Hey guys, i joined the forum just now to get some advice on 928 electric gremlins, and any advice in general when buying. I have my eyes set on an 87 S4, i saw it, took it for a test drive, and reviewed the things that it needs. Oh yes, and i'm 18 years old.

I have done my research on 928's and am essentially ready to buy the real thing. By working and saving, i have about 12000 to spend of my own money on a 928 in decent working order. I plan to drive it occasionally to work and on weekends, and do as much maintenance as i can on it myself.

This 87 S4 is in good condition mechanically and cosmetically, the only snag is that it does have an electrical gremlin that would need ironing out:

-cooling, the guy told me basically the rad fans stay on after the engine is turned off, eventually draining the battery, and that the rad is aftermarket and was not connected to the ignition at all when installed

I know very little when it comes to wiring above the basics, what could this entail?

 

Check the Temp switch at the transmission, if it fails it will keep the fans on.

If that is the only electrical issue on a 87 I will be shocked.

Most have many issues.

Can you do mechanical work? Electrical work?
and the really important questions is are you willing to spend the time, money, blood, hair, and sanity that can come with spending a lot of time bent over a 928?

 

Electrical gremlins and battery drains welcome to 928 ownership

'89 S4 GP White/Black
'76 912E Silver/Black

 

^+1 remote battery switch was the first thing to go in my shark. Same scenario with the 840i I had

 

Welcome, but watch your step, some holes are much deeper than they look.

Put some location information into your profile/sig, get in touch with some other owners in your area, and most important, find a mechanic expert in the 928 to do a PPI and bail you out if needed on some repairs. At the bare minimum get a long time owner to look over any potential 928 before making any commitment to purchase.

Why an 87 S4?

The reason I ask is that a 928 is not an easy car to own. Its best to get one that is as close to irresistible to you as possible so the good times outweigh the bad ones.

 

Here is a great link for more info about the 928. It is a great car. If you can wrench yourself you will enjoy it. If you need have someone do it for you I would not buy one. There is a lot of help here to do almost anything to the car if you apply yourself.
http://ateupwithmotor.com/sports-car...rsche-928.html

 

i would recommend you go for an earlier car.they look much the same, rust is almost never an issue on any of this model. they have much less electronics to go wrong and 240 bhp is still plenty for an 18 year old.these car are not easy to run on a tight budget.hope you get the car that suits you...welcome along.

 

With your budget, I'd sit tight and wait for a decent 5-speed in the $7-8k bracket, and plan to spend the remainder over 12-24 months sorting the car. If you don't mind an auto, then look for a $6k '89-91 S4.

Unless you're buying a fastidiously documented, enthusiast-owned 928 from someone like a known rennlister, odds are any S4 you buy will require $5k worth of parts to be in great mechanical condition.

The particular gremlin you've encountered is most likely a failed temperature switch on top of the intake manifold - the rear end on top of the intake is a sensor with two spade connectors on it. If the intake temp is above a certain threshold, that switch causes the fans to run after the ignition is switched off. If the sensor fails, its pretty common that the fans will run the battery flat.

Your best bet is to keep your ear to the ground on this forum and catch a rennlister-owned car as it gets turned over for an upgrade, or unforseen circumstances. You may have to wait a month or two, but you'll likely come out a few thousand dollars ahead on maintenance.

 

When I was about 20 (and wrinkle free), one of my friends owned a Euro 928S; meteor metallic with burgundy interior. A beautiful car. He was an apprentice at the Porsche factory in Stuttgart, and able to fix many things himself. The rest - including new rear tires every 3000 miles - was paid for by the Bank of Daddy, who owned an orange red 74 911 (Carrera, I believe) that he used as his daily driver.

I can't tell you how much I envied this friend. I sooo wanted a 928 like his, and would have given almost anything to own one. But at the time, even used ones started at about 5-6 times what I could afford. That was for the purchase only...

So I drove around in my humble, but still very nice 1982 Renault Fuego GTS with only 96hp (You may remember Grace Jones driving a red turbo in one of the James Bond movies). Here is what mine looked like when I got it in 1984 (dark green metallic, no headlamp wipers, tan/brown interior, no power steering or AC); we later painted the flat gray bumpers in anthracite metallic, the grille in body color, and added a 4-spoke leather steering wheel and 12-speaker stereo:




It wasn't as "Cool" as a 928; not even as cool as a VW GTi (which would have cost twice as much, used). But it was unique, stylish, comfortable, practical, economical (35mpg easily) and actually more fun than most people would think. Best of all: I fully owned it - not the other way.

Apart from the daily driving through my apprentice and college years, this car took me on many memorable trips to Switzerland, Northern Italy, France, Austria, Northern and Eastern Germany; the latter was a separate country at the time.

It was a car that I could not only afford, but that left me with enough cash to explore the world a bit. In addition to the road trips mentioned, I was able to travel to the US multiple times. By the time I finished my studies, I had visited about half of the US States and spoke English almost fluently.

I doubt I would have been able to make many of those trips, had I owned a 928. The cost of ownership, and the time to care for it would have eaten-up all the resources I had at the time.

And despite its low power, the Fuego got me into trouble a few times. When I first got it, I just didn't have very much experience (which I would never admit at the time). I don't want to imagine what could have happened with a car as powerful as a 928. However, I remember reading a story of a youngster, who got a white 928S for his 18th birthday... Him and three of his friends died a few days later when he wrapped the 928 around a tree.

So, looking back, I am really, really, really glad I did not have a 928 when I was young. Worst case, I would be dead. Best case, I would have missed out on exploring parts of this world, including the part that later became my home (California). I also wonder about what would have motivated me, had I had "the best" of everything at such a young age. My 928 driving friend took years until he finally got off his butt and went to college!

In fact, if I could do it all over again, I would rather try to spend less time and money on cars, and travel more. You can always have a fancy car, but once you have a regular job, a house and a mortgage, or a family you are no longer able to leave for a few weeks and explore.

Obviously, you have made-up your mind, and done your research. I'm not telling you NOT to get a 928, but I can tell you that few of the youngster-owners who came here kept these cars for very long. Some were sold in sad condition, after the youngsters ran out of money.

Remember, these cars are at least 16 years old; 24 in case of an 87. That's older than you!!!

At that age, pretty much all rubber pieces have hardened and dried-out, and need to be replaced - regardless of mileage. Other wear and tear items require attention as well, and can be costly to replace.

It's all doable, but the question you need to answer is whether you want to spend your time exploring the world or exploring the weaknesses of a 24 year old car.

As I said, I'm glad I did what I did. Hope you will be equally pleased with whatever decision you make in the end.

Best of luck!!!

 

Great story Nicole! There's a message in there somewhere, I think.

 

When I was 18 I had a 55 plymouth, If I had a 928, I would most certainly be in a coffin, Now at 70 I have a 90S4 which is on its way to get a Murf S/C. Take your time, sonny boy. Mac

 

For 12K you should be able to fine a nice daily driver that is well sorted.

My Black 88 is for sale and needs very little and you would have money left over.

Be careful in buying one that has not been maintained. If it need timing belt, water pump, and intake refresh make sure you get a price on parts and labor to handle those items before you purchase.

 

+2 on Brads, very nice S4 that has had most everything sorted already.

 

I would listen to Nicole's advice. I wanted one when I graduated from high school and college. There were many times over the last 20 years I had plenty of cash in the bank that I could have gone out and bought a new one but then I would be married to my car and not have been able to travel, buy that new $10k bike or other fun things because the money I had tied up in my 928 would be hanging over my head.
You'll find that as you get older, the things you needed when you were younger are actually just things you wanted. You'll also find, the more you are able to actually afford something, the less it tugs at the "I have to have that strings".

That $12,000 put in a mutual fund will buy you 50 928's when you are 50. Think about it. You are 17 or 18 years old. If you put that money away and contribute to it til you are 30 and your friends start at 30 contributing the same amount you'll cream them in your investments. I know that having a couple Mil in my retirement account is way more important to me than looking cool at 18.

Buy a nice used Civic and drive it for 5 years. Let the $12,000 grow in a mutual fund or something and then decide. You will be a very different person at 23 than at 18.

 

I say go for it... Buy the car you want.

I'm 22 and my first car was a '64 falcon, then a 2nd gen Z28, then a 944, now I'm looking at a 928 or 951

Just be ready to spend money on it.