brian_ndms

Alright I am really thinking about getting this car. It runs and drives. It has been recently safety inspected for its home state. The owner says the ,car has 4 Wheel dual piston Brembo brakes being the biggest upgrade. This is their daily driver and he states that it already has all the stuff that turns the boring stock pre GTS 928 into a the much sharper, sexier GTS looking 928, including the 993 wheels a Momo steering wheel,a bigger extra rear spoiler,more powerful euro style H4 headlights and it also has a driver side Recaro driver seat and an Alpine cd player.He says it will need about $1000 worth of work to make it really nice. He told that any half of a mechanic could do the work. to make NICE. The owner wants 4500 for the car.
Any advice would be greatly appreciated. Thank you!

MainePorsche

See New Visitor post at top of first page by Randy V. Read through and find PPI (pre purchase inspection) info. This is a must for the 928 novice. There are issues specific to the 928 that need to be considered. Cute seats, radios, steering wheels and spoilers need to be considered the 'gravy'. You do need to consider the meat & potatoes.

Also any half of a mechanic can not do quality diagnostics and therapeutics on this vehicle !

brutus

no upgrade all the 86 after vin nmber 999 had the bigger Brembo S-4 style brakes not quite GTS size but close. The " extra "spoiler is just that "extra" and looks pretty stupid. Missmatched seat not much of a plus. Wonder what the $1,000 of work to make it nice entails and odds are it will cost far more than $1,000. Not nearly enough info to make much of a comment on what it is worth.

Eplebnista

http://washingtondc.craigslist.org/n...941627917.html

WICruiser

Just as an example the automatic trans models can have thrust bearing wear problems that are not obvious until it is too late. An accurate check of the crank end play is critical to know if you are good to go, or on the verge of a major engine failure. A detailed PPI from somebody that really knows 928s is money well spent.

Avar928

Ask them when the last time the Timing Belt and Water Pump were changed out. If it isn't recent, that's $2,000 right there alone.

SMTCapeCod

That's been for sale for a loooong time.
For quite a while, he had a CL posting requesting assistance getting it running. Should get to the bottom of what that issue was. I think it also has some light body damage, dinged fender or somethign, IIRC.

"If you are not a half a mechanic this car may not be the best chpice for you"

NoVector

Fortunately, quite a few 928 owners in the VA, MD area who are regulars on this board who could join you when you put "eyes on" before a PPI. I used to live in Alexandria near the Franconia-Springfield exit; would have been a blast to join you to check this out.

mickster

This car started at 8500 and whittled its way down...you have to wonder what issues it has beyond what the owner knows...

SteveG

You have to wade past the goop. He's trying to pump it up, which doesn't mean this is a pig. Frankly, I take offense at the comment that pre-GTS is boring. Not so, I've had both. There are people in N. VA that will prob. go with to see this car. A PPI is needed anyway re the Tbearing. If that checks out and there are no other major issues, the price is good, maybe great. I would expect there is at least $2,000 in deferred maint, not including the Tbelt, but rennlist can keep that under control and you'll have a shark. Personally I wouldn't bother trying to make it look like what it isn't. Spend your money later on getting more HP; we all do. You'll have just as much fun in a proper 86. The suspension is the key to handling and all of them have the Weissach.
BTW, I assume from the original question that you are a newby, apology if not; you can hook up with several sharks and their owners at Hershey next weekend. Great way to spend a Sat in eastern PA and get some contacts. Bring rain gear.

brian_ndms

Everytime I start a new thread on here and ask a question, I always get the best advice. I have to say that I have I owned both Corvettes and a Porsche (944) and everyone in this forum is by far the most helpful. Everyone that I spoken with on this forum is so nice and willing to help a newby like myself. I cannot say that for the other forums (Corvette and even the 944 forum). Once again Thank You for all of the information. If I decided to go look at this car, I will probably need some help. I am going to keep on window shopping at this point. I will keep everyone posted!

Podguy

$4500 is not too bad a price if it was a five speed, I assume it is an automatic. $2000 for a timing belt is way too high. if you are not up to that job then you should probably not own a 928. Parts are around $500. - Do not forget to do the front seal or the tension arm bushings.

Offer him $3000 and tell him to keep the junk or offer a little more and sell the junk. See if he has the stock wheels. The rear spoiler is worth an easy $100 or more on eBay. The twist wheels and tires a couple of hundred. You might like the momo wheel - it is a nice upgrade but is smaller and requires a little more work on steering. Do the belt before anything - this will insure you do not break a belt and bend some valves. Even if it has just been done tear it down to check the tension arm bushing and make sure the belt is not rubbing on the front damper. There is a lot of stuff under the hood on an 86 so it takes a little patience. It is easier to work on a 78-79 or an 80-83 Euro S - my preferred cars. The auto transmissions are prone to leaking and failure. Over 100K miles in it becomes a crap shoot.

Other than that the 86 is a good and reliable car. More so I think than the S4 which tends to have lots more voodoo issues. The 85-86 are dogs off the line but really become monsters at 3000 RPM. All 928s leak oil. It is Germany's revenge on the US for losing the war. You will have to do a complete upper end reseal, an oil pan gasket and new motor mounts along with a lot of hoses.

If the car is leaking oil from the valve cover then there is a good chance one or more of the valve cover bolts are broken. This will require drilling out the broken bolt and replacing it. Count on losing another one or two in the process. Check the valve cover bolts. If they are hex and they are the old style and break easily. If they are cap bolts with a flat head then the engine has been upgraded. New bolts are expensive.

Good luck with the car. I like the light blue color.

fbarnhill

From the one picture, it looks pretty nice. I don't love the extra spoiler but that is up to the beholder. If it truely runs as well as he says, then it could be a steal if you could do like Dan says above and offer 3k. Once you get it right, you will love it. I would not advise you to buy this car unless you are going to be willing to work on it yourself with the aid of shop manuals and the folk on this list. 928 Mechanics can be very expensive to get a poorly maintained 928 back up to snuff.

Best of luck,

Avar928

I wouldn't mind driving up there to cannibalize that car for parts...er...I mean help with PPI o.o

Podguy

From where I sit - that is looking at the end result of what mechanics - well known Porsche mechanics in the SF Bay Area, there are plenty that are more than willing to charge a lot of money and screw the car up for life. The list of bad repairs I have seen over the years - maybe it is all cars - but it is especially true on the 928 is long and sad. Even simple things are often butchered beyound recognition. Add in the fact that a lot of the seals and other parts made by Porsche do not last long and you can be repairing one thing after the next.