So it's been 12 years since I sold my shark and now am presented with a unique opportunity...I think. My brother-in-law is the second owner (since 1983) of a 1978 928 that was owned by Porsche North America for 3 years and used to test and develope the second generation (I believe) 1982 motor. It still has the hybrid motor in it and I am told you can tell it is a prototype because of the aluminum airbox that it has.

My problem is that there is no documentation from Porsche to collaborate any of this. The only documentation would be out of the second owner. A Porsche factory driver who did most of the testing and then owned the car for a year before selling to my B-I-L. The test driver still has a Porsche race car building business and I might be able to get something in writing from him.

I have heard that Porsche destroy's most of their prototypes and that this is worth a premium. It is copper brown with the psychodelic interior in pristine condition with 80k miles on the clock. My B-I-L wants me to come up with a price and I'm not too keen on bidding against myself. My first thought is to say that with no documentation that it is worth in the $5-8k range. My B-I-L thinks I should pay closer to 20K. What do you guys think it should be worth.

BTW, my B-I-L says that if it had all the proper docs that he could retire with it selling at BJ. Thanks for you help.

 

I don't think anyone in the collectors world really cares about the 928. Could be rare as hens teeth...and it still wouldn't command high dollars....

No documentation equals ...just a 78..with some mods..and non-original engine..thus worth less than a stock matching 78.....

I'd hazard a guess at 5k..if it's mint and running.... early 78 vin might make it worth more.. esp if it's a euro...but I am guessing this is just a 78 with a blown engine..swapped with a 82us 4.5 liter and a home made air cleaner....

Post some pics...would be interesting to see..

 

It might be worth a BJ, but could be hard to find a buyer.

Rich.

 

Maybe, how many months does he have left to live?


Would be interesting if the story pans out, but what new engine did 928's receive in 1983?

Moar pictures!

 

Maybe you could get Chuck to tell you off the record what he sold Kermit for. That would identify the top end of what an OB 928 is worth, save Jim's #1 when it's restored.

 

The story makes little sense....for one PCNA did not exist at that time.."Established in 1984, it is a wholly owned, indirect subsidiary of
Dr. Ing. h.c. F. Porsche AG. PCNA employs approximately 180 people who provide Porsche vehicles, parts, service, marketing and training for its 202 dealers " Note no mention of engineering or testing an a really small number of people today.

Second before that all sales were by agreement done through V W. VW controlled all Porsche North American sales and distribution, dealer training. All the engineering would have been done by Porsche AG in Germany.
Possibly just possibly it was a "school" car taken apart and put together for training purposes for the dealer techs but who knows ???

 

If you are close to you brother in law, and he thinks it should command 20K, I would smile, shake his hand, and wish him luck. IMHO I wouldn't touch it. He might just come back at a later date with a figure you are more comfortable with, or he might find a buyer at that price and you both are winners.

 

Jim didn't we get some new 78-79 engines years ago that had an aluminum air box?

 

Was that some of the stuff from Vasek ?? I remember some preproduction 85, 32 valves with metal cambelt covers...other oddities. Just do not remember the metal airbox . All his stuff came from Germany where he bought the "obsolete" race stuff from Porsche.

 

Interesting story.. definitely needs some pics of the airbox

There's an '87 5-speed in this country with what is apparently a prototype digital dash install, possibly driven here as part of extreme environmental testing.

I haven't laid eyes on it myself yet, but the VIN is certainly 87 and it has the digital dash - and I have trouble believing that an owner would go to that expense rather than just buying an 89+ car.

 

get an engine code,
its about 8 inches forward of the top radiator clamp at the water bridge ,
and then about 14 inches down,
there is a small flat area with numbers,
it will have a M28/??
the line under that is the engine serial number.
Of course...

This thread........

 

just texted your instructions, thanks

 

is useless

 

A more likely scenario is that a digital dash car went missing and someone bought the paperwork and vin plates from a totaled 87 S-4 and moved them to the stolen car.....very common way to "rebuild" a crashed Porsche and export it. Not to mention quite profitable.

 

...without pictures.