SharkSkin

Good advice above -- think it through. If, after careful consideration, you choose to go with the "get a 928 but have a $500 beater as backup" approach(hopefully you can garage the 928 whether it's running or not) I'd say that the first of your two links is the beter choice, assuming it's as represented. Search around, I think there was some discussion about this particular car recently. Anyway, it's an 86.5, with the bigger S4 brakes, later suspension, etc.

Essentially it's an S4, minus the flappy on the intake and with older-style bumpers.

Mongo

I use a 928 as a daily driver and have had my share of gremlins with the car. The biggest concerns I feel about the car are timing belt and water pump maintenance. Every 50,000 miles is what I service these at. If you can find a car that has had this done already, you have one less worry for about 3-5 years.

Secondly, if it's an automatic, I would be concerned about servicing the automatic transmission filter and ATF every 30,000 miles. Be sure to pull the lower bell housing cover off once a year and release the pinch collar bolt to take the stress off the crankshaft thrust bearing. This will save you lots of $$$ in the long run if you go with a 928 newer than 1985 that is auto.

Last. Keep up on the little things like oil changes, air filter, spark plugs and run the factory manual's fuel recommendation; it should last you for quite a long time. I have 144,000 miles on mine and drive it to work daily. The biggest problem I have right now is a seat switch that intermittently reclines. Other than that, I'm very happy with it.

Records are everything with cars. If you really want a 928, make sure it has LOTS of records. Ownership is NOT that bad if you find a nice car.

Jim bailey - 928 International

Andy I believe that "your" 928 was your father's car for several years ....not exactly an Ebay leap of faith. And when did you start paying the bills on that car ? (excluding the exhaust mods ) The 928 buyer lottery has winners and losers but on AVERAGE I still believe that $2,000 -3,000 per year is normal for one of these cars. Note several have already mentioned spending far more than that others talk of minimal expense. Obviously I hear from more people who have problems and are buying parts than from those who drive an uneventful 100,000 miles.

Mako 928

Doug
Welcome to the forum. I know exactly what it is like. I was in your situation back in the 80's. I was stationed on the U.S.S. Midway in Yokosuka Japan for 3 years and dreamed about "back home" I bought a new motorcycle in Japan and had it shipped to the U.S. I thought I would have that bike forever. Rode it for the summer and come the first rain I sold it, not good for a daily driver duh. I know what it's like to have "the fever" INMHO if you get a 928 now especialy as a daily driver you will regret it, sorry I know this is not what you want to hear. If I knew then what I know now I would have focused more on a career for a few short years and be in a much better position to have my dream car. I would hate to see you get a 928 and be forced to sell it because it was a money pit.

kjurkic

Just my $0.02,

My 1980 is my daily driver (and occasional racer, and long distance express ride, and Home Depot hauler, etc) In the last year I have spent a little over $2k for parts (and about 5 weeks downtime), which with my $10k to buy, gives me a car worth about $6k....but I digress.
If I did not have a place to work on it, and middling mechanical aptitude, I would not even consider a 928. Having said that, you see many posts about how expensive they are to fix, but that mostly applies if you are paying for labor. ANY 20+ year old car is going to have issues with all the soft stuff....and occasional electrical gremlins... but if you really do price comparisons, part-for-part, you will find that a 928 is no more expensive than many others, and certainly LESS expensive than many domestic vehicles (ie has anyone here priced a transmission or fuel pump for a 2000 & up chevy pickup?) My Mazda MPV has been a much more of a rock than any product from Garbage Motors, but my last alternator set me back $375, a starter runs about $300, brakes are cheap, but well known for needing annual replacement.

Having rambled on for a bit, I will close with go for your education wherever you will accumulate the least amount of debt -- financial stress combined with studies is not an easy path for anyone. It would seem from the postings that your best bet is to live DFW/Texas, consider a 928 only if you are willing to park it in the event of expensive failure, definitely buy a Japanese beater, enjoy the ride, then decide where to live AFTER graduation.

I don't know if that's helpful, but best of luck to you!
Ken

Lopez

I'll agree with what most people here have said. I think you should buy cheap, bulletproof car, and one that can deal with some snow if you land in Colorado. 928s don't fit this description.

I used to keep a Porsche parts catalog with my repair manuals and other auto-related books. Occasionally I'd look through it to remind myself why I hadn't bought ANY Porsche yet. Things like $800 clutch discs, $600 brake rotors, these things kept me from doing it when I thought about them. Prices for some of these things are down from when that catalog was published, but the overall message is the same. Think about having to spend $400 for a set of plug wires vs. the cost of this for any other car.

The advice from the other forum members is sound - most of us are older and have gotten established in life. The cars will be there, but you are just barely starting out. That $20k will evaporate in an instant once you get going with school, wife, and everything that comes with that. Once you've graduated, settled into a job that is going somewhere and have IMPORTANT things taken care of (cars, even Porsches, not being in this category in the grand scheme of things), and you've gotten to a point where $400 for plug wires doesn't make you wince, then think about a 928.

I'm not saying you have to be rich - lord knows I am not - but I also can live with it (I have other cars, I am much more patient these days than I was 20 years ago) if my 928 goes down for weeks or months while I save up to pay for the parts to repair it.

Stan.Shaw@Excell.Net

Kind of funny, I essentially talked a prospective buyer out of the '84 928 I am selling for basically that reason. He is a good guy that was kind of interested in learning about 928s, but my belief was he initially didn't realize how much of a "hobby" car a 928 can be. Downtime and expensive repairs may not happen with all 928s all the time, but they are always lurking simply due to the age of the cars and the expense of the parts.

And yes, I am a 928 addict

jthwan22

Hi Doug, I am in the Army too. I also have 1984 911 Cab and 1988 928 S4. Each of these car need $4000 up front to fix the transmission when I got it. These cars are not my daily drivers. If you don't have the space (garage), time, tools, knowledge, $$$ DON'T GET IT. Spend your $20k on school and living expenses. $3-4k on FWD honda, Toyota and snow tires. V8 gas and repaires are not something you want to deal with. My 928 took a coolant dump coming back from SITM 1200 miles drive. It is not a big deal since I can drive something else. I will fix the 928 when ever the parts and time become available.

Mongo

Well... The last amount of money he plopped down on the car was to help me buy tires recently for the 'change in ownership'. Before that it was the torque tube he paid for. Before I had girlfriends, I could afford the timing belts and water pumps that thing went through before being gouged by the double-X chromosomed gender.

pcar928fan

First let me say THANK YOU FOR YOUR SERVICE TO THIS COUNTRY! I appreciate all the hard work and effort you guys put in! Now...

Jim and I see eye to eye on most things and this is ALSO one of them!

I had a Triumph Spitfire in high school and college that I bought with my own money...GREAT FUN of a car! LOVED IT! Sorry I ever sold it! If you get lucky and get a good 928 it will be easy to keep up and not very expensive. If you are living in CO 1/3rd of the year you are going to need to cover that car up in the garage. Same for your wife's Miata! That car is REALLY GOING TO SUCK in the winter time!

If you live in TX, the Miata will be great fun for her and usable 100% of the time (though it will be miserable in the summer time as it is so hot here), and a 928 would be a great car to have IF you have a garage where you can work on it AND you live on campus so you don't have to rely on it everyday.

I have a company car as a daily driver and BUNCH of 928's that I love dearly but don't have to rely on... That said, I have never been left stranded by a 928! YEA! *knocking on wood right now* My wife has though...she has TERRIBLE LUCK with mechanical and electronic stuff. We had a T-belt warning (along with a NASTY high pitch squeal) on a LONG PCA tour out in the middle of nowhere right after the idiot dealer did a T-belt and water pump on the '94, and then the S4 dropped its belly pan to the pavement and was making a terrible scrapping sound and she did not know what it was...both fixes were easy and cheap (94 was free of course, including the towing). I have just had pretty much routine stuff and the occasional A/C, Steering rack, PSD pump, cruise control issues on my various 5 street cars...so not bad for me really.

Were I you I would BE SURE to pay for college WITHOUT loans, and if living in CO get a Miata for summer fun, and two 4X4 SUV's for the rest of the time and when you want to go up in the mountains to ski or hike. After you get a degree, a real job, and a house with a garage think about adding a NICE 928 to the stable.

I know it is hard to be patient, but try. Oh, don't get a 911, if you also like 928's because it will just **** you off that the 928 owners are whipping you like a red headed step child at the race track when you get out to one! LOL!

Good luck!

shmark

Aww hell, you guys are no fun at all. I loved my college years, wish I could go back. But the one thing I really wish I had done was go "away" to college and experience somewhere completely different. Sounds like CO does that, and I would definitely go for it. You don't have kids yet, get established somewhere you love. It's much harder to do it later, just ask someone who wants to move INTO SoCal for example.

If you're comfortable with your college funding options, then by all means go for it. My advice, buy a GOOD early 16v car, much less to go wrong and when it does it won't break the bank relatively speaking. Then also buy a good Honda (winter beater, something to drive when you're working/playing with the 928). Total purchase expenditure: 1980 928 - $6k. Honda - $4k. And you have $10k in the bank to invest carefully - keep some liquid for incidentals.

Once you graduate you can be sensible.

Leon Speed

There, fixed it for you.

Jim bailey - 928 International

Mongo you just found a toy you like better nothing wrong with that !

medipedicman

As a future MBA I would think that both of these decisions would be EASY.
Go home to Texas, get the best education for the least amount of money, vacation in Colorado. When you get in the job market you can then pick and choose where you want to live. Having credit is great but graduting with six figures in student loan debt sucks. How many years would it take to retire that debt??

Find a nice clean used economy car (accord,camry) PAY CASH for it. Stash your cash and concentrate on your studys.

Good luck and God Bless!!

Russ In Vegas

Thanks!

Russ