pmichaelg

In my introductory post last week, I said I was looking for a solid S4. Turns out, there is a local '94 GTS for sale with 215K miles which - potentially - puts it in my price range.

It is an automatic, adventurine green, with grey interior.

I took it on a lengthy test drive and the car is seems solid mechanically (no PPI performed yet) and tight. The only issues I could find were:
- rear axle boots need replacement
- intermittent AC switch - could not turn it on
- turn signals in "full" left/right position don't work (partial positions do)
- rear hatch release needs adjustment

Cosmetically, it could use some help (low-res pics are very flattering). Front end shows its mileage - sand rash is the best way to describe it. Particularly impacts fog lights, bumper, and windshield. Rear wing paint is flaking. Btoom line is new paint would be in its future if I get it. Interior is somewhat tired (and dirty) but no rips/tears. The dash has no cracks.

The current owner bought the car 7 years ago with 40K miles and has clearly driven it extensively since. Most are highway miles. He seems like a sympathetic owner who cared for his car but didn't worry too much about the cosmetics. He has all of his service records but none from the prior owner. He said he recently checked his crank endplay and it was in spec.

So, while I have a pretty good idea of the market for S4s of varying condition, I am at a loss on this car. Assuming a PPI comes back clean, what $$$ range would you put this car at? Any other thoughts?

Thanks.

EspritS4s

I wouldn't think more than $15K if the cosmetics are really worse that what these pictures show. That mileage plus rough cosmetics will make this a difficult car to sell. No cracks in the dash is an impressive bonus for a 928 that has seen this much use, but you could easily put $10-$15K (or more) bringing it up to the condition of several automatic GTSs on the market in that price range ($25K-$30K).

This is if a PPI comes back with no serious issues.

Rob Edwards

Weird that the wing is trashed but the dash isn't. Dirty interiors can be rescued relatively cheaply, major plusses if the dash and pod are not cracked.

Likewise on the paint, if you can get away with respraying the front bumper cover and wing. Is the hood sandblasted as well? The clearcoat going away elsewhere? A good repaint is $6-10K if you're going to do it right.

So he did 175K miles in 7 years? how many times did he release the flexplate? From the wheels (if original) it's got R2 rods in the engine, so that's good.

Hopefully lots of elbow grease would make the paint and interior salvageable without major expense.

Without knowing more of the maintenance hx, impossible to put a value on it.

blown 87

Agreed, but man that is the kind of 928 I dream about, a well worn GTS that I could make the way I want it.
If he could get that car for ten or so, put another 30-40 into it, he would have a really nice car, that can be driven and driven hard.

SMTCapeCod

Great...now I have to go search for (the meaning of) R2 rods...

James Bailey

One needs to be an EXTREME optomist to think that a 215,000 mile ANYTHING has much good left in it....stuff wears out !!! all kinds of stuff. Like transmissions.....A/c compressors.....shocks, steering racks, suspension bushings, even springs, piston rings and valve guides . The heat of running toasts the engine compartment rubber, hose wiring,fuel lines......like I say EXTREME optomist

And should you encounter an insurance claim the "actual cash value" would be very low due to the odometer reading....
If you need to paint it as well you are not getting a good deal just a lower buy in price.....

pcar928fan

Love the color combo... Jim has seen a lot of 928's over the years, I suspect most of them either toast or on their way. Again if this car has had proper care and feeding it might be a very nice buy even at $15k...

Hard to say from pics and no Hx though.

SMT - R2 rods were found in the later '94 and '95 GTS's and are stronger than the rods in the '92/'93/early '94 motors.

GregBBRD

Crank end play. Crank end play. Crank end play.

The odds of a GTS engine with an automatic behind it being good are about 1 in 1,000, after 150,000 miles.

blown 87

They have sure been known to be bad, and past bad in less than a third of that.

James Bailey

Which on a $15k car makes it a probability cost of about negative $14,850 or about what it would cost to fix it......

JoeTaylor

You can buy a much lower milage S4 for less than $15k, and in better condition than the GTS. At over 200,000+ miles there are a whole slew of thing that could just wear out and need replacing.

The thing you have to ask yourself is, if you were selling this GTS - could you get $15k for it?

I bought my car, an '88 S4 with 75k miles for $12k two years ago.

Joe

danglerb

High mileage and slightly rough condition don't mean the seller is going to sell it cheap. What does he want for it, and how firm does that price seem?

Depending on his asking price either walk away or get a PPI and go over all the old receipts.

Regards "puts it in my price range" It takes a rich man to own a cheap Porsche.

Cosmo Kramer

Hard to a value on this one, the collector value of the GTS has been eliminated by the high mileage. If you are looking at a car to enjoy and drive, this GTS has had a lot of these "enjoyable miles" already driven out of it.

I think $15k is too much, for a comparison a Rennlister is selling a 51K mile 88 S4 for $14.5.

https://rennlist.com/forums/928-foru...51k-miles.html

Tom in Austin

Tough call on a 'high miles' 928 of any model year ... my '94 has 144k miles and I've done a lot mechanically to get the ride and drive back to where they should be. If you have the time and patience to do a lot of sorting this way you can end up with a nice car, but paying someone to do it for you would cost a fortune. Forget about new paint, any decent job on a 928 would run into the thousands ...

SteveG

If I'm not mistaken these are some of the same people that have said, "It's only getting broken in at 300,000." OK, so they were exaggerating.

Grist for the mill on the other points: I think end play measurement is a requirement and not just looking at the flex plate, but if then how is this car even running? Psychoanalyzing owners is crazy (ha), but GTS autos are more likely than any other to have been babied.

I don't think all the fun has been driven out of it, but you can get just as much fun spending $15K on a nice S4 and have more peace of mind. OTH, you purposely I believe haven't said what your budget is and if you want a GTS, this may be a way there on a budget. But it probably needs a lot of parts and labor; paint aside, this could get expensive. The $33K GTS on ebay, may be a better deal overall. Or, Do you like wrenching?