StratfordShark

Yesterday I went to take a look (sheer curiosity - I'm not selling my S4 after all the work I've put into her!) at a LHD Gemballa convertible on sale at a garage just a few miles from me.

This isn't place to discuss condition etc (though seller asking almost $40,000!), but I was struck at how the convertible form makes the 928 (which still looks fresh in my view) appear even more modern. In fact the Gemballa panels transform the look and to me it looked a lot like a Mercedes SL - those strakes at bottom of doors suggested that. Also reminds me of Mazda RX7 rotary.

Anyway I haven't been able to find much info on these cars so just wondered if experts here had any comments on the seller's comment that it is one of only 5 LHD built, of which 3 survive and this is only one in UK? The ad description says one is in Porsche museum, the other in private USA collection and the other two destroyed in crash tests.

Also I'm curious about how these cars were actually built. The front and rear are S4-style, but under the bonnet is an S or S2 motor. Then again it carries a UK plate which dates it as a 1985 registered car so very confusing!

Hilton

A quick search of the Landshark list brought up that the Sept 2003 copy of GT Purely Porsche has an article on a Gemballa convertible 928.

There's been a convertible for sale in Australia for the last few months asking lots of money. Looks like the same Gemballa body panels, except it has the later style rear lights.

http://www.carpoint.com.au/used-car/...sn1331794.aspx

Nicole

This does not look like a Gemballa 928 convertible at all. It has a Strosek body kit, and AFAIK Strosek worked together with Jurinek on some convertibles (I don't know anything specific about the relationship).

Gemballa's body kit was entirely different, and the convertible(s) - I have only heard of one so far - was/were made by a company named "Völl".

I attach some pictures for reference.

The story of the Porsche museum makes me laugh. I doubt they would be interested in any aftermarket conversions of their cars - they have enough to show that they created themselves. HAs anybody ever seen a conversion there?

TWO destroyed for crash tests? I find highly suspect as well. These are hand built conversions, not cars that had to be federalized for volume production. I am almost 100% sure that Germany would not require a crash test to register a such vehicle.

StratfordShark

That's an extremely interesting and well-informed comment Nicole.

The only pictures I've found of Gemballa convertibles look just like the ones you posted i.e. with a very smooth/curved rear end rather than flat deck of car I saw.

I'm not absolutely certain but I think the instrument pod of car I saw had a 'Gemballa' branding on it but I may be mistaken (it was certainly different from standard pod with white background for dials and surround!)

Alan

That Gemballa convertibler looks ugly - no wonder they didn't make many. The one in question actually looks much better to me regardless of its heritage - although no so much a fan of the fabric/leather mechanism cover... makes you wonder what that looks like..?

As to the age - it seems most of these conversions were not performed on new car but rather cars a few years old - maybe as an owner refresh or a car purchased specifically to modify... Obviously the actual conversion was performed after S4 models arrived since it sports the S4 style front.

Post more if you have it.

Alan

PS what the heck is up with the back of that Australian car - looks like its about 4" too high. For that kind of big (BIG) money you'd at least expect it would look right.

928ntslow

Gemballa made two or so versions.

Nicole

Hmmm... This could be the same car. But why would it have a Strosek body kit, and not a Gemballa? Gemballa had his own kit long before 86.

That's why I suspect this is a Jurinek, but with a Gemballa interior.

StratfordShark

Brilliant research Keith - that looks just like the car I looked at and might even be same car (but hard to tell if colour is same). That's just like the instrument pod too and same steering wheel.

The picture you posted shows the huge wheels clearly. The one I saw had 345mm 15inch rears which garage said were off a Countach?

StratfordShark

OK here are some more pics from the ad in the UK. You can see the dash in detail. Also note the extra speakers added at bottom of doors. Personally I thought they looked very crudely done - no idea if these were done by Gemballa/Jurinek or a later audio addition.

Nicole

Here is a Jurinek. Note that the body panels look very similar. It also has a Strosek body kit. I do see one important difference, though: The top folds down lower on this one.

Owner also has the yellow Las Vegas 6-wheeler pick-up and the 928 body mounted on a truck chassis.... He tells me the Jurinek Convertible is very well built, with no more [perceived] body flex than the original.

Nicole

Gemballa used to be about a 20 minutes drive from where I grew-up - they were closer than Porsche... Needless to say, we went down to check them out some time. They were not just doing complete cars; you could also just buy a steering wheel, or have a phone console installed on an otherwise stock car.

It could be that someone brought this convertible with the Strosek body kit and had a steering wheel and some other goodies installed. That would not give Gemballa a reason to change the body kit to their own...

Anyway, I'm just speculating here. I really don't know the history of the car, just pointing out that it is definitely not 100% Gemballa.

MGW-Fla

I like them all myself. The profile pics of the Gemballa you posted Nicole looks rather sharp I think.

pcar928fan

I would love to add a wide body convertible to the mix some day! Because sometimes 7 928's are just not enough! LOL! I like that red super wide body that was for sale off and on sometime back...remember that one??? Can't find my pic of it. I think it was celebrity owned...maybe in Vegas... Super cool car... Love to have it!

StratfordShark

What's not clear to me is whether the car shown in the magazine is a Gemballa or not. I can't see any reference to the customiser in the text.

pcar928fan

Nicole,

Do you have any pics of the red wide convertible 928? I think it was an S or an S4...S4 front and rear, but many places were doing that even before the S4's came out as I recall.

Here is a pic of Rich Butel's 928S conv. The car had all kinds of custom exhaust work on it and it sounded MEAN!!! Absolutely wicked sounding car. Very nice!