Caymans

I've got 2 sharks I've visited and I am in quite a dilema over how to decide. This will be my first 928 and I'm torturing myself with "what-ifs".

The first one is a 1987 with about 118K. Auto. Blue/tan. PPI says it needs about $3100 in maintenance plus whatever it takes to fix the A/C that is dry. The seats are not torn or cracked but they don't look pretty. Quite worn. Buttons need extra clicking to activate. Dash isn't bad. Driver's side window wobbles a little when going up and down (after you click the button a little extra). Paint is shiny in most areas, fading on front left quarter panel along the hood line. A few not-insignificant scratches around the body. Owner for the last 10 years or so wants $8K.

The second one is an 89 with about 57K. Auto. Gray/tan. Getting PPI results tomorrow but I know the A/C doesn't work. Interior in pretty much the same condition as the 87 with twice the mileage. Fugly seats but no tears or cracks. 10-inch long scratch on left front quarter. Nickle-sized chip missing from passenger-side rear view. Owned by a high school football player for the last 9 months. Carfax looks fine, doesn't look like mileage is a lie. Owner wants $13.5K.

I drove both of them. The 89 "feels" stronger off the line if that makes any sense. The 87 has some vibation at about 100 on the highway.

They both want me to be their new owner and I've wanted one of these babies for about 20 years now.

If the PPI on the 89 comes back with $3100 worth of work I'm guessing I have an easy decision. If the PPI comes back with $1000 or less worth of work I'm thinking my decision is a bit tougher.

I know it's my decision. But I've checked out some of the traffic on this board and I know some of you guys love being asked. So I'm asking: What do you think? 87? 89? Keep looking?

Mrmerlin

pay more get the newer car with less milage

cold_beer839

OMG, dude buy my '87 and don't get screwed.

The AC works, the switches need no extra clicking, TB/WP are done, new shocks, wheels and tires.

More things have been done to this car than I even want to write in this post.

PPI is welcome.

And I'm having mine color sanded, clay barred, and polished for $300 right now to prepare it for selling.

In reference to the 2 cars you are looking at, the '89 with 57k miles sounds better, but the part about a high school kid owning it for 9 months worries me for some reason.

Nicole

For $13.5k or a little more, you can get a much better 928 than the two you describe. Buy a car that's well maintained and has everything working - then all you need to do is maintain it. Get a neglected example, and you will likely end up spending (a lot) more than a nice one costs you.

Getting a car from a respected rennlist member like David is not a bad idea. This way you know it has been taken care of by someone who loves the 928 and is interested in keeping it as nice as possible.

Where are you located?

Mrmerlin

Caymans, David and Nicole both bring up good points , It would be a far better solution to purchase a car that has already been sorted, It might cost more today but will cost a lot less in the next few years of ownership to use your new toy

Caymans

Nicole, I'm in Atlanta.

So the difference between $13.5K and $8K is $5.5K. That's a fair amount of sorting, yes? New seats, new switches, window de-wobblers, etc. Plus, even if I buy a pre-sort, aren't I going to be putting $ into it over the next few years anyway? I've read a lot of these posts and watched a lot of auctions go by on eBay, autotrader, here. The $8K seems like one of the best prices I've seen for a 928 that only needs $3.1K to get it running. You all seem to agree so far.

Nicole

FWIW: I put $12k into my car in the first year - and mine "looked" like it was well sorted.

Repairs on the 928 can be costly - it's always better to get a car that has been well maintained and doesn't need many of them.

Cheap 928s are usually the most expensive - unless you are a very talented wrench and have endless amounts of time (and probably a few donor cars in your back yard).

There are a few other 928 owners in Atlanta - maybe you can look them up here and take a look at their cars, listen to their experiences, etc.

Also, there are lots of books on the 928, including a Buyers Guide that could give you more input. Just click on the link in my signature to see some of what's available.

pcar928fan

David is probably right... Buy HIS car! Way better to buy a car from a big time contributor to this list than just about ANYONE else (other than Todd, aka Low Miler, and Michael as in Willhoit, but both of them are WAY out of your price range)...

I always tell people if they can only have ONE 928 and it can't be a GTS then '89 would be my first choice, then comes '88 and '87 (better deals on basically the same car...'89 has the digital dash is all, and I like that).

Good luck and keep us posted... Oh, expect to spend AT LEAST $1500 fixing the A/C. You might can do it for less but probably not much less at best and at worst it could be 2X that... Seriously look into David's car...

pcar928fan

Damn Nicole, I have not put $12k into ALL 7 of my 928's combined! And that is over the course of 12 years in this crazy hobby...

eugkim

Believe what you're hearing from people. Don't think that your costs will stop at 3.1k with the car you're describing. And you're sitting on a car (in Atlanta, no less) with NO AC and that hasn't been factored into the equation. Plan on adding a big chunk of change getting that working. I'd assume it'd need at least a compressor; if it were a cheap, quick fix, most people would have addressed it before a sale. Both cars seem like real, potential money pits.

BTW, clean Carfaxes are nice, but I've seen some really questionable cars with pristine ones. Doesn't mean they haven't been damaged.

Don't take it the wrong way, but you have to be out of your mind to consider either of those cars over something like David's 87. Think about it - in his case, he's already taken the financial hit to address problems on a car.

Don't be penny-wise and pound-foolish. If you're even considering spending 13.5k on a car that clearly needs work (let alone 8k + 3.1k ++), spend the extra 1-2k to get a car that is more of a turn key proposition.

If you have your heart set on one of those 2 cars, then good luck. Wait for the PPI on the 89, but it sounds like that's no bargain either. Clearly, it hasn't been cared for. and that may be reflected in cost in the future.

Nicole

Here is a worst case AC scenario:

AC could be a leaking evaporator under the dash. $800 for a new evaporator; half that for a used one, or an imported one from Europe. Labor about $1500. Lots of WYAITs when doing this job (for example replacing the old and likely leaking vacuum actuators), so the total cost would likely be higher in the end.

Then, if the AC hasn't been run for a long time, seals might be dried out, and they'll have to replace them all (or chase leaks). These cars are old, and things get dry and brittle...

David's car, with everything working, is a good offer. Best of all: The car has no side moldings, giving it the cleanese, and most modern look...

Nicole

Hmmm... Didn't the import of the 92 cost more than that alone?

Hilton

Shhh.. he told his wife that was part of the purchase price

cold_beer839

Does either come with records showing the last TB/WP service? That can run you anywhere for $700 (do it yourself price) to $2000 (good honest 928 wrench price). I have heard about folks getting hammered by $5000 TB/WP jobs from the Porsche dealership.

Also, what condition are the shocks in? Most PPI's will not indicate bad shocks, since most 928s ride and handle good with worn out shocks, until you have ridden in a 928 with fresh shocks and a well aligned suspension you may not know the difference. I paid $1800 for my Bilsteins and proper alignment and ride height adjustment, as well as a few other odds and ends on the suspension.

This car was bought by a local guy and I looked at it yesterday (he paid way more than $17k). http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/Cars-...=p4506.c0.m245 And it had worn-slam-out shocks on it. The underside looks to have been steam cleaned, so any old leaking spots would have been hard to detect. I'm sure any PPI would have been all roses and angels singing though.

As stated, AC repairs can get ugly on these cars.

I would take a long hard look at those 2 cars.

Also there are several Rennlist members in the Atlanta area that would probably love to look at these cars with you. Who is doing the PPI's?

WallyP

If you are willing to learn how to fix your 928 yourself, and are willing to put some loving time into it, then you might come out fine with either car.

If you have to pay someone else to fix every little problem, don't buy either car.

As an example: The window switches have to be punched several times to get the windows to work. This could be two hours of easy, clean work and no money at all to fix, or it could cost you $300 at the shop, and two hours of delivery/pick-up time. The loose window could be fixed for the cost of three zip-ties and an hour's work, or it could cost you hundreds at the dealer.

Another factor is your expectations. If you insist upon show-quality paint, add $6000 to the cost. If you want a really nice car, buy a really nice car.

A 928 is almost never a good fixer-upper if you have to pay someone to do the work...