GlenL

After spending unusual sums on my 928, and enjoying it, I'm thinking of getting an old, wooden Chris-Craft boat to restore. I understand those are even harder to keep running and considerably more expensive.



I'd look good drinking a martini on this one.

Who's with me!

jeff spahn

I have also kept a spreadsheet on the repairs done on my car before and during my ownership. I have what I believe is every receipt from all work done on the car. It is shocking but the work totals over $30,000 not counting my time for the engine in/out and head gasket, intake, timing belt, tensioner, piston replacement job last summer.

Five-8

Its very heartening to read threads like this one.I too, am going to end up spending an enormous amount of money on my shark, after a year and a half of ownership i have learned many things about myself and my car.
What i have learned is that i purchased a restoration project,not a "fixer upper", two entirely different things, going in, i did not expect to fight the war on four different fronts simultaneously.1.Regular Maintenance,2.Fixing what doesnt work,3.Preventative Maintenance, and 4.Cosmetic and Enhancements.

I have a limited budget, and so it is difficult to wage total war, so the notion that planning is vital couldnt be more true in my opinion.

It does get a little disheartening sometimes, when fixing/replacing one thing only leads to something else in the system showing itself to be pooched as well,sometimes it seems as if the car is "picking the battles" not me.

I have yet to total my receipts, and don't plan on it anytime soon, at least until a reach a point where i decide "what's next" and my car doesnt.(if that is even possible)

I enjoy my shark exponentially more than i ever thought possible, and all of the help available here is amazing.Since i am new to the whole "shadetree mechanic" thing, without the knowledge here it just would not be conceivable for me.

So thanks for the positive comments, it comfirms that i am probably not any crazier than the rest of you,despite what my wallet keeps telling me.

Cheers,

Adrian

Cole

I have a friend that has lived on his for years! Think he is planning on giving it away soon if you are interested!

dr bob

BTDT, at least a boat. As a now-former part-owner of a larger (~60ft) racing sailboat, expenses piled up at a staggering pace. Besides the basics like slip fees and regular bottom cleaning, we had a $10k/yr budget for replacing sails. I hired mebers of the local state college women's rowing crew to do topside maintenance, and in exchange always managed to have adequate hands for casual competition. We sail pretty regularly all year in this part of the world, obviously a lot more in the summer though. A few big races on the calendar with away days meant more costs in both instant living expenses and repair/maintenance of gear on the boat. Costs worked out to about $2k/mo per 1/4 owner to keep it competitive, about half of that in its second life of casual/pleasure PHRF 'racing'. With that experience, I'll suggest that a martini is the minimum needed to drown the boat owner's tear$.

The 928 is an absolute bargian by comparison. If it doesn't work, it doesn't sink. I can work on it at my relative leisure, and store it between uses at no extra expense. Annual PM's are much less. An I've never cried as I cut a $10k spinnaker loose in a 30 knot breeze from a 928 knocked down with one doorhandle in the water.

GlenL

Perfect! I'm assuming that's a free boat that's $20k away from being a free boat.

Cole

If you are lucky

Located in San Francisco.

GlenL

Another $10k in shipping costs. And still not worth a cent!

Too much fun for me, but that one is core of the concept. I'd retire on it and visit boatyards throughout the Mississippi River basin.

Tails

Yearly inspections as per Porsche with oil and water changes etc., and if anything is damaged it is repaired or replaced. I also indulge in casual inspection of known fault areas and if you "listen" to what your 928 is 'telling you', you can 'catch' many fault before they fail.

Most manufactures work upon the 'lowest common denominator' when preparing their maintenance schedules, that is conservatism, however I acknowledge the fact that motor vehicles are a wonderful piece of engineering refined over time, especially the 928. This is verified when they are put into the hands of some of the individuals that drive them and modify them.

In my career I have moved from manufactures maintenance requirements, to planned maintenance and finally to condition monitoring.

I also use the principle "if it ain't broke don't fix it" as it is a known fact that more damage can be done done pulling a piece of kit apart to inspect it with the possibility it won't work as well as it did after reassembly, human error factor. One has to trust your own engineering assessment and judgement, however this can very difficult if a person has not acquired any engineering assessment or guidance evaluation.

With all the above said, my maintenance cost for 2011 was $34.95 and this year $125.00 & I still have to fit my new fuel filter. I put my diagnostic tester over the car last month, after my yearly service and I had no 'registered faults'. I still have to undertake Wally P's recommended yearly electrical maintenance schedule.

I still have an intermittent fault in my digital dash, which I have has since I purchase the 928 12.5 years ago and I have to fit a couple of diaphragms to my HVAC system to get it up to full working order. Just got to work up the incentive to pull the dash apart again and fix these faults.

My car now has around 107,000 km on the odometer and I have owned it for 12.5 years. Biggest cost was the LH ecu repair by JDS many years ago, largest DIY work was the replacement of the B2 Piston in the auto transmission.

My 928 is not a concourse winner, but during my ownership it has only failed me 3 times, 1- fuel pump 9 (FLAT BEDDED), 2- B2 Piston (TOWED HOME) and 3- Stub hose to heater valve (GARAGE REPAIR AS ON LONG TRIP).

I have no problem with getting in my car and driving long trips or around town, but for long trips, pre check of petrol, oils and water. Quite a few long trips of over 2,000 kms and I enjoy spirited driving especially around the 'twisty bits' with other 928s.

Tails 1990 928S4 Auto

dcrasta

Do it. YOLO [Personally I would go for a dark n stormy or mojito ..]

Got to pay the cost to be a Boss. Just do it.

Tim968

+1 - buying a 928 is an emotional decision, not a financial one (DanielD). I get sweaty about the cost and the fuel, but still like the look and the ride.

Congratulations to Dictys...especially in a place where the heat is oppressive to cars.

Richter12x2

So the way I see it, you're driving a beautiful, classic Porsche that turns heads and will do 150mph without breaking a sweat for less than the price of a new Corolla. I think I can live with that.

Joking aside, it may be cheaper to pay cash and get all the car you want upfront, but it's easier to justify the little expenditures along the way. I can't afford to drop $12k on a 25 year old car. But $3k? Sure. And then fix the little things as they pop up. People buy stereos that are more expensive than that, and end up being much less impressive to 98% of the world.