rsabeebe

Looking for some wisdom from the group. I'm a previous '78 928 owner back in the day and I'm currently driving a 997.1 C2S that is just not exciting me enough (previous '93 RSA, '67 911 and '72 914 - first car). I'm considering a few cars, but near the top of the list is the 928. Parts availability, pricing, and finding a 5 speed car concern me. With the relatively cheap 'buy in', I can live with the higher parts prices, but I am considering this as a DD. I have a short commute and I'm not overly concerned about it being a daily driver. I've done the typical mods on my 997 - X51 headers, 200 cell cats, Tubi mufflers, Evo intake, Eibachs, HREs, SSK and would like to do similar mods to a 928.

I'm probably looking at either a late 928.1 or an early-ish 928.2 car. Is there a better model/engine to start with from a mods point of view - more potential for power? I also have a 3 y/o daughter and will need to be able to put a child seat in the back. For anyone who has done it, what's the best seat to use for the given space and are there any drawbacks? The center console tends to create a tight space in the rear seats. Also, living in TX, I must have very good A/C for myself and my daughter. Any improvements in the A/C systems at any given point?

Back to mods:
Wheels - what are the best late-model Porsche wheels for the 928s. I will definitely want to fill those rear wheels well with rubber and proper offset.
Exhaust - would want headers, high-flow cats and a great sound. What is the typical upgrade in this area? I see the X-pipe crossovers and MSDS headers - are these considered the best options?
Tuning - is ECU tuning worth the effort? Best choice?

Besides Rennlist and 6speedonline, what are the best locations to look to find a car? I'm aware of cars.com, autotraderclassics.com, but are there places to find good 928s? I know Pelican has some classifieds also. I know a manual car will be hard to find, but it's the only trans I'm interested in.

Any thoughts on any of these subjects would be greatly appreciated.

Love the 928 and look forward to being a contributor here in the near future, assuming everything works out and I can find the car I want - after getting the money I want for my 997S.

Thanks everybody.

gbgastowers

How much are you willing to spend?

tv

85-86 Euro with the new JS chip, 89+ GT, or 86.5 US with porken chip are your choices but better have a back-up ride because DD service is tricky with 25 year old exotics.

Rich9928p

Hello RSABEEBE,

a late 928.1 or an early-ish 928.2 car. I'm not sure what these terms mean, we normally call the generations as something different
- "Old Boy" = 1978 - 79 (CIS, first generation)
- 928 no specific name older "US Spec L-Jetronic" 1980 - 1984 (928S starting 1983)
- Euro S = 1980 - 1983 Euro S specific (300 HP)
- S2 = Euro 1984 - 1986
- US 1985 - 1986 32 value (also Euro w/Cat) 288-ish HP
- S4 1987 - 1992 (Club Sport & GT variants)
- GTS: 1992 (ROW) and US GTS 1993 (early - late) to 1995 GTS

Specify which of these and we can provide more specific advice.

There are good examples of each generation - each has their own personality. The common recommendation is to buy the best example that your budget supports ... pay attention to past service records for cam belt/water pump and general good upkeep.

Rich
'93 GTS Cover girl
'87 S4
'79 5-speed
'79 5-liter track beast

I own four 928s, the 1979 and 1987 as daily drivers.

rsabeebe

I would probably be considering the US '85-'86 model and then most likely the '87-'92 S4 models. I would be looking for the best car I could get for the money in the $15k +/- range.

BC

He is using the 997 nomenclature, as you can see in his introduction of the 911 he has. They made so many 997 variants that on that board and elsewhere, they use 997.1 and 997.2, and there are the same derivations on the 997 GT3s, i.e., GT3.1, and GT3.2.

That is over a much shorter time period, but you could simplify it a bit for him this way, if you will:

OB - 78,79 - True OB in the old language of the email lists of the 90s, CIS injection (K-Jet) And by the way, its Old Bugger

80-83 - Ljet

S3 - 85 and 86 32V

S4 - 87-91

GTS - 93, 94, 95

Similar, but different.

Dutch 928 fan

3 year old daughters are a snug fit and like the Porsche seats. 0-2 year olds might like a kiddie seat. And they do fit with some ingenuity.

Tom in Austin

Obvious bias ... go for a '94 or '95 GTS for best of the breed, then let Roger and Sean point you to the available upgrade paths ... s-charger, X-pipe, RMB, cams, 6.4 stroker, etc. If you have the money to spend you can have one a helluva nice - and special - car.

Oh, and keep that 997 for a change of pace.

wds928

My '94 928 GTS happens to still be available. I just drove it about 320 miles yesterday up to central Maryland and back. Ran great and the A/C was cold.

Bill

http://www.autotrader.com/cars-for-s...43673982&Log=0

SeanR

I would come to one of our local DFW breakfasts and look at all the different model years and then make a decision.

E-bay is a good source to find them and do some comparisons also.

rsabeebe

my daughter is currently in a britax roundabout that fits great in the 997. what type of seat is that that your 3 y/o is in? since she's still a ways from being able to use a booster, i need to make sure a reasonable solution to her seat is available. buying a new seat is not an issue. i took my britax base off and it fits in the 997 'well' quite well (seat bottoms and seat backs removed), but the 928 well seems a bit narrower and i'm concerned about fit.

rsabeebe

based on prices i have seen for a GTS, it's not going to be in the budget. i'm trying to stay in the $15-18k range, but will spend less if it's the best car for the money. i plan upgrades and know some maintenance will be required. very open to options and will consider most 5 speeds.

ThetaTau87

I was just in the same dilemma. Looking for a 5-speed S4 or GT. GTS would be awesome, but entry fees are at least $30k for a high mileage example. For $15k you're solidly in the range of a really clean S4 or a bargain GT. I lucked into a nice 89 GT for $12k, but that kind of price for a GT is not common. You must be willing to travel for the right car. 928s are rare and 5-speed cars are even more rare, but they are out there if you are patient.

I found mine on eBay, but I was checking Autotrader, Craig's List and Rennlist classifieds. More cars pop up here on the forum than in the classifieds. It took me over a year to find the right car, but I was in no rush. In the end I found a better car than I thought I could afford at a price that was lower than my budget allowed and was only 3 hours from home.

rsabeebe

this sounds terrific. are you the same guys that sometimes show up at C&C? I know one month there must have been 6-8 928s there. where do you meet for breakfast and when? okay to show up in a 997??

Lizard928

considering you have a 997, and that you want something more exhilerating, then you need to get a 1986.5 928S,

They are the best of all worlds. Consider an X-pipe with Porken's chips.