Blepenske

Hello,
I have an 83 944 NA and have been looking to upgrade. I was thinking about a 951. I was, however, recently offered an 88 928. I have not inspected it yet but I wanted to get some discussion of the relative merrits of each.
I have done an engine rebuild on my 944 and I work on my own car. I am somewhat reticent about learning a whole new system. The 944 is relatively inexpensive to work on and fix if you do the work yourself. Is the 928 the same?
Does it have a great deal of issues or would it be a reliable daily driver. I have been very happy with my 944 but would like a little more power to play with and have always admired the 928. Just wish I could afford a GT model. :-)

Thanks,

Bryan
Federal Way, Wa

Incendier

Interesting; your 944 experience should serve you well. You've been working on basically 1/2 of a 928, so much of your knowledge should transfer.

You can save a tremendous amount of money doing the work yourself - and you'll get much help here - but the parts are not even relatively inexpensive - they are spendy, period.

There's been a lot of discussion on the reliability of the 928 on both this board and on the 928s4vr board. To avoid reiteration, it comes down to this: the 928 is inherently reliable, provided that the previous owner(s) have maintained and driven the car. Poorly maintained and/or undriven cars can be nightmares. Well maintained cars are largely bulletproof. Get a quality pre-purchase inspection by someone who knows 928s.

Mine is my daily driver, and even though I had to overcome many issues at first, it is now absolutely reliable, even at -10.

Jerry 87 928S4

I believe the 951 and 928 are quite different cars although I like them both. If you like the 928 best then get one.

Concerning the 928, I agree with James ( and most on this board will also agree). My 87 had a bunch of issues at first - an inspection would have identified all these but that is another story...

It has never left me stranded and I like it more everyday. It was below zero here in Chicago yesterday and ran perfectly.

The most expensive part about a 928 is paying a mechanic to work on it. If you can do it yourself then only the parts are a little expensive.

BC

I am glad you have come here for info Bryan. I hope you find the info you are looking for.
<img src="graemlins/burnout.gif" border="0" alt="[burnout]" />

Bryan

I have a 944 ('88) and a 928S ('85). If I had to choose one, it would be really really tough. The 944 is an agile, zippy little car that is great for certain kinds of driving. The 928S is more of a big, torquey bruiser. Although, for a small 4 cylinder car, the 944 has good torque. And the 928S has agility that surprises me when I drive it again after being away from it for a while. The 928S is quiet, rock solid, fast, and extremely competent at gobbling up miles of road. The 944 is light, nimble, hot-hatch-ish, and lives to zip around twisty roads.

I do my own wrenching on both cars and find that there's not much to separate them in costs. The 944 seems to consume more parts, but the 928S parts are perhaps a little more expensive. So again this isn't a big differentiator for me.

I think it comes down to what kind of car you like. I like both and enjoy both even though they're different. A friend of mine, who's spent some time in the 928S, respects it but wouldn't want one. If it's much more that 2 liters and has a redline under 7000, he's not interested. Which is fine. To each his own, ya know? In the 944, it's a different story. Suddenly he's all "How much did you pay for this?" and "What should you look for in a used 944?". Another friend of mine, who had an '88 944S and an '88 928S4 but not at the same time, doesn't even glance at the 944 when he comes over. It's all 928S when he's here. Another friend with an S2000 can not contain himself when he drives the 928S and experiences the torque.

So what does all this mean? Probably that you should drive a 928/S/S4/GT/GTS, preferably for more than a couple minutes, and see if it's "you". Is it your kind of car? If you don't like it, it's a bad deal at any price. It's going to require the same sort of unflinching financial commitment that a 944 does. If you love the car, it's not a problem. If you hate it, spending money on it is truly painful.

Bryan...a different Bryan

Blepenske

I am definitely going to look hard before deciding. The financial issue isnt too bad. When you fix them yourself the only thing you have to worry about so much is time. The 928 has always been kind of the logical next step for me. I have driven one once years ago. Was very impressed. I grew up in Germany (army brat) so things tend to be less agile than I remember. The 944 euro spec we drove in germany would suck the paint off the hood of mine. I curse when the car breaks and smile big when it runs. When I was rebuilding the engine (took me 5 months a couple hours a week.) I would come home grouchy from the commute because I had to drive my wifes BMW in rush hour. (it is a very well appointed luxurious car) When I fixed my car and started driving it again my wife immediately told me I have to get another porsche. I always came home with a smile on my face even after 2 hours in traffic. Didnt realize how much a car contributes to well being. :-) Just need to make sure the 928 will be a similar experience.

Bryan

Mike Schmidt

[quote]Originally posted by Blepenske:
<strong>I always came home with a smile on my face even after 2 hours in traffic. Didnt realize how much a car contributes to well being. :-) </strong><hr></blockquote>

Going for a ride can definitely change your attitude and mood.

Porsche - It might be a little more expensive to maintain, but it's still a lot cheaper than going to a Psychiatrist.

Blepenske

Well put! There truly is no substitute!

Jerry 87 928S4

I just remembered a quote I read in one of the GTS brochures.

"being much quicker than anything esle as luxurious, and much more comfortable than anything else as quick"

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

Fletcher

Why not my two cents. I have now owned both previously 86 951 w/stage 2. Now have a 84 928s. Technically less h.p. and more weight, but faster in some situations (great torque and sound). I was originally looking for another turbo, but I came across this car. At first I didn't know what to think, but now I am really starting to love it. The 928 grows on you in a way that my 951 did not (simply thought it was great to start with). I plan alot for the future with this car, but the wow factor is undeniable, there are many more 944's on the road it seems than 928's.

Quote "what is that I've never seen a 928 before, is that like a 944"
Quote..it's got a v-8 in it "are you kidding a v-8"

My wow factor increases every day and hey I can put 17x11's in the back with no mod's yeah baby!