maximo1489

Hi everybody. Okay, well I have been looking at 928's for quite a while, and have really tried to do my research. I'm 19, but I've been driving for a while, and am quite into cars, so don't worry about the "not being experienced enough to own a 928" thing. I have few dilemmas I'm faced with though. First, how much should I realistically expect to spend yearly to keep a 928 in good running condition (given that it is bought in pretty good condition). Second, I see a lot of 928's for very cheap, so how much should I expect to pay for a 928s, possibly s4, in good condition. I just don't want to get suckered in by a seemingly good deal, and be stuck with a money pit. By the way, I am a student, and while I can make money when it's needed and put it all towards a car (and can take out a lot of loans), my budget is still quite tight.
Now, the next part of my dilemma is that after all my research, I have taken an interest in the 944 as well (turbo only, n/a is too slow). I understand pretty well the differences between the cars, but I am very unsure as to which I would be better off with. That is, in respect to car-for-the-money, running costs, and performance potential. I also just wanna get people's general opinion on this topic. Is it even realistic for me to expect to purchase either of these cars on a low budget, and actually keep them running? I'm a pretty thrifty deal finder, but i need to stay within the limits of what is possible, and not try to live out an impossible fantasy. If you've read this, thanks! and hopefully you can share a little wisdom!
- Max

cold_beer839

Buy a 928. It has the power to please and looks awesome.

Be careful trying to find a deal, these cars can be money pits. I paid $11k for my '87 S4 in Feb '08 and now have $22k total in vested in it. But it needs very little now. Buy it and be forever happy (it is for sale). Sometimes the cheaper cars are full of problems and the seller is looking to dump it.

These are awesome cars, so awesome I went out and bought a '93 GTS. I just love the look, the power, the feel, the sound, and the handling. Porsche's 1st all-in-house design and it was a home run.

CJs 928

Have to agree with David on this, I purchased a "deal" about a 1.5 months ago and I haven't got a mile on it yet. I keep finding things that the PO didn't care to fix or rigged it in his own special way. Now I have fears about driving it safely. If the 928 is your desire, better off putting the money down for peace of mind (unless you have garage space to keep it torn apart in) IMHO of course. In the long run, I think you will spend the same amount of money either way (maybe even more to fix everything). Good luck!

docmirror

I'm going to take an unpopular opinion and advise you to get neither. Welcome to rennlist first of all. You've come to the place for all the answers on both 928 and 944 cars(see that sub-forum for more answers.

In answer to your question, these cars you're looking at are hi performance low production coupes that haven't been built for about 20 years(in your price range). They are misunderstood by many, and even Porsche dealers hate them. If you are even willing to do work on them yourself, it will still be randomly expensive for the materials to keep it running right. If you can't or won't work on the car, your chance of keeping on the road are almost nil.

While some few are daily drivers, most are a labor of love, that we spend many, many hours on. Such would not be the case for a 6-8 year old Toyota Paseo, or even a late 90s Miata. This is not to say that you don't deserve a nice car, but at 19, I would think you've got more pressing things to do with your hard earned $$$$$ like tuition, right?

The 928/944s will still be here when you are ready to jump in with both feet. I congratulate you on your excellent choice in car, but I think it should wait for about a decade. Then, the dream car that you've been wanting since your teen years will be quite special, and hopefully even more collectable.

Now having tried to dissuade you, I can tell you that the 928 will cost more to insure, drive, maintain, and fuel than the 944 Turbo. You will be able to go faster at top end, where none of us drive, but the 928 is also a bit better handling than the 944 in most cases. We have a few 928 owners that are young, and work on their car regularly. It's good to see we have another young person of interest. Keep the faith, and attend a 928 get-to-gether in your area. But for now, maybe you would be better served by something a bit more economical, and reliable in the long term.

H2

First (in my opinion, which may get shredded on this topic), it's difficult to buy a 928 (if you're a first timer) and know what you're getting. So it's absolutely essential that you get a pre-purchase inspection by a competent 928 mechanic. And there are a lot of those around. Tell us what city you live in and maybe someone here will have a good suggestion. Even the best of 928s (which almost always cost towards the top end) can be expected to have some issues to sort out. If you buy from an **** enthusiast who has spent a wad of money on upkeep and has replaced the timing belt, made sure the timing gears are good, new tbelt rollers, new steering rack, everything works (especially electrical), no bad glass, no rust, tires wear evenly, engine is not a recent rebuild (that usually means it grenaded and someone may have thrown it together and is selling it), and (very important) you get the competent 928 mechanic to do a leak-down compression check (different that just a compresion check), no big leaks, if an auto that you make sure there is not a thrust bearing issue (you'd be dead meat if there were), and if a 5 speed make sure it shifts well (good synchros), AC works (expensive to fix), motor mounts are good (they often are not), and it starts easily, idles smooth, smooth acceleration through all gears, and puts a big grin on your face, it might be a pretty good car for you (maybe). The grin is what makes us take chances on a 928.

The 951 (944 Turbo) is a nice car but the turbo can be expensive to fix if it's on its way out. Same issues to look out for above (mostly) but usually the 944s are pretty reliable and low maintenace unless someone sells you a dog. The PPI is essential again...and usually not by a Porsche dealership as they tend to charge high and often don't have a front engined Pcar specialist.

I have both the 928 (my second) and a 968. I bought well with the 968 and I never have issues. I wish I could say that about my 928s. The first one I paid $11K for it and spent $8 making it nice and reliable, then sold it for $10,500 (near pristine car and was reliable after my investment...and it had always been taken care of well). My S4 has a long list of things to fix and I'm gradually going through the list....I got a bad PPI and got screwed on it. And it runs great but it'll never be concours (but it's not bad though). I've spent the past four Saturdays working on it. Marked two more things off the list today...and more to go.

Which do I like best...the 928 or 968? Dunno. They're both very different cars and nice for different reasons. If I'd owned the 928 during graduate school, I'd have been screwed. The 968 would have been a good choice for me. Both cars a fun to drive...but very different.

If you want uncanny reliability (and major boredom) get a Camry.

H2

95ONE

Post this question in the 944 forum.. you'll probably get some different views.

But... interestingly enough. I say 928

Rick Carter

Buy one of each and a Toyota or Honda, that way you should have something to drive while you're fixing one or both of the P cars.

Nicole

My take: At age 19 I would buy neither and use the money to travel the world. Once you are tied up with doo-dads, you won't have that opportunity anymore.

Fabio421

Once you buy a 928 you won'y have any more spending money. It and all of your spare time will be devoted to the car. Kinda like that plant in the " Little Shop Of Horrors". Feed me Seymor.

James-man

Plan for $500 - $1000 annually for maintenance & repair.

Plan $250/year if you intend to defer maintenance, but also plan to have a 928 that isn't worth much when done with school. Also have a bicycle handy.

Fuel economy can be a factor.

You get tons of car for the money with a 928. Great old cars, really.

My experience with a 5 sp in rush hour traffic is less than pleasant. The clutch is heavy and the car really prefers to be moving quickly. If you have a lot of stop & go traffic in your immediate future, an automatic is worth considering.

The enjoyable speeds in a 928 are all pretty much illegal. Twisty mountain roads being the exception. A blast up to 65 from a freeway onramp is a good 15mph away from being satisfying.

Airflite40

If you can't do 95% of the work on the car yourself, just forget it. I bought my 928 at 18 and the only way I was able to keep it for 3 years was I fixed EVERYTHING myself.

I would say a 944 is cheaper to maintain and cheaper to purchase than a 928 from my experience. good luck.

Charley B

Cost of an S4 with few to no issues, $15,000

Annual maintenance if in excellant shape, $2000

Unless you are an ace mechanic, and a whiz reading shop manuals and wiring schematics, your first 928 should be a second car.

eugkim

In your situation, I'd pass on the 928. Unless you're a gifted tinkerer with a wrench, you'll find yourself spending money that could be used in much better ways. I'd buy something reasonably reliable for now, eg. Jetta, Civic, etc., that you can tune if desired. In a couple of years, when the cash starts flowing in regularly, reassess and consider a potential project/money pit like a 928.

shmark

I've had both and a stock 951 will be generally cheaper to run than a 928. But the temptation to modify those cars is VERY high and as soon as you do, all bets are off. They can get very expensive very quickly. You want a good car on a budget? Buy Mike's 78. Solid, everything works, and you'll be driving a classic Porsche that needs very little.

https://rennlist.com/forums/928-forum/456412-78-euro-5spd-dd-w-spare-for-sail.html

RKD in OKC

I've owned 2 944 Turbos and 2 928s.

Both of these cars are getting on in years and have lots of things that wear and break due to age alone. For those types of repairs I would say both cars are fairly equal and yearly maintenance is more than $2000 as a nice set of performance tires cost half that and I've had to put a new rubber (at least rears) on every Porsche I've owned on a yearly basis.

Due to the turbo the 944 feels faster and WILL make you a more aggressive driver. There are more performance upgrade options for the turbo and you WILL want THEM ALL! However, they will cost in not only initial purchase, but in keeping the car tuned, and more things will break sooner too. And with every performance upgrade you loose reliability and engine life. Because of this the 944 Turbo will end up costing a lot more than a 928.

At a Porsche club breakfast a member made the comment that he didn't like the 928 because it was Porsche's fast car that didn't feel fast and that took all the fun out of it for him. He has a 944 Turbo and a 944 S2 Cab. The 944 Turbo is a hot rod, the 928 is a Luxury high speed highway cruiser.

When I was going to school I mowed lawns in the summer and made a LOT of money doing it. I had a stable of cars. A Ford van I used for a mowing hauler, an Audi I used for dates and most road trips, a Plymouth Satellite Sebring Plus Mopar muscle car for saturday nights, a big Chevy Blazer for 4 wheeling, and a 914 for zipping around. By the time I graduated and got a "real job" I had sold everything except for the utilitarian Blazer and after a couple of years I traded it for a new Jeep Cherokee so I wouldn't have to bother with repairs. The Mopar muscle car was the first to go, the 914 the last.

Porsches I've owned...