Lizard928

As to the gears, it's possible that the clutch is in need of adjustment.
But it is more likely the clutch needs adjustment and the box needs a rebuild.
The pre 1985 cars have netorious bad synchros. This is caused more so by bad drivers and a dragging clutch.

The grabbing at the top of the range is not to say the clutch is worn out.

Poor charging can result in a slight decrease of performance. But not by too much, unless the battery is getting weak.

Regardless of the issues, the car looks like a million bucks from the exterior pictures. But how does the interior and engine bay look.

On top of fixing the alt (replace with an AC Delco unit as you likely have the crap French alt in there), you will need to inspect the front of engine harness, have the injectors cleaned or replaced, replace all the fuel lines, and replace the green wire in the front of the engine.

Good luck with the car!

LeRox

good looking car and you should have some shark friends close by to help you sort other issues that may arrise.

danglerb

Link to ebay auction listing, http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/ws/eB...m=180859992966

VIN WP0JA0922CS821101

Older models do shift slow, but sounds like you need an inspection asap.

idf

Per this pic, the interior needs work. I was under the impression this was the only major job I needed to tackle.

There seems to be some hope here that I dont need to rebuild a transmission.

Where in the DC area can I take this car and get an honest assessment of it?

I dont want to get into a money pit. As mentioned above, to spend another 10k on it? I'd rather just get a newer car that is already done and in complete working order.

idf

Thats the one... man, you guys are quick... I didnt want to expose the seller but oh well.

As you can see in the listing there is no mention of crunching gears or an alternator, etc.

Its not a matter of the shift speed... the gears crunch when going in.

BC

There is some sort of fundamental misunderstanding going on here....

This is a unrestored **30 year old car**

It doesn't really matter what the seller said, as long as he posted pictures and said what year make and model it was.

Do some reading here on this forum. Search for clutch, electrical, top end refresh, l-jetronic, synchros, etc

Bill Ball

So, did the other buyer post negative feedback? You should.

I found the eBay listing. The guy has all positive feedback including a previous 928 buyer who gave a rave review. Is that the guy you contacted?

idf

Going to respectfully disagree. What the seller says does matter to me. I expect honesty in the transaction. I spent over an hour with him on the phone reviewing every part of the car and he specifically told me the clutch had plenty of bite and the transmission shifted great.

The ad should have disclosed everything and it did not.

idf

He did not... I wondered why but he was pretty upset at the stuff that was not disclosed in our communication back and forth.

I would like to see if he is willing to make good on the deal. I paid what I thought was fair for a car in a certain condition. To have a major problem like gears crunching should have been disclosed no matter what.

Mrmerlin

you really need to get a Post inspection done if you cant do it yourself,

A good start for you would be to read read the FAQ at the top of the page.

Some of the issues you have may actually be minor to repair,
but will take a knowledgeable mechanic to figure things out.

FWIW I went through an 86.5 5 speed and the shippers burned out the clutch loading/unloading it on the truck,
that is something that could of happened to the clutch especially since most dont know where first gear is,
so it might be something to consider

928mac

The trans/clutch issue will need to diagnosed by a shop or someone in your area.
Remember you could have spent 20G on a car and the Alt. could fail on the way home.
That is why new cars have warranty and why we use it.

For 5 G you got a nice car.
I paid 10 for my 89 and have put 10-15 in it over 3 years.
If you do not want to work on and spend your hard earned cash on it, then you should not have bought it. IMHO

The 928 is not only a super car but it is a 20+ year old project that you will never complete, That is the joy

DJF1

hate to say it, but a 5K 30 year old supercar will most likely need that 5-10 grand to become something you can compare to a "relative trouble free" 928. In my case when I bought my car I did budget at least 5K to bring it up to scratch to something that I could trust driving daily and enjoy. I have gone over that mark but the reality is that these old supercars are complex and there are a lot of components that do and will need to be replaced even if its a matter of simple age.

Colin gave you the basic advise of what to change from the get go. The example is the fuel lines which unless you change them ( if they have not been changed recently) you run a serious risk of fire as they will crumble from age/heat.

Also dont think that spending money on this car may be that bad of an idea. Yes you spend ten grand lets say and with the same money you could have bought a nice S4. However chances are that you would still have to go through the list that Colin described and still spend money on top of that to bring it up to scratch.

So any way you slice it, you need to spend money as it seems. How much is depending on the age of the items that have been replaced, like belts, waterpump, fuel pump etc etc. According to the listing you must also have a stack of receipts so you can clearly see the history on when items would be replaced.

So my advise is to find an indy mechanic preferably someone that knows these cars and do a thorough API at this point and develop a list of potential issues. Then compare to your service records you can gain a better understanding on what still needs to be done.

Comparing brakes to the A8 i dont think its fair. Porsche feel is different anyway. More effort is required compared to a "normal" current way overboosted car. Having said that what I love about Porsche cars is that ability to modulate the braking as effectively as possible.

Re the gearbox, indeed speed has a lot to do with shifting. Porsche manuals up to and including the 993 model in the mid nineties are more old fashion in the way they need to be shifted than you know. Case in point, i drove a friends 993 last year that complaint of a crunching gearbox. The gear box was perfect! I drove his car with him on the passenger side and I walked him through how to shift a 911. No crunching, no nothing. So do not discard the advise on this as this is your first older Porsche.

Good luck to you and dont get discouraged. It looks like a nice example.

SanDiego928

I have an 81 and my brakes are very good. I feel secure in stopping. My car shifts very good for an old car. my 2cents. Good luck, looks great. I hear ya dude.

Bill Ball

Well, good luck. If it turns out to be a seriously bad car, you learned a big lesson for not a lot of money (eh, just counting the selling price here). I've been taken for a LOT more in my life, even recently (landscape contractor), so maybe I never learned that lesson.

Anyway, you should get some help here (already have gotten some) to help you assess what's needed. I'd let the seller know pretty soon what you have observed already and see what his reaction is. Should be interesting. I'm expecting something like "They all do that."

So, the other guy who posted positive feedback but then reported to you that things were misrepresented...how did that happen and did he get anywhere with the seller?

Bill Ball

DC Area owners? Chime in and help this guy get it sorted.

I know there are good shops nearby.