Pkblu

Admittingly I know next to nothing about 928's. Besides Risky Business, that my Uncle had a silver S4 with a black interior when I was in single digit years (over 25 years ago), and they were supposed to replace the 911 I know nothing.

However I have come across one recently that sounds interesting. What I know about it is that is a '89 S4, auto, with 76k original miles. It has supposedly been parked in a garage since the late 90's. I am told it is solid, runs good, everything works and it has no issues. It is blue. The price is $4500.

Too good to be true right?

My thinking is that even if it is a little rough, and just a driver, it could still be fun right? Maybe use it as an around town daily driver.

StratfordShark

You'll get lots of pointers, and probably warnings against a 928 which has stood that long.

But I just wanted to correct the idea that the 928 was intended to replace the 911. It was planned to succeed the 911, which is an important difference!

Mrmerlin

To get up to speed here why not read the FAQ as there is so much to write and it has already been written just pull up a chair and get busy it will answer most of your questions.


The car you describe could be very nice,
I would figure its going to need about 8K worth of parts and things to get it to be a daily driver thats with you doing the work.

TB,WP,TTbearings, MMs, Intake refresh, shocks, tires, brakes, MC and pads rotors and lines, fuel system repairs, HVAC system, pods and freon and O rings.

Tony320

Sounds a little on the low side for an '89 where everything works and has no issues. You will need to know when the last timing belt/water pump replacement was done, as that should be done every four years or so, and failure could mean the end of your engine. Also look at fuel lines, as those can rot away and result in a car-b-q.

I suspect this care is in need of a ton of deferred maintenance, but you never know.

FredR

If a 928 has been stuck in a garage since the 90's then I suggest you leave it there until such time as the timing belt is replaced.

928's do not like being stagnated [nor does any car but particularly so the 928]. such a machine, unless it has been run round the block frequently, may well have potentially serious issues such as corrosion in the block and if so, may well require heavy maintenance with the enigne out and top ens dismantled to effect recovery. Even if such is not required, and hopefully that is the case, you can expect a pile of bits and pieces to need replacing due to the time factor alone.

Top notch 928's still take a bit of looking after and proportionate $$'s. Lesser examples- well just look for the threads from those not so fortunate. It is a great car but you can easily spend as much as you paid for it getting it up to scratch and a lot more if you were really unfortunate so it really is a hobby driven more by passion than logic.

When well sorted they will run and run many miles with an enormous satisfaction factor that few cars can offer but at the end of the day, you purchase one for not too many $$ but it is and remains a collection of many expensive parts.

Good luck

Fred

Wisconsin Joe

Not necessarily "too good to be true", but quite possibly "more trouble than it's worth."

The main question is "Why was it parked?" I find it a little hard to believe that a good running, everything working car was parked for that long.

Timing belt & water pump (TB/WP) would need to be changed or at least inspected very carefully before turning the engine over. Fuel lines too.

Thrust bearing failure is also a possibility.

Or is could be that something simple went out and nobody could figure it out. You'd still need to do all the refresh/deferred stuff MrMerlin mentioned, but you could have a nice car for a reasonable amount of money with a fair amount of work.

All the stuff you should look for and look at are covered in the "New Visitor" sticky at the top of the forum.

MainePorsche

So you can not do a PPI (pre purchase inspection) on this car even if you are mechanically inclined at this point.

Have a 928 guy do a PPI in situ before you make a decision. Could be a great deal. Could be a raw deal. If you are able/inclined to do work yourself, you will save a great deal of money.

Pkblu

Thanks for all the feedback guys! I have trolled through some of the 'stickies' and read the PPI tips and General Buying Guidelines.

Some more information I neglected the first time...The car is currently being driven. It was recently bought by someone that is distant family who makes their living buying and selling. They got it locally from the original owner, who had parked it after health problems.

Regardless I appreciate the feedback. At minimum it sounds like a TB/WP is going to be needed to be safe, with a good look at everything else. I may take a look at this weekend, and if I do, I'll fill you guys in on what I see.

It would be interesting to have one in the family again. The stories of my Uncles have been a source of laughs for years (racing a Ferrari on the MassPike to work daily, grenading the bellhousing on the transmission from a power shift during a high speed drift, and etc.)

auzivision

Short of timing belt failure or thrust bearing failure, if it's really been stored in doors and the mileage is accurate it's worth $4.5K all day long. It may be deal if it's someone you know with a story like an illness or something plausible to park and not drive. An 89 non-runner in need of interior and exterior work is more likely what you'll find with an unverified "story". That wouldn't be a good deal.

Most likely if it runs and looks decent, it will probably be a decent secondary car to run around town and learn how to wrench. If you aren't interested in learning how to do the work yourself, you better be willing to fork out 2 to 3 times the purchase price on repairs. If you are willing to get your hands dirty, a few $K for essentials and then repair as you go might yield a number of years driving with total expense under 10K... however, that's lot of ifs.

Actually if it looks really good inside and out because it has been stored since the early 90's like the story book says. I'd say $4.5K isn't that bad even for a non-runner so long as it's complete and cranks with decent compression.

Edit... I was typing my reply when you replied. Based on the that story, and depending on how trust worthy your distant relative is... it sounds very plausible. You are exactly right on doing the TB/WP immediately... then check a release flex plate and you are good to go until you feel the urge or find you need to fix or update other stuff. Good luck this weekend, and take lots of pics!

upstate bob

First things first... if you are a mechanic then a new slant on perspective will occur. I would not recommend a 928 for a daily driver. Get a toyota for that. If you can't afford two cars you should not drive a 928 unless walking is your other mode of transpo. second: unless it is a certified mechanical gem, do not buy a car with a tired driver's seat. -or worn pedals, footwell. That means the last guy used it as a daily driver.
The previous owner of my car refused to sell it to a college student because he would have been driving it in western NY salt. I was heckled when I posted here that I paid the seller's asking price but it was well worth being able to sit in an interior that looks close to new, new belts, hoses and alum. radiator.

Leon Speed

On the positive side: everybody knows that an '89 S4 auto is the best of breeds

Pkblu

Ha! Ok Bob.

jeff spahn

I can't agree with don't buy a car that was a DD. These cars don't like to sit. If they are driven they are better than if they sit.

I put around 10,000 miles a year minimum on mine and it has only left me stuck once. I have put almost 45,000 miles on it and stuck a total of $3000 in it over that time. Not that bad I would say. I do my own work. I am not counting the $5000 for the supercharger nor the stuff I broke just screwing around that would have been fine if I didn't "see what this does".

Newest expense is going to be about $2000 for the TT and carrier bearings but that is a once every 20 years thing so not too shabby.

A DD car can be fine if it is taken care of. I drive mine basically in all weather except salt on roads conditions. Rain, snow, and the like is fair game. The suspension bolts still come off with hand tools and I have no rust. Just don't take the cosmoline off if you are going to drive in crappy area of the country.

Pkblu

Took a look at the car yesterday morning. It is a dark blue 1989 S4, automatic, dove gray interior, with chromed 7-slot wheels. It has approximately 69k miles on it. The car was dirty both inside and out from being parked 'down back' for the last couple months. From a quick look I saw no signs of body damage, rust, or etc, and nothing that a very good detailing could not fix. The car had some recent paint work however. It was claimed to be a full respray. It didn't look that way to me, from what I could tell it looked limited to the front bumper and maybe hood. Again the car was dirty so it was had to tell. Despite the condition it really was a great looking car.

Unfortunately we were not able to drive it. While it started, and supposedly drove before it was parked, there is a problem with fuel delivery. It would stall out at idle, unless it was given throttle. With throttle is seemed to run ok (no misfires). The seller thought this was attributed to bad gas, however I remember talking to him when he picked it up and it needing a part to resolve this issue. I do not remember what is was specifically. So at minimum I would plan on flushing the gas tank, fuel system and replacing the fuel filter.

Any thoughts on what could be causing this fuel delivery problem. I feel it is something more than just bad/old fuel.

MainePorsche

It is good you are thinking along these lines.
You need to have a solid PPI done by someone who knows the 928.
Final.