bowerbird

Alright...

This time the car is a 1878 5 speed. It is 928# 181. No sunroof, very stock looking with some discouraging wear. Here are some fats...

Asking Price 4.9K
Car has 112000 miles
no sunroof or spoiler (which i like)
5 speed
Brand new clutch, pressure plate etc.
timing belt has 10k on it but was replaced in 97
unable to confirm AC function due to a crazy gas leak when started. We had to turn the car off after a couple minutes when the leak was discovered.
pod is cracked in two spots
dash relatively clean with small cracks forming at vents.
nice paint but is a re-paint of original color.
A couple years ago a "top end reseal" was done which included injector work.
Seats are cloth/vinyl. Vinyl and cloth have separated on all seats.

The car has been maintained by a very reputable mechanic in Tucson. Really the only one specializing in 928s. The owner has complete records. I have seen the highlights which go back to 97 but there are more. There was work done on the AC at some point.

There are some cryptic details though. I think the car has been stored at the mechanic since the clutch job, which was done over a year ago. It obviously has not been driven in some time due to the gas leak which would have resulted in a fire if the motor was given a chance to warm up much more. I have no info on why it has been hanging out there. I presume this is because of an unpaid bill? I really don't know though.

So my question once again is....What would you pay? Here are some pics:

James Bailey

You need to drive the car to see if the transmission will shift ok into second gear, check out the a/c get under the car and inspect it for leaks of all kinds, check the date code on the tires they are probably expired ! decide what you are going to need to fix like seats and what that will cost. It probably still has alloy lower ball joint carriers. If the shocks are original they are suspect. Obviously needs some fuel lines changed and most every coolant heater hose is likely ready to burst. Fan clutch is ???? radiator needs to be looked at carefully. Pretty much standard stuff on a car that old.

bowerbird

Quick note: coolant rubber is new and 4 matching tires new in 08

James Bailey

Those are big +++++ , still need to drive it.

Nicole

It sure LOOKS beautiful on the pictures... but you need to get a proper PPI done, so that you know what to expect. It could be a good deal, but it could as well be $10k away from a $5k car.

On the cosmetic side, you should probably budget for a new carpet set and to have all seats redone. http://www.928leather.com gives you some ideas of the cost of materials.

You may also PM users "rixter" and "SharkSkin" here - both own 928s of similar vintage, and have done a lot of work to theirs. They might be able to give you some pointers towards specific issues with these early cars.

bowerbird

The thing on the ppi...the car is currently siting at tucsons #1 928 mechanic who personally recommended the car. Be has done all work in it for over 13 years. This all may be moot as there is another interested party looking at the car in the morning. I did not feel like I was in a position to make an offer without a drive/ ac check etc. It will be better to wait and see how tomorrow goes even if I loose this one. I've lost a couple already but prefer that to a hast purchase. Please forgive typos. This is being written on an iPhone with a creative spell check.

ammonman

Not sure why the mech. would recommend a car with a fuel leak. I treat all cars I can't drive as parts fodder only. If the seller wants to sell me a car, then I have to be able to drive it. Otherwise it's just a pile of parts. Based on the condition of the seats and the apparent condition of the center console (looks like the sides are starting to come apart, but may just be the photo) I would be prepared for a complete interior once the car is again driven regularly. The dry desert climate is not kind to non-metallic bits, doubly so when they are not used and given attention from cleaning and preserving. Once the car is roadworthy the wear rate on the interior will go up just from return to use. As others have said, get a PPI.

My $0.02. YMMV

Mike

kevinod

Passenger side window seal along the bottom looks like it's out of place, is it the right seal for there?

Nice looking car but check out near worst case scenarios and how much those would cost to put right

LT Texan

I'd hit it!

(after the mechanic fixed the gas leak and you took it for a spin)

The paint and trim look very tidy. The weatherstripping may be a bit worn, but is 30 years old.

Yes, new interior refurb, carpet and all, will be necessary.

Does the dash or pod have cracks? Looks like "no"

Oh yeah, polished phone dials :drool:

linderpat

It looks to be in fairly decent shape all things considered. I've never seen baja headlight covers on a 928 before, and I'd ask if it's been dessert driven. The early cars are very easy to work on compared to the later years, and many of the parts are less too, so it won't be any near a $10k project to get it mechanically sound (the interior is another story - you can get there in a hurry depending on what you end up doing). I love the chrome plated phone dials.

LT Texan

Those aren't chromed, they're polished. That's a lot of sweat to get that done. Lots of Never Dull too.

Tony320

Could be an unpaid bill, but I think then the seller wouldn't have the title, just a mechanic's lien. Otherwise there are a few possibilities; owner might have died and the estate didn't know/care about where the 928 was, etc.

my thought, though, is if the timing belt was last replaced in '97, doesn't that mean its going to need replacing regardless of the 10k miles on it?

Mrmerlin

pretty much you would replace the timing belt on any 928 you buy,
unless the belt is current

bowerbird

Would any of you make an offer on this car as it sits...no test drive, no AC check, with fuel leak, If so, what would be your number?

bowerbird

Also, realistically, how much value does a 5 speed add over an auto?