Tampa 928s

I am checking out a 78 today and want to do all the things to it I won't do to my 86 :kind of like hiring a hooker". I want to SC it add a wide body kit and roll bar. This will be a father son job and want to keep this within reason. So anyone have any insite on these kits :Fiabo chime in please". Spoke to Karl yesterday and he is saying stage 2 up to 330 Hp I know I can get a lot more out of my 86 with a SC but want to leave it alone. But he also told me you can go to the mid 400's with the right set-up. Who has done this and where do I start looking?
Thanks

Jim bailey - 928 International

Bad idea ! it is just like remodeling a house It ends up costing far more than you expected , takes far longer than you expected and often adds little to the value. Take a sheet of paper and start a budget...Body kit , mounting said kit , then Paint work , the big rims that a wide body "needs" , the blower, the thousands of dollars of NORMAL repairs on a 30 year old car, then double the estimate !!!! . Why not just teach your good girl how to poll dance....put a blower on the 86. If you are worrried about originality buy a second engine for the blower application and store the original.

hacker-pschorr

So what?

Tim Sassen has at least 2x's into his 84 than it's worth by redoing the enterior and paint. It's a beautiful car and he loves it.

Why is this forum so quick to discourage projects like this?

I must be nuts for installing 997 wheels on my 81, they are worth 1/4 of the entire car, then you need to add tires!!!!

I don't see negativity like this in other car forums. I don't understand why the 928 crowd is so quick to dismiss these ideas. The value of the car should have no bearing what so ever on the budget of the project.

Tampa 928s

To me if you drop in 15 k on a 7k car you have a very nice 7k car that runs and drives like new. Now go buy a Ford for 17k, 3 years its worth 7 k and is still a Ford.

hacker-pschorr

Good point, you buy a brand new 911 for $70,000. A few years later it's worth $40,000. Why is that considered "ok" in the car world but dumping $15,000 into a $7,000 car is considered insane?

Most people who restore vehicles know going into the project they will have far more into the car than what it's worth. They don't care, why should we?

Friend of mine is doing a full restoration (paying someone to do it) on a 1965 Corvette, numbers are not matching. We are talking about a restoration that could easily top $60,000. This car will never be worth close to that. He could care less, it's going to be the Corvette he always dreamed of.

RicerSchnitzzle

As a financial investment it's a bad idea. As a fun invenstment, you'll get plenty of returns. Most of the OB'ers "Could" just upgrade (Term used very loosly) to a S-4, yet we continue to improve, upgrade and customize our geriatrict sharks. It's the journey, the adventure, the frustration when things don't work that drives us.

Many of us have 3x what the car is worth invested. Good business sence? Nope. But the smile I get when things work, or from that extra comment at the Dairy Queen are well worth it. Being able to do most of the work myself, more than worth it. Then again take an OB for $5K, add $2K for big brakes plus $6K for a blower and it will outperform any $15K S4. Looks like a better investment all the time.

When most on this board have spent $3-6k on a new flat screen in the last couple years, it shows we are not always concerned about good financial investments. I doubt any one will recoup one penny of the money they throw at leather interiors. Not that I wouldn't spend it, not that the work by Rob is not fantastic, but when it comes down to it, "Leather" interior is just one small checkmark on the Kelly Blue book page.

The wife gives me $500 a paycheck (twice a month) to spend on the shark with no argument, (beyond that, it's pulling teeth). I have yet to not spend it all, thanks to the big 3, ebay and my local shark graveyard. I figure I have close to $10K dumped in my $5K Euro S and I'm no where close to done. Yet I have no regrets.

Tampa 928s

Now I feel better, I'm sure the comment was made to not put down but to explain the amount of insanity that comes with our hobby. My 86 was a labor of love some people play golf I play cars. I'm about to flush the Clutch Slave to see if the grinding goes away if not I'm going to pass on this one! There is a little reality based on my decision to buy this and the abilty to walk away from a DEAL!

Jim bailey - 928 International

Perhaps you do not see reality on other car forums ! When someone posts.."want to keep this within reason" what are they saying ? I see the other side of the 928 ownership because nearly everyone I talk with has PROBLEMS with their car and are spending money to fix it. You have no idea how many people I have informed that they probably have a thrust bearing failure and need an engine, or that the timing belt failure just bent most of their 32 valves, that the LH brain is dead , etc. none of which is much fun We have also bought several unfinished projects where people got in way over their abilities and felt the need to punt. So Yes I tend to be negative ...about projects. Especially when so many people have so much trouble just keeping their 928 running and driving. It really bums me out when peoples credit cards are declined I feel bad for them and I know of more than one divorce that was "caused" by a 928 (I doubt that was all of it ) . That said I probably have spent over $10,000 on the old very brown 1980 in entry fees , tires ,travel, repairs and have a $1,500 car ( but the wife knows little of that, she did buy the custom fire suit and helmet ) . But i do have a wall full of trophies and memories plus look forward to running it in November. So maybe I should just say "Good Idea" when someone comments that they want to sell their only car a 5 year old Honda and buy a 20 Year old 928 if that is what they WANT to do ! Wanting is an emotion and is by definition NOT logical or rational but I have no emotion about other people's projects just my own Now about the supercharger on the 16 V .....nevermind I still WANT ONE ....

Leon Speed

Since you're going with the hooker you're required to provide the rest of the forum with action shots

But apart from that: go for it! Nice to have a project car.

hacker-pschorr

Jim,
I guess it's easy for me to give you a hard time since I know exactly where you are coming from. I’ve spent the better part of the last 15 years hanging out at Jim Pages shop and Corvette Sports.
I see what you are talking about all the time, not just with 928’s. It is a shame, but I also see the same thing with boats, snowmobiles, bikes etc…

Do I ever try to talk a friend into modifying his only ride? Never, in fact I’m trying to talk someone out of more mods on their 1.8 turbo VW (the old ones are not working properly yet…..)

BUT – (big but here) I never discourage the modification, restoration, or repair based on the value of the vehicle.

I may have $4,000 into my Audi Coupe I paid $6,000 for back in 2000. A total of $10,000 over 7 years is less than the depreciation on any car I could have purchased new in 2000. Most would have scrapped my car at the first $1,000 repair job (only took 12 months or so). I’m sure this car will last another 7 years.

As for my 928’s – I’ve never quoted cost to anyone on this forum, I’m pretty sure you can guess since a few of my bits are one offs. Would I do it again? Hell yes I would, and I’m going to with my 79. I’m actually thinking about converting a 79 CIS car to LH from an 89, then boost the living **** out of it (20psi according to Z).

There is a car buff in Green Bay turning his 944 into a Turbo. Why not just start with a 951? Because he already has this car. His mechanic’s daily driver is a Civic turbo (damn fast) who races an Eagle Talon with 700hp at the wheels.
It’s not about money either, since the owner of the 944 drives an Audi RS4. To him it’s just a fun project.
I know a guy you can talk to about that

123

It only becomes a $7k car when you sell it. Until you do sell it, any dollar value put on it is irrelevent, except maybe to your insurance company. You could just as easily say it's a $1,000,000 car until someone actually pays you some dollar amount for it, and determines what the market price for that car is at that time.

Abby Normal

I'll just say my widebody kit was a nightmare and I regret ever doing it for $1000$ of reasons.

Jim bailey - 928 International

The fiberglass stuff that I have seen all needs work a little here a little there I will only use it on a race car where fit and finish means little. Besides I moved the entire front fenders out 2 inches and widened the carbon fiber hood by 4 inches hung glass GTS 1/4 panels then decided to extend them a bit more widened the front bumper by 4 inches took off the roof skin but I like playing with fiberglass ! I need to finish the 220 V to the new panel in the garage and buy a welder so I can finish the last details on the cage and put the roof back on ...it is about time !

Tass 928

Jim, what happens at the rear edge of the fender when you mount them 2" out from the stock location? Big air vent? Got a picture? I had this thought myself, and would like to see what it looks like.

ShawnSmith

What you really want to do is buy the $7k car that someone _else_ dumped $15k into, and purchase it from him for $7k