I recently joined the ranks of 928 owners. I didn't do it exactly in the way recommended here. After a few beers I put in a low bid on a 85 automatic on Ebay. 1st and lowest bid. Advertised as a daily driver, 106k miles, only problems supposed to be mirrors not working, windshield washers not working, cruise control non-functional, front spoiler missing. I didn't intend to win the car. I've been known to put in unrealistically or below reserve bids when I'm interested in something to get a feel for what thinsg are selling for. The nice you didn't win email from ebay helps track prices. Well, this was around christmas so a week and a half later I get around to checking my email and I've won a 928. The guy had sent me a couple progressively angry emails asking for payment. I think about it for a few minutes and decide it's my fault, it's nice to be a jerk, and a few weeks later there is a 928 in my driveway. Guy does have the courtesy to send me an email explaining a few "foibles" he didn't cover in his ad.
In the interum, I'm lucky enough to find you guys and start reading. I get excited. this place is great. i wish my last project has a community like this for support.
So, the car. 85 928S auto. Does run (after jump batter drains down overnight consistently). outside a little dinged up but not horrible. Interior pretty tired. Sheep skins on front seats. dash cracked. Shift **** replace with some plastic trying to look like carbon fiber thing that's falling off. etc. Most things do work. Made it around block without disaster. One big catch however. There's this fine silt / dry mud/ dirt all over the place. It's in the fuel filler door, under the car, in the battery well, on top of battery. In rear hatch area. It's a very fine light brown dirt. If any of you have ever done site work on large construction projects, it reminds me of the dirt that will accumilate on the hood of your truck (and everywhere else) after being on site all day when they are grading with heavy equipment. It's like heavy dust and easily wipes off with a finger. So, the first thing i think is flood car. However, the distribution isn't even. There really isn't any in the engine bay. Looking down the air vents in the door, it's clean. Clean under the rugs. So, I'm not sure what to think.
I figured this was a good time for a second opinion. Thanks to the posts here, ii find Possum Hollow Motorsports in Phoenixville PA just a few miles from my house. They look over the car for me. Great guys.
They assembeled a list of issues for me.
Windshield washer pump
New Headlights
fuel leak in fuel pump area
engine mounts
tires
right side upper ball joint
front too low (need to essentially rebuild front end)
air pump seized
hood release
power steering fluid leaking at reservoir hoses and cap
fan shroud broken (just resting in there)
cam covers leaking
front transmission seal leaking
power steering rack leaking
steering rack boots torn
seat height and backreat issues
left door tumbler does not work
crankshaft pulley for air pump bent
mirrors inoperative
needs cambelt and rollers plus all while your at it
They thought the car had gone for a swim. Weren't sure but they had no other explanation.
They thought the engine was solid, transmission solid. Shifted, sounded good.
They thought the body was pretty good. Interior sad.
Their advice was to get rid of it. Probably not worth the trouble.
As I said, great guys, probably felt sorry for me, hardly charged me for going over the car.
So, I looking for some advice. A poll of sorts. Keep it, do most of the work myself or let it go? I don't like the interior color (brown) or exterior color (gold). To be truly happy I'd need to redo both sometime. Color code for car is custom but seems to come close to white gold from 85. However, i really want a car to play with and drive. No interest in a show car too pretty to drive. Need an excuse to escape to the garage once in a while. With the support on this site i think i could fix everything on the autopsy list.
What do you guys think. I'm in no hurry.
What is a drivable parts car worth these days?
Anyone want to trade for a pristine 5sp GTS?
Any thoughts appreciated.
thanks,
Gene

 

First I thought say "This thread is useless without pics"... then I just decided to suggest you run away from this one. Run, not walk.

Hopefully your not in it too bad. Hopefully your pocketbook is fat. Hopefully you have some time on your hands.

Otherwise, part it out and use the money for your next 928 purchase.

I really hope I'm not being cynical... not trying to be at least. I think I got scared when you said you accidentally won a 928 at a Ebay auction.

 

Car still at shop. Got the autopsy results over phone. Will post pics when I claim the body.

 

85 is interference motor, so timing belt review should be at the top of your list.

Without photos, it is anyone's guess, but to me, it sounds like $2k would be on the high side of what is it worth.

Any 928 can be saved, how committed are you and your wallet?

 

Looking forward to some pics..all areas, interior under hood etc

 

Part it out! That will be your ONLY hope to recover on this one... You are $15k away from a $5k car!

 

Hello Gene, welcome to the board, I would suggest that you read the FAQ at the top of the page, it may take a while, but after you have been versed with this info you will be able to make well informed decisions.
From your list it sounds like you will be doing a lot of parts orders and the car wont see the road for 6 months or more. That said , most 928s will respond well to fixing all of the deferred items.
It will take a while depending on your skill, and the size of your tool box.
Since you bought a car that you already dont like it might be wise to find the color/option/year that you do like then fix that one , unless you just want to fix any old machine, goodluck.

 

Welcome.

So, why not post-up a dozen or so snapshots?

Let's take a look at this thing.

Where exactly did it come from?

 

If you can do the work yourself, have fun. If you have to pay someone else to fix it, forget it.

Windshield washer pump - in the passenger wheel well under the reservoir, but you need to troubleshoot it to determine if it is the motor or the electrical circuit.
New Headlights - Why?
fuel leak in fuel pump area - maybe just a loose fitting, but this is something I would investigate/fix NOW.
engine mounts - routine but a nasty 10 hr job, Do the oil pan gasket WYAIT. It's probably leaking.
tires - only last about 15K miles.
right side upper ball joint - 928 Motorsports sells a kit (http://www.928motorsports.com/parts/balljointrepair.php), otherwise the whole arm must be replaced.
front too low (need to essentially rebuild front end) - how about adjusting it first?
air pump seized - get a used one.
hood release - adjustment? broken cable? broken handle?
power steering fluid leaking at reservoir hoses and cap - It's been 8 years since I fixed my reservoir hose leak by nipping off the top 1/2" of hose to get to a fresh, pliable section and re-cinching it. Check the cap for a seal, although a new reservoir and cap is inexpensive.
fan shroud broken (just resting in there) - get a used one if you can't patch it back together.
cam covers leaking - new seals run about $110 for full kit both sides. Takes about 3 hours per side due to obstructions that must be removed.
front transmission seal leaking - Eh, if it's just wetting the area but not dripping, I would leave it until you have another reason to get in there.
power steering rack leaking, steering rack boots torn - rebuilt racks are about $500, boots about $20 each.
seat height and backrest issues - Are the power seat switches not working? They can be taken apart and often made to work again. Check fuses first (20,21).
left door tumbler does not work - Often just needs "rekeying" due to worn blades by taking it apart and changing or filing the blades until the key works.
crankshaft pulley for air pump bent - get a used one
mirrors inoperative - fuse 12?
needs cambelt and rollers plus all while your at it - a rite of passage in 928 ownership. Figure 10-12 hours labor and $500 or so in parts.
They thought the engine was solid, transmission solid. Shifted, sounded good. They thought the body was pretty good. Interior sad. - Here's where you get into trouble. The interior is ridiculously expensive to refurbish. My dad told me long, long ago that the most important consideration in buying a used car is that it have good cosmetics. If the rest of the car is something you want to keep, then buying a used decent interior from a dismantler (e.g., 928 International) would be a possible solution, but even that is rather expensive.

There are hundreds of other things that could have been wrong with this car (and probably are but some went unnoticed by the shop). You need to get out your calculator and figure out if you really want to tackle this. Even if you buy a nice one, these cars require regular attention. Next time I would recommend you bid on the nicest 928 you can afford rather than a lowball item.

Oh, and goes without saying that the car is worth more in parts than it is whole.

 

Sounds like the back end was under water as some point and the mechanics comments may confirm this.

That list is pretty substantial and when you add the cost of a new or used interior it will be very high. I would agree with others, part it out and cut your losses.

If you really like 928's you should dive in but due dilligence is an absolute must.

 

LOL!

That has to be the best first post I have ever read anywhere. Good job. This can only lead to an epic adventure. You must keep this 928 and fix it up. And I mean that in the nicest way.

Good luck. -Ed

 

In my case the 928 I purchased on E-Bay was slightly better than you are describing but in many ways the same. The decision to keep it/fix it, part it or sell it really depends on what you want to do, and I do mean you personnaly because as was said earlier there is no logical way to save this car if you are going to pay someone else to do the work.

If you are going to keep it, first items that require attention are the timing belt and fuel leakage issues. Replace all the rubber fuel lines in the engine compartment while you are at it, there is a reasonably priced kit available.

Once you have these items behind you the majority of the others can be handled as you have time and money.

 

Welcome! Hopefully you didn't pay too much for it. As others have said, with a car this far gone you will be looking at major $$$ if you pay to have the work done. Most of the other stuff, people would end up doing within a few years of purchase anyway. Might be a lot of fun saving the car from the junkyard -- might not. Some pics would be interesting, but in the end it's your call.

 

If you want a project, it sounds like you got it. I think the most important thing in a project car (having been involved in several) is the ability to drive the project car.Fix those things that are safety issues (fuel, braking, etc) first. Then move to the items like the timing belt, those things that if they break will be catastrophic. Then to the niggly things like windshield washers etc. If you keep it running and drivable, it is not essential to do all the things at one time and is a heck of a lot more fun. It is NOT fun to have a project car that you cannot drive or will not be able to drive in a forseeable future. It is also NOT fun to part one out. The most desirable parts are sold right away and then you have a hulk of a car sitting there looking at you: A car that is not happy and is now worthless.

I say keep it and drive it and have fun with it for what it's worth.

 

Honestly, it doesn't sound too bad, providing that the engine and gearbox are in good shape. The state of the interior sound bad..

Based on your description I'd say keep it and fix it. Put up some pics and well give you more feed back.