Greetings all! I've used Rennlist mostly for research over the last few years getting my 944 prepped for LeMons and Chumpcar racing, and of course sorting out countless issues that have popped up along the way.

I came across a 928 the other day that I think I might be able to pick up cheap. It's a 1984 with halfway decent original paint and the body looks straight. The owner doesn't have keys and it's locked and stacked full of old clothes and such, so I didn't get a good look at the interior. The engine bay looks like everything is there and complete but has a few loose papers and the like on top of the motor where some mice may have resided. Tragically, it is an automatic. But I still want to rescue it and make it right. I understand that the timing belt is a weak link in these cars just like the 944s and also, like the 944, has an interference motor. Mileage unknown.

ANY advice on what to look for is welcome. I do have some specific questions:

Any thoughts on value of the car based on the limited information I've provided?
Is the timing belt an issue on these engines as I described above?
Is the condition of the timing belt easy to check by popping off a cover (it is on the 944)?
If I get this thing for the right price I may even consider putting a manual transmission in it. Is this feasible on the 928?
Anything else I may have missed?

Thank you in advance to anyone who may have some input.

 

Ugh...

I'm not the best guy for this, there are far more experienced voices on this forum. But, nobody has given you any input, so here goes.

Nope, none at all. Although automatic cars are more valuable than five-speed cars. That may sound counter-intuitive, but that's my understanding.
Yes, timing belt and water pump are primary maintenance items. You can find all sorts of info and tutorials by searching for 'TB/WP'. The earlier motors were non-interference, and the '84 may fall into that category. A search here or on Google should tell you.
Don't trust it. Unless you can document that the TB/WP was serviced in the last 60k, figure on doing it immediately.
Define 'feasible'. If you mean: 'can it be done?', then yes. If you mean 'is it a reasonable thing to do?', then no. Remember that the 928 is a GT car. It was designed to cruise comfortably at high speeds for many hours, and deliver you refreshed and ready for a weekend on the Riviera. I have a manual 951 and I specifically set out to find an automatic 928.
Pretty much everything.

If you want a good assessment of value and gotchas, you've come to the right place. But, we need more information.

• Mileage.
• Condition of interior (esp. dash & seats).
• A lot can be determined by the VIN. Get the VIN.
• PICTURES PICTURES PICTURES. Especially good shots of the motor, the dash, the pod, the seats. A cheap respray or a crazy repair can reveal a lot about probable overall condition.

Remember, though, that you're looking at buying a nearly 40 year-old supercar. And in the case of the one you're looking at, I suspect that maintenance has been spotty or nonexistent. Buy the car because you love it and want to work on it. Otherwise, you're going to spend a ton of money on it and end up hating the car.

Like I said, I'm not the most experienced guy here, but I did want to give you some sort of response. This is, frankly, the best forum on Rennlist, with the most helpful folks. You should spend some time perusing the forum to get a feel for the cars and the community that loves them.

And liquor. We love liquor, too...

I'd tell the owner it's a basket case that's going to need thousands of dollars in repairs, and offer him $500 to flatbed it away. If it turns out you're right, you should be able to make your money back in parts.

 

The early two valve engines are NOT interference...that is about the only good news....
Doing a manual swap requires THOUSANDS of Dollars of parts....it can and has been done but good used early parts are rare, very, very rare.
Also note that performance wise it will turn lap times similar to your 944 maybe slower on a very tight track. But will sound way better

 

Another one.

There is no such thing as a "cheap" 928. In fact, the cheap ones are usually the ones who need the most, and are costing you more by the time you have them up and running properly. And then there is the cost of cosmetic restoration, which can be a bit astronomic on a 928.

If you take this car, you are doing the owner a favor. He would get more money by dismantling it and selling the parts. From you, given the risk, perhaps a few hundred dollars.

 

There's no such thing as a cheap 928. The 'cheapest' are the ones that cost the most to buy IMO. You've got to remember that these were the top of the range Porsche, with the most complicated systems of the time.

You can do work yourself, but it takes a lot of time and the parts aren't cheap. Buying a car with lots that needs replacing is brave.

 

1984 US is not an interference motor, but that sounds like the least of your troubles. I agree that your best approach would be to make sure the seller knows you are doing him a great favor by even looking at the car. His alternative would be donation or abandonment. Very few people would buy a car such as you describe. You would need some garage space and some time and a fair amount of money to get a reliable driver. If you can buy it for $300, tow it home and get a set of keys made, you could start going through it. I have an 84 auto and it has been a very reliable tank of a car.
Good luck,
Dave

 

If you're going to convert it to a 5-speed you may as well get a 5-speed to salvage instead. The vast majority of 928s are automatic so 5-speeds are fairly rare. Better to save the ones that were made than do a costly conversion.

The car sounds like it's not too bad, of course pictures would have helped assess the real condition. I'd probably take it as a parts car if you can get it dirt cheap. The fact that it had clothes and paper all over it may mean you're probably looking at mold and rodent issues so electrical wiring chewed up and a ratty interior assuming.

I've seen pretty torn up cars being brought back to life, plenty of threads on here on nice saves. Really depends if you're willing to invest the time and money into the car. I would definitely find a "nicer" conditioned 5-speed that still needs work but is decent.

 

An 84 , if it has two four cyl distributors on the driver side front, IS an interference motor according to everything I have seen here.

The best expression about such cars I have seen here is that "You may be $10k away from a $5k car".

Always start with the best car you can afford.
jp 83 Euro S AT 55k

 

I agree with you J. I assume the speedometer is in MPH, and as a Florida car is probably not a Euro, and thus not interference. That would be something to confirm. Should look for a twin dizzy. I am hoping if he can get the car for $300, he will just maybe be $5000 away from a $5000 car. This begs the question why not buy a decent $5000 car?
Good luck,
Dave

 

... not really sure of the Florida comment. I pulled my '81 euro out of a Orlando, Fl yard.

As a bit of advise to the author, have an idea of what you are looking for before you buy it. This may seem like a good idea at the time, but if your reallly going to want a 5 speed, Euro, or even an S4 wait for one to come availible.

Nothing worse than getting caught up in project that you really dont have passion for...

 

Hi Nordic,
I meant nothing more than there are more US 928's in Florida than Euro's and if you had a Euro it might well have been mentioned by seller or potential buyer.
Dave

 

You should just find a nice manual transmission car to buy. These cars are very labor-intensive (unless they were meticulously maintained, and most of them do not fit in that category) and I would imagine that you'd get far more satisfaction out of a car that is a 5-speed, judging by your wording in the original post.

When I was reading RL about buying a 928 in 2007 everyone counseled me to buy the best example I could afford. You will save thousands of dollars this way. Why? Because if the previous owner spent, say, $5000 in maintenance on the car for sale, he can't/won't charge you $5000 for that.

Anyway, that's my 2 cents. Good luck and I hope you get a 928. They are amazing cars, lots of fun to work on.

 

Perfect model for some drivers, great early body looks, as long as you aren't too fussy on performance.

84 automatic is what I frequently recommend to people as the least costly most reliable choice. The 84 is the last year of the US 16 valve cars, its non interference so valves don't hit pistons even if the timing belt fails. Keep the fluid at the correct level and the automatic is usually trouble free. I wouldn't own one, 5 spd only for my taste, but 5 spd's sell for a premium and usually need a few grand or so to make the clutch and transmission like they should be.

Its cheap because while most prefer an auto, something like 80% were autos, so those who want a 5 spd find demand exceeds supply. Not the very cheapest to buy, those are usually 78/79, but cheapest to own and put into decent shape.

If you like the car, go for it, but don't do it because you think this one will be inexpensive, it won't be. $500 cash with a flatbed seems like an OK starting point, more than that and it needs a full inspection.

 

Sorry that it takes so long. Some things are just out of my control...

 

Best thing to look for is : A very deep wallet.

Why was it parked?