mrdieseldude

I'm torn... I've got $8,500.00 burning a hole in my pocket that I damn well intend to spend on #1, and #1 wants a 928. For this much coin, I figure I can get a pretty nice ride, short of a GT/GTS, more or less to my liking. I can't make up my mind between an '85 to '86.5 OB or an S4. I REALLY like the styling of the S series OB, but the mechanicals of the S4 seem so much better. Also, a clean '85/86 seems to be as much or more than an early S4. Can someone just tell me that I am an idiot and the S4, hands down, is the way to go? Please!?! No holds barred... give it to me straight!

Hilton

Get a rare 5-speed 86.5 (model year 86 with a the last 4 digits of the vin being greater than 1000).

They have the S4 brakes/suspension, with the earlier S body style, and same interior as an S4-95. Plus the early 32V engines have better cams than the vanilla S4 (85/86 model years have similar camshafts to GT's), so a cheap exhaust and chip upgrade will put you around 300 rwhp.

Ather

I personally would go for an S4, a little more power and newer body style. Its a buyers market, and there are some deals to be had out there if you don't mind doing a little bit of maintenance.

Mongo

I have always liked OBs. Coming from an S4 owner, get an 85-86.5.

safulop

I bought my first S4 in September for $9,100. I knew the seller, knew the car had a fine interior and a fine silver exterior as well. I also was aware that it needed timing belts etc. It turned out, though, that the car needed far more maintenance. I was just getting piles of work done when it was lost in a shop fire in October. Turned out for the better because I got all my money out of the shop's insurance and I bought a really really nice S4 that needs virtually no maintenance. I bought it in November and have been driving it daily plus some longer trips around the state, and I have not yet done any work. But this car cost me $14,000 for the privilege (it recently appraised for over $15K with my insurance company, and they are not generous with that sort of thing). I'm not convinced that my first car would be up to the point where my current car is even if I had spent the entire price difference on shop work. So my experience tells me that you would be much better off buying a nice older car than a grotty S4, because from what I've seen, $8,500 will not buy much of an S4 in California.

So you can buy a 300 hp car in nice shape, or a fairly crappy S4 with 320 hp. The choice seems clear.

I wish you good luck,

Sean

WallyP

Spend $7500 on the initial purchase and $1000 on the first round of maintenance - not on unnecessary frills like new wheels and stereo equipment...

Jadz928

Sean is right. You will get a better sorted 86.5 S3 for the same price as the S4.

That being said, I would consider which one looks better to you. Classic early styling where people know its a classic, or later body with more modern elements, which help the car defy its age.

I like both alot. So for me, it would depend on if I'm prepare to wrench and throw more monet at an S4 - because that is what you would need to do.
But don't be fooled, the S3 will need some $ and labor too... they all do.
Good luck!

James Bailey

There is little difference in the 928 experience be it an 85/86 or an S-4. Some things are simpler cheaper on each. They are all such old cars now that part of the "fun"really needs to be WORKING on it ,figuring out what is wrong, and fixing it yourself. You are not thinking about buying a car but extending your hobbies to include auto repair. Wally mentions $1,000 as a reserve for NEEDED repairs which might get you started but ONLY if you do all the labor and buy the parts from our sponsors. If you took one to any of the SoCal Porsche shops it could EASILY need $5,000 of fixing with labor over $100 per hour and near Porsche dealer parts pricing. The thing to keep in mind is the last 928s were $100,000 cars and repair costs reflect that ! Since you are in Orange county you should think about having Greg Brown at Precision Motorwerks do a prepurchase inspection BEFORE you actually buy one..........May help keep your dream from becoming a nightmare.

tv

There is quite a difference in the styling, one is much more agressive and mean looking, while the other streamlined and softer. Also consider the interior, leather vs. vinyl.

The mechanicals are not better, complicated is more accurate and expensive, especially if you are deciding between an inteference engine and NON-interference. Performance is better if just talking US models.


Hopefully if you spend $8500 on the purchase you will still have a few thousand for consumables and yearly recurring car expenses.

Decide on body style 1st, then on horsepower US (low) vs. Euro (higher), then leather vs. vinyl. And most importantly of all --- paint condition. IMO $8500 is just enough to get lucky with a decent car if you search hard, be patient, and know what you are doing.

Search here for previous newly acquired threads.









Ironic that some guy's who don't believe bigger, better brakes can stop you any better, see said brakes as a desirable thing.

Landseer

Depending on what you want from the experience, the hp difference between the cars might not make a difference to you. The bigger discriminator for me is manual vs automatic. I switch between driving 32V auto, 16 V auto and manual, and 16V Euro manual. Power is never an issue.
Neither are S-style mid year brakes. Plenty of braking power.

I think $8500 total budget can go a long way on an earler 16V car.
In any configuration, CIS, L-jet or LH-Jet, I find them half an order of magnitude easier to refurb and maintain. At least $3 to $4 is for parts.

With some very savvy pre-buy research and confidence to react and move quickly to an advertisement, you might be able to stretch the $8500 to buy and make roadworthy a 32V automatic in early or late bodystyle. Possibly a 5 speed early 32V.

+1 on mechanical retro before ancilliary items.
+1 also on enjoyment of the experience of refurb. $8500 may not be enough if you plan to hire-out the work.

At less than $15k , they all need work. Lots of work.

dr bob

^^^^^ Jim knows well about which he speaks. He's counselled more than a large handful of buyers who have discovered that the cheapest cars too often end up being the most expensive.

A recent SoCal gem that was purchased well for less than $4k now has almost $10 k total in it. And it was mechanically sound to start. I'm sure there are other similar stories. Your purchase prices is just the down payment on your ownership experience. FWIW, I look at most used 928's on the market, and can easily see where $5k in rubber and deferred mechanical parts will be needed just to return the car to safe roadworthy condition. That's no cosmetics, no fancy wheels, just required maintenance. Find a car that's had some of that stuff done already and you can deduct from the $5k. If you can't twist your own wrenches, you'll want to add labor costs that parts cost figure.

You can easily see how Sean's purchase of a well-maintained car for 2X your budget is a money-saver. But even his very well-maintained example is still additional taking dollars and attention to keep it happy.

Good luck in your search. If you need a second set of eyes to look at a car local to us, just ask here.

Shane

My opinion is evident by looking at my Sig line. My last purhase was Beth and I got her for $8000. I spent at least that much again right out of the gate to make sure she was reliable. Any 928 that you buy for $8k will need some catch up maintenance done.

Erik N

I would get one w/ a decent interior and exterior in a color combo you like. When YOUR CAR comes along, you will know it.

The mechanicals can be attacked in order of importance. If you love the car, you won't mind spending sweat, blood, money and time on her.

safulop

Hah, yes indeed Bob. No matter how nice a 928 you buy, it is still a vintage car needing constant vigilance. But at least if you pay more at the beginning, you don't have reconstruction worries to add to the constant vigilance.

mrdieseldude

Gents, I thank your all for your input. If nothing else, it seems as though the 928 bunch is a cut above when it comes to their passion and helping the noob's out. And yes... I do have a reserve for mechanical updates/deferred maintenance, and I hope to be able to turn a wrench in the right direction most of the time.