of any open canyon road free of traffic (don’t want to kill anyone) or freeway late at night with no traffic around for a few full power run-ups.

I’m sure I drive mine mildly in comparison to most but any chance I have to “feel the power” I’ll take advantage of it while gripping onto my drivers licenses tightly. All this with synthetic oil.

Tim Delarm
<img src="graemlins/burnout.gif" border="0" alt="[burnout]" />

 

Wow! I wish I had that self-restraint. 120+ mph tickets are not good; especially if they come in more frequently than bills!
I guess your tactics are better too: less maintanence (no oil burning!!!!) and less abuse. I just don't know when I'll learn!

Happy motoring.

 

Thanks a lot for your thoughts everyone and especially Tdelarm. Seeing a red '93 GTS with 62,000 miles on Friday...will keep you posted.

 

If it has classic grey interior, please let us know how to see a picture.

 

Your post about getting a 928 sounds exactly like me. I've owned 944s2, turbo, 968, and 993. I now also have a 95 SL500 and am thinking about a 928 as I've always wanted one.

Did you get one? Are you selling the SL? Why do you want an auto?