Thinking of buying this 928; opinions please.
03-04-2008, 03:22 PM
#1
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Thinking of buying this 928; opinions please.
http://fayar.craigslist.org/car/594661130.html
I know a whole lot about 944's but almost nothing about 928's. Give me your recommendations on this potential shark.
It says it needs a new injector brain, what does that entail to future problems the car might have?
I know a whole lot about 944's but almost nothing about 928's. Give me your recommendations on this potential shark.
It says it needs a new injector brain, what does that entail to future problems the car might have?
03-04-2008, 03:41 PM
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well sounds like it means it doesn't run - which means you wont be able to tell if this is all it needs until you get one ($$$).
If thats all it needs why didn't they buy one? - a running car is much more valiable than a non-running car. Paint looks rough in picture ... The interior of a 928 is expensive if it needs to be replaced - you need to judge if its cosmetic fixes needed or much more. Without the ability to drive it it will be hard to gauge the condition of any other running gear...
Alan
If thats all it needs why didn't they buy one? - a running car is much more valiable than a non-running car. Paint looks rough in picture ... The interior of a 928 is expensive if it needs to be replaced - you need to judge if its cosmetic fixes needed or much more. Without the ability to drive it it will be hard to gauge the condition of any other running gear...
Alan
Last edited by Alan; 03-04-2008 at 05:17 PM.
03-04-2008, 03:52 PM
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IMO $3k is way too much for a non-running OB (our slang for early 928), because there are SO many things that need to be judged during the test drive.
Either keep looking for a good-running example or make a lowball offer on this one.
Either keep looking for a good-running example or make a lowball offer on this one.
03-04-2008, 03:55 PM
#4
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price is high w/out being able to drive it. Consider brakes, steering, torque tube, tranny, electrical, etc. as unknowns - just getting it up to driveable condition could exceed purchase price.
Might consider contingent to seller purchasing brain to make it run??
[fwiw, output is actually 220hp, although the 250ftlb is what makes it run like it's 240!]
Might consider contingent to seller purchasing brain to make it run??
[fwiw, output is actually 220hp, although the 250ftlb is what makes it run like it's 240!]
03-04-2008, 04:02 PM
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He said it was running while his son owned it, and it would spontaneously just die on him while he was driving. The car sat a week and then started up again. He said his son drove it like that for a while and it finally just quit.
I will give him the idea of replacing the brain for me to buy it.
I will give him the idea of replacing the brain for me to buy it.
03-04-2008, 05:13 PM
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paint and body...
From my view, yes the price appears too high.
Since there are so many early 928's on the market, I would find one that has a good paint and a better interior-- If it has this, and a running engine and drivetrain w/ service history then you'll have 3,000 dollar car that is worth your time.
I just paid 3,200 dollars for my 1984 , which runs well and has a very good intrerior and paint. Although I'm still working on sorting out 4th gear...see my photos
http://www.evozine.com/porsche
Since there are so many early 928's on the market, I would find one that has a good paint and a better interior-- If it has this, and a running engine and drivetrain w/ service history then you'll have 3,000 dollar car that is worth your time.
I just paid 3,200 dollars for my 1984 , which runs well and has a very good intrerior and paint. Although I'm still working on sorting out 4th gear...see my photos
http://www.evozine.com/porsche
03-04-2008, 05:32 PM
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This could easily be one of those JB examples where it's a mere ten thousand dollars away from being a three thousand dollar car. Unfortunately it isn't a three thousand dollar car right now.
There are more than a few '80-'84 cars on the market at any given time, cars that are in fact in running condition, cars with paint on them and seats inside. Most are tired, but they can be driven. This owner may or may not be out of touch with the market for the car, and is likely out of touch with how to get it running. If I owned it, I'd research the fuel pump and the fuel pump relay, either would cause the symptoms he describes. The "brains" in those cars are pretty bulletproof, especially compared with those in the later cars, so I'd do some sleuthing before I jumped to a "brain" conclusion I guess. It's quite possible to sub in a jumper in the FP relay socket to test the pump, for instance.
Nonethelsss, knowing that it needs paint (can be many $thousands) and a bunch of interior (can be $hundreds or $thousands), and likely needs all normal maintenance brought up to date (will be $thousands), this may not be the car for you. It's obviously not the car for him or his son, and considering that he wants to replace it with a running Italian or British sports car (think 'money pit'), I suspect that he's considered the thiongs this car needs and decided it's not worth it to fix. He says if it doesn't sell he'll just restore it himself; That may be the kindest thing that might happen to this car.
There are more than a few '80-'84 cars on the market at any given time, cars that are in fact in running condition, cars with paint on them and seats inside. Most are tired, but they can be driven. This owner may or may not be out of touch with the market for the car, and is likely out of touch with how to get it running. If I owned it, I'd research the fuel pump and the fuel pump relay, either would cause the symptoms he describes. The "brains" in those cars are pretty bulletproof, especially compared with those in the later cars, so I'd do some sleuthing before I jumped to a "brain" conclusion I guess. It's quite possible to sub in a jumper in the FP relay socket to test the pump, for instance.
Nonethelsss, knowing that it needs paint (can be many $thousands) and a bunch of interior (can be $hundreds or $thousands), and likely needs all normal maintenance brought up to date (will be $thousands), this may not be the car for you. It's obviously not the car for him or his son, and considering that he wants to replace it with a running Italian or British sports car (think 'money pit'), I suspect that he's considered the thiongs this car needs and decided it's not worth it to fix. He says if it doesn't sell he'll just restore it himself; That may be the kindest thing that might happen to this car.
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03-04-2008, 05:57 PM
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If it is running it is "approaching" 3K (unseen est). A non running car and he says the interior and paint are iffy is a parts car, sorry. 
Unless as Bob says, you walk in there with a relay and viola! "It's alive!!" a la Frankenstein. Good luck.
Unless as Bob says, you walk in there with a relay and viola! "It's alive!!" a la Frankenstein. Good luck.
03-04-2008, 06:18 PM
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Way too much for a piece of driveway art.....if it does NOT RUN it is not a car 
And all cars ran well once upon a time , right up until they stopped ! More likely than not the syncros are beat up on second gear but how would you know ?
And all cars ran well once upon a time , right up until they stopped ! More likely than not the syncros are beat up on second gear but how would you know ?
03-04-2008, 10:16 PM
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Went and looked at it today, from my experience with porsches, I decided to keep looking.. =) This car didn't look anything like the pictures. He had it all torn apart also!
03-05-2008, 10:33 AM
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03-05-2008, 09:27 PM
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About those phone dials? Whatcha got?
Sage advice already offered. I had a 924S...hey, knockitoff, S as in 944-light (1987)...went to an '95 928S and would never ever have looked back.
They aren't necessarily money pits or unreliable...just build awareness of the most frequently 'defered' maintenance items, be sure you have cash to cover that unless the seller demonstrates they've been done, and then assume that the previous owner was 'just dealing with' a few deficiencies that you may not want to. Cars rock when sorted.
Sage advice already offered. I had a 924S...hey, knockitoff, S as in 944-light (1987)...went to an '95 928S and would never ever have looked back.
They aren't necessarily money pits or unreliable...just build awareness of the most frequently 'defered' maintenance items, be sure you have cash to cover that unless the seller demonstrates they've been done, and then assume that the previous owner was 'just dealing with' a few deficiencies that you may not want to. Cars rock when sorted.