First thing to do is to make sure that the car is in good condition and properly tuned...

 

Sure...but reflect on how your car is registered. Having modified a general-use registered Alfa Romeo in a younger life, I had to endure adding things on that were once removed, every inspection period.

My 928 is registered as "historic" in my state and is never subjected to emissions or mechanical inspections, as long as the annual mileage stays below 7k/year. I could do as I please, but I haven't modified mine as I can hardly afford to do other than keep it properly maintained.

The off-the-line performance is quite street adequate, with 0-60 in the mid-sixes. Some improvisation is necessary if I want fast acceleration, starting from cruising below 2k RPMs. In city and light H/W driving, you might try selecting "2" on the transmission selector. For help in passing, you might also try the cheap manual transmission kick-down mod that enables passing gear via a momentary button on the selector, rather than stomping the accelerator.

PS; my wife loves the car and not for its performance. So, there are potential buyers out there for your MY. Unless you are interested in serious mods, I would advise fixing yours up, as others suggested and trading to a 86.5 or more recent. Good luck....

 

Get Euro heads and intake along with a Y pipe and thats about all you can do with the motor. Then get rid of the air pump and put on a electric fan.

 

I think Keith Widom increased the stall on his '82 before selling and it made a good improvement. Search the archives on this. He had Edge Converters increase the stall...

You could also PM him for first hand info.

 

I'm right there with you. I picked up an '81 auto. The car is almost 30 years old. Right now I'm just trying to get it in the best shape it can be. Is it fast? Not, really. In a world where Camry's and Accords get 270hp, it maybe slow, but read articles from when this car came out at it was considered fast at that time. I agree with the others live with it as is or sell it and buy something a little newer.

 

BTDT.

I had an 82 auto. First off, DO NOT change out the 3 spd to a 4 spd. The gearing of course is different and are capable of out performing the 4 spds all day in the twisties. I say this from personal experience.

Be prepared though, you are going to fork out some cash to get what you want. I had MSDS headers, Euro intake and TB, RRFPR's, Y pipe, Borla exhaust, higher stall speed TC. All of this on a well sorted car. It all made a nice difference. Had they been around at the time, I would have just bolted on a cent. SC as it would have been cheaper.

Want more power?... buy a more powerful 928. Not what you want to hear, I know. I heard the same thing for a long time too. I finally bought a GTS...which cost me less money than all of what I put into that 82 in the long run. Enjoy your 82 for what it is. Save your pennies and upgrade, THAT is the best bang for the buck.

 

Ok I've got an 81 Auto 4.5L. I too have the same complaint. Total dog off the line. In fact not sure what car it could ever beat. Maybe a 3 cylinder Geo Metro. In the 3K RPM range it's a rocket. With that said I think the only thing that would help the OB's is a monster engine rebuild or a super charger. I drove SeanR's S4 this weekend and it is awesome. The 5.0L really is a huge improvement over the 4.5L. We were racing back to his house and if we stomped on it at the same time his car being faster wasn't a huge difference if we were already going down the road. He did still pull away from me. The biggest difference was off the line. Huge difference stomping on it from the line. It had excellent kick in the *** power off the line. It felt like a 928 should feel. Like king of the road. Bad thing is now I know the difference and need an S4.

 

When Porsche had the 4.5 and decided to make 300 hp they felt that first they would bore it out to make a 4.7 , add high compression pistons , use higher lift camshafts, add bigger valves , port the heads , use a bigger diameter intake , use a bigger throttle body and run it on CIS injection.... Point is unless you do all of these you will not make 300 HP (you might get close with headers) ....Note that this would require a bunch of parts and a complete engine rebuild it could easily cost $10,000 if you pay someone to do it right... When a properly running S-4 makes over 316 HP BONE STOCK . You would be money and HP ahead to give away the 4.5 car for NOTHING and buy a good running S-4 ! Not what you want to hear but it is reality, there is no simple magic $500 fix that is going to make much difference... headers and exhaust can make it SOUND faster The early 4 speed would fit and give you a lower low to more easily spin the tires but with little change in 1/4 mile times.

 

Cheapest way is to install some NAWZ! (Nitrous)

See an install on an '82 5-speed... https://rennlist.com/forums/928-forum/200769-nitrous-install-update.html

 

With an 81 that is faster then even some boosted / stroked S4's, I'm really getting a kick out of this thread....

 

I don't think NOS helps off the line am I wrong?

 

I don't like the smoothed out look of S4, so nah!

Here is the 0-60 / 1/4 Miles times :

1977 Porsche 928 6.7 15.2
1978 Porsche 928 7.0 N/A
1980 Porsche 928 7.4 15.8
1982 Porsche 928 8.1 N/A
1984 Porsche 928 S 7.0 15.4
1985 Porsche 928 S 5.9 14.2
1986 Porsche 928 S 6.3 14.7
1987 Porsche 928 S4 5.5 13.9
1991 Porsche 928 GT 5.9 14.3
1991 Porsche 928 S4 6.2 14.7
1993 Porsche 928 GTS 6.1 14.5

http://www.exoticcarsite.com/0-60-qu...mile-times.htm

However, there is a good lack of information as to the transmition.

But their times for the 77-78 match what I get for my 79 auto.
No idea why the 80+ seam to be slower. Heavier?

 

I think Carl's basic stage ONE blower kit for the 4.5 is around $5,000 and adds about 80 hp and 70 ft lbs torque on 6 lbs of boost.... that is still "only" 300 hp. Then there is stage TWO .... Or more to the point Hacker is when you have your system all sorted out what would it take to BUY it from you Figure your time at $20 per hour !!

 

Porsche numbers have the automatics as .2 to .5 seconds slower in the 1/4 mile with 1982 being at 16 seconds with the automatic , actual drag strip numbers vary greatly with better modern tires and traction compounds on the track.

 

If we all did that it would "make more sense" to sell our 928 (even the GTS's) and buy a new cars with a warranty.

As for the supercharger kits for the OB's, IMO it only makes sense to go straight to stage 2 that brings the 4.5 to around 350rwhp. About the same level as some of the lower boosted S4's.

We will always have the 200-300 pound weight advantage. How much HP does that count for?

The exhaust on the OB's is horrible, dump everything from the maifolds back.

My 79 put down 40hp and torque then a stock S4 on the dyno (different day, same dyno). The only modificaiton is headers and custom exhaust and stripped interior.
This is even at stock timing for the 79:

https://rennlist.com/forums/showthread.php?t=382743

To be honest, I've neglected my 79 quite a bit in favor of working on my 81. My cam timing might not even be correct. This is why my last track event was 2006.