What do I need to look out for?
09-23-2013, 12:48 PM
#16
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If the car is cosmetically sound, It's probably worth the $4500 ask. But as Stan pointed out, you are staring down a pretty steep bill just for parts to bring the typical garage-find to reliable driver status. My list has all the rubber bits renewed, plus brakes and suspension wear parts, and about 5K in parts. The age of the car makes it a prime candidate for LH brain rebuild, at the dark side of $600 last I looked. Add in fuel pumps and injectors from the barely-run symptoms you listed, and you have Stan's number easily. You must be able to drive it to verify that the transmission is OK, or budget another one or two thousand reserve for that unknown. There's a famous saying here that you can be $10k away from having a $5k car. So do your math and decide if you are ready to go this route. Get a good PPI before you jump in, so you know from where you are starting.
That said, these are absolutely wonderful cars to own and drive. At this point, almost everything needed for the car is available from the several 928 parts suppliers who support us all. I used mine as a daily drive for 15 years, until early this year when a new Honda weaseled its way into the garage. I still drive it regularly, just not to the grocery store as much. The 928 is scheduled to get a timing belt and water pump in the next year as part of its normal PM schedule. It will need cam gears, and with the other parts and hoses, somewhere around $1.5k will go into the parts for that job. I'll either clean/repair my original radiator, or install the one I grabbed for about $1k a few years ago. It will get new rear tires, and I have about $700 budgeted for that. I just put the sixth tank of gas in it this year, on the way to about 3500 miles projected for this calendar year. Last year the big annual project was a complete brake system maintenance/overhaul/replace program. The year before that was... Bottom line is that it's not a cheap car to own and drive, and there's no benefit to owning but not driving. There are horror stories and tales of joy floating around here regarding purchase and ownership experience. Knowledge is king, and drives you to the right purchase for you.
So you know you'd like to have one based on the childhood experience you enjoyed with your uncle's car. Appreciate that you are taking on a project where first-year costs can easily add 200% to your purchase price (assuming that you can do the work yourself for free), sell your SO on that from the beginning, and go for it! I have the nicest, most reliable 928 in my neighborhood, and you will too I'm sure.
That said, these are absolutely wonderful cars to own and drive. At this point, almost everything needed for the car is available from the several 928 parts suppliers who support us all. I used mine as a daily drive for 15 years, until early this year when a new Honda weaseled its way into the garage. I still drive it regularly, just not to the grocery store as much. The 928 is scheduled to get a timing belt and water pump in the next year as part of its normal PM schedule. It will need cam gears, and with the other parts and hoses, somewhere around $1.5k will go into the parts for that job. I'll either clean/repair my original radiator, or install the one I grabbed for about $1k a few years ago. It will get new rear tires, and I have about $700 budgeted for that. I just put the sixth tank of gas in it this year, on the way to about 3500 miles projected for this calendar year. Last year the big annual project was a complete brake system maintenance/overhaul/replace program. The year before that was... Bottom line is that it's not a cheap car to own and drive, and there's no benefit to owning but not driving. There are horror stories and tales of joy floating around here regarding purchase and ownership experience. Knowledge is king, and drives you to the right purchase for you.
So you know you'd like to have one based on the childhood experience you enjoyed with your uncle's car. Appreciate that you are taking on a project where first-year costs can easily add 200% to your purchase price (assuming that you can do the work yourself for free), sell your SO on that from the beginning, and go for it! I have the nicest, most reliable 928 in my neighborhood, and you will too I'm sure.
09-23-2013, 05:16 PM
#19
If the car is cosmetically sound, It's probably worth the $4500 ask. But as Stan pointed out, you are staring down a pretty steep bill just for parts to bring the typical garage-find to reliable driver status. My list has all the rubber bits renewed, plus brakes and suspension wear parts, and about 5K in parts. The age of the car makes it a prime candidate for LH brain rebuild, at the dark side of $600 last I looked. Add in fuel pumps and injectors from the barely-run symptoms you listed, and you have Stan's number easily. You must be able to drive it to verify that the transmission is OK, or budget another one or two thousand reserve for that unknown. There's a famous saying here that you can be $10k away from having a $5k car. So do your math and decide if you are ready to go this route. Get a good PPI before you jump in, so you know from where you are starting.
That said, these are absolutely wonderful cars to own and drive. At this point, almost everything needed for the car is available from the several 928 parts suppliers who support us all. I used mine as a daily drive for 15 years, until early this year when a new Honda weaseled its way into the garage. I still drive it regularly, just not to the grocery store as much. The 928 is scheduled to get a timing belt and water pump in the next year as part of its normal PM schedule. It will need cam gears, and with the other parts and hoses, somewhere around $1.5k will go into the parts for that job. I'll either clean/repair my original radiator, or install the one I grabbed for about $1k a few years ago. It will get new rear tires, and I have about $700 budgeted for that. I just put the sixth tank of gas in it this year, on the way to about 3500 miles projected for this calendar year. Last year the big annual project was a complete brake system maintenance/overhaul/replace program. The year before that was... Bottom line is that it's not a cheap car to own and drive, and there's no benefit to owning but not driving. There are horror stories and tales of joy floating around here regarding purchase and ownership experience. Knowledge is king, and drives you to the right purchase for you.
So you know you'd like to have one based on the childhood experience you enjoyed with your uncle's car. Appreciate that you are taking on a project where first-year costs can easily add 200% to your purchase price (assuming that you can do the work yourself for free), sell your SO on that from the beginning, and go for it! I have the nicest, most reliable 928 in my neighborhood, and you will too I'm sure.
That said, these are absolutely wonderful cars to own and drive. At this point, almost everything needed for the car is available from the several 928 parts suppliers who support us all. I used mine as a daily drive for 15 years, until early this year when a new Honda weaseled its way into the garage. I still drive it regularly, just not to the grocery store as much. The 928 is scheduled to get a timing belt and water pump in the next year as part of its normal PM schedule. It will need cam gears, and with the other parts and hoses, somewhere around $1.5k will go into the parts for that job. I'll either clean/repair my original radiator, or install the one I grabbed for about $1k a few years ago. It will get new rear tires, and I have about $700 budgeted for that. I just put the sixth tank of gas in it this year, on the way to about 3500 miles projected for this calendar year. Last year the big annual project was a complete brake system maintenance/overhaul/replace program. The year before that was... Bottom line is that it's not a cheap car to own and drive, and there's no benefit to owning but not driving. There are horror stories and tales of joy floating around here regarding purchase and ownership experience. Knowledge is king, and drives you to the right purchase for you.
So you know you'd like to have one based on the childhood experience you enjoyed with your uncle's car. Appreciate that you are taking on a project where first-year costs can easily add 200% to your purchase price (assuming that you can do the work yourself for free), sell your SO on that from the beginning, and go for it! I have the nicest, most reliable 928 in my neighborhood, and you will too I'm sure.
I am lucky enough to have a reliable daily driver which allows me to have two other projects in the garage. One is a late aircooled 911, the other is the poor man's version, a '65 Corvair Corsa Turbo. Maybe if I didn't have one or the other I'd be more inclined make that sort of commitment to this car. Unless I get the chance to actually drive it, and fall in love with the experience, I am probably going to pass on it at this time.
09-23-2013, 08:57 PM
#20
Chronic Tool Dropper
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The 928 is so very very different from either of the toys you have. It's a two-finger drive at 150, something that neither of your stable-mates can say. You might share your location, and maybe coordinate with a local listmember to visit their good-running '89+ car. You'll get a much better feel for what you can expect when your project is complete.
Those same 928 neighbors can usually be coaxed into looking at the proposed purchase, and share an independent opinion, like a preliminary PPI. If the car makes it past a set of experienced eyes, spring for a full PPI of course before you write any checks.
If you decide that this one isn't for you, please share the seller's info so others can look and perhaps make a different decision.
This Rennlist group and the 928 Owners' Clug together make ownership possible for many of us. Many share their ownership experiences good and bad, so that others following can avoid problems. I regularly learn new things about the cars from just cruising through the days' posts. I try not to make the same mistakes that others might make and educate me on, and in turn I try to share my learnings when something interesting happens. Again, a great ownership support network is at your fingertips here.
Go look at other examples for sale as part of your quest. Prospective buysres are always advised to find the nicest example available, and work up from there. It easier and much less costly to maintain an already-nice car, vs. try to bring a ragged example back to your standards. Lots of projects end up rotting in peoples' garages when they get disillusuined part way through a seemingly-endless rehab. Find one you can drive and enjoy today. If you are in my area (just north of Los Angeles), PM to coordinate a visit and a little familiarization with the 928.
Those same 928 neighbors can usually be coaxed into looking at the proposed purchase, and share an independent opinion, like a preliminary PPI. If the car makes it past a set of experienced eyes, spring for a full PPI of course before you write any checks.
If you decide that this one isn't for you, please share the seller's info so others can look and perhaps make a different decision.
This Rennlist group and the 928 Owners' Clug together make ownership possible for many of us. Many share their ownership experiences good and bad, so that others following can avoid problems. I regularly learn new things about the cars from just cruising through the days' posts. I try not to make the same mistakes that others might make and educate me on, and in turn I try to share my learnings when something interesting happens. Again, a great ownership support network is at your fingertips here.
Go look at other examples for sale as part of your quest. Prospective buysres are always advised to find the nicest example available, and work up from there. It easier and much less costly to maintain an already-nice car, vs. try to bring a ragged example back to your standards. Lots of projects end up rotting in peoples' garages when they get disillusuined part way through a seemingly-endless rehab. Find one you can drive and enjoy today. If you are in my area (just north of Los Angeles), PM to coordinate a visit and a little familiarization with the 928.
09-23-2013, 08:59 PM
#21
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