Stephen Porter

Thanks to all have contributed to the expansion of my 928-consciousness . I think that I'm leaning towards an S4 at this point unless a ridiculous no-brainer of an earlier vintage turns up. Of course it would be great to stumble across an affordable GT in good shape, but an outstanding S4 is far more likely.

One thing that has really helped me get familiar with other P-cars is the availability of books that go into some detail about the history of a model. Peter Morgan's book on the 924/944/968 cars is a perfect example--lots of pictures and great details about the specific changes between models and years and a LOT of details on options, colors, sales figures per year, etc., etc. And there are a zillion books around for 911's, including another Morgan book. Another good example is Adrian Streather's book on the 964's, although that's a lot havier than Morgan's stuff.

I'm not having much luck with the 928 though. I went to "Motorbooks/Aerobooks" in Burbank (http://www.autobooks-aerobooks.com/bookreviews.php) last week and picked up "Porsch 928-The Essential Buyer's Guide," by David Hemmings. Not much there really. A couple of pages of specs and pages and pages of "how to check out a used car," (with some 928-specific material).

I searched Amazon and didn't see much listed there either. Anybody with recommendations, or is there just a shortage of good 928 books?

TIA.

86'928S MeteorGrey

Welcome to the tank!

I've owned a few 944's in the past, and if you're like me, you will love the 928. It's much more comfortable for one. It has similar handling charateristics as the 944 (just a little heavier feeling), and just gobs of torque. As speed, they are in their element, and cannot be beat IMHO. I'm partial to the 86.5 cars, but I like the S4's just the same. The oldest 928 I've owned was a 79' auto, and even that car was amazing to drive. If you can get a GT, jump on it, but be wary of a low priced GT. They are worth pretty good money still, so there has bound to be some problems. One thing separating the 944 from the 928 is the cost of maintenance. Where the 944 will go on gas and oil changes for years, with an occasional tune up, and timing belt... The 928 requires constant attention. Complicated fuel line replacement (NECESSARY). Yearly electrical system check and refresh, (approx 10 ground points need removal cleaning etc.)Timing belt (nothing new to a 944 guy), and water pumps. Consider a Porkensioner to replace the old style belt tensioner with 21st century technology. And don't forget the Thrust Bearing Failure prone on 85 and newer automatics. Have a full PPI done on any car you are seriously considering. A cheap S4 automatic can either be a great deal, or be a $$$ pit that needs a new engine block even know it runs halfway decent. If you go post 85 automatic thats in good shape (no tbf), seriously consider a Constantine Clamp for your flexplate, or one of the more economical PKlamp units. Your best bet is to buy an enthusiast car from someone on this list that everyone can vouche for. If you can swing Iceman's price, DO IT. You won't be sorry. That car is READY TO GO. There are lots of deals out on the market to be had though. But if you get a non-maintenance history car, and it needs love, the bills can add up REALLY fast.

928's are kind of like really, really beautiful women though...You don't really mind the extra attention she needs from you... She's YOURS.....And WOW can they perform... Hope to see some photos of your new shark soon.

Stephen Porter

Thanks for the great info. I had read a bit about the thrust bearing problem, but wasn't aware of the drastic consequences of a ruined block! I've read a couple of threads about the Porkensioner also.

Thanks again to you and all who are providing these important bits of knowledge.

The beautiful woman analogy sounds about right....just make sure you pick the right one, or you can be in BIG trouble!

F451

Some good info here on the different model years if you have not already perused this site:

http://www.928s4vr.com/

And as a former 944 owner, I think you'll love a 928. Good luck in the search and keep us posted. -Ed

SharkSkin

"Project 928" is a great 928 book to have, it gives a good overview of the development of the 928. Another good book is "Porsche 928" by Brian Long.

The range of 928s has everything from the bone-simple, very reliable and easy to work on OB('78/79) with mechanical injection & distributor to the GTS with all of the bells and whistles. There are many differences over the years. Jim Bailey once noted that there are very few if any parts in common between a 78 and a 95. There is an event in Berkeley this Saturday(See the Sharks in the Park thread) where you could probably see examples of each step in the evolution. The next big event down your way is in October -- not much help if you have the itch now.

Oh, and welcome to the shark side.

SteveG

I did a lot of reading too. Nice for a rainy day. Invest your time in test driving the models you are serious about. I'm in your age range so the mechanical is getting to be a bit of a restraint. Of course that is less of a problem if you have the spare time. I didn't like the one 944 I drove b/c it just felt too rough and underpowered. SO, concentrate on how different an S feels compared to an S4. There are only a couple hundred #s diff bet my '85 and the GTS, and even tho the GTS has more horses, the '85 (a 5-spd) is more fun. But the kick down on an auto is a great equalizer. Be patient, in you locale, you should be able to find a nice S4 A/T for $10K to $12K. YMMV

Jfrahm

If you are looking for a 5-speed the thrust bearing problem is a nonissue. 85-86 cars are IMO hidden gems and the Euro from that era is also an excellent find.

I tend to like the early look a bit better, I think it is a bit more 'pure.' The later cars start to look more and more like a 50YO trying to dress like a 20YO and at some point that wears thin. The S4 looks good but the understated looks of the earlier cars IMO is better. I'd take an S4 manual over an S3 manual, but an S3 manual over an S4 auto.

Get the nicest, newest car you can afford with the least skipped maintenance. Also check and see if the maintenance was done by someone who knows what they are doing. Be ready to travel for the right car, mine came from 800 miles away (I drove it home with a stuck heater valve and no AC in 105 degree summer temps. Good times.)

Also check out the local 928 scene, there are a number of owners in your area and even a forum on socal928.com

-Joel.

Rob Edwards

Since you're in L.A., and wanted the most car for the money, and don't want to worry about TBF, you would be hard pressed to beat the '89 GT for sale in Costa Mesa (see the the thread titled '93 GTS at Exclusive Motors)

http://www.stareuropean.com/details.php?auto_id=364

Of course, it'll need $3-5K in midlife crisis money just to make it tip-top, but they all do, don't let 'em tell you otherwise. And the best money you'll spend is a Greg Brown PPI...... Ask is $17K, but it's been there for months (assuming it still is there, haven't verified this...) I bet you could get it for $13K or so.

EDIT: I drove this car in February. Feel free to call me at 949-824-8576 if you want to talk about it. If it sounds like I'm a shill for Star European, trust me, I'm not. I just can't believe that a cosmetically nice '89 GT can sit for so long, but the market for 20 year old cars with 150K miles is of course small. The sport seats are SWEET!