Rhetro

Good point... I may need to re-think this whole "vintage car" plan.

dr bob

I used my 928 for DD duty for over a dozen years "whenever practical", the limitation that I didn't sit parked in SoCal commuter traffic between the beach and my office in Pasadena. I had another car for that duty. On Fridays it would get the call though, when I could go in a little after traffic and leave after the bulk was out of the way. For the first half-dozen years of that I was single and had the time for the extra care needed. Car sat in climate-stable covered parking at both ends on work days. Once I sold that business and 'retired' from that commute, the other car went away after a while. Got married, and had K's car as a fall-back when weather wasn't that great. But in SoCal those days were few, and I had no commute except to the airport.

Through all that, only a few times did the car let me down, each time in the garage or driveway, and nothing really extraordinary.

There are times when I remind myself that a lot of the pleasure of owning the car includes the "therapy" time I get to spend on keeping it maintained, and also on keeping it nice. The maintenance component isn't really that serious, except for... Timing belt effort every five to seven years, and... There isn't really anything else that jumps out beyond maintenance you'd do on any car. There's some annual-ritual stuff around keeping electrical gound connections clean, but otherwise most work is shedule-based rather than needs-based. Fluid services of course, tires, shocks and suspension bushings, brakes at about the same frequency as the timing belt changes. There are a few every-100k needs around fuel and vent hoses, injectors and such, but those are no more often than any "normal" car really needs them.

FWIW, the car is on the lift in the garage now after I spotted a small engine oil spot on the garage floor. It's probably going to get a serious undercarriage cleaning and detailing, when I'll discovere that the oil sump gasket is seeping and needs a little snugging up. Then a short while later, the sump will come off for a new gasket. The gasket isn't at all expensive, but it can be a long messy day under there dropping the front suspension and the crossmember to change it. Looks like a winter project... But it's there and will bother me until it's right.

So much depends on how the car is used and stored between uses. Same as on any car really. The 928 hardly has any exclusive rights to all the electrical problems. The challenge is that it's tough to find folks who are willing to work on them .and. are able to read and diagnose from the electrical drawings in the workshop manuals. The Good News part of this is that we are blessed with a rather supportive group of owners here and in a few other places. There are very few problems with the cars that someone hasn't already experienced, so we get a big running start on problems thanks to the sharing and caring community here.

Best Practices on any 928 you buy will include replacing relays, cleaning contacts and connections, replacing a few known critical cables etc, all as soon as you get the car. None of this is rocket science really, more like "this particular group of relays will keep you from getting home." So before that happens, spend $30 on new relays and avoid that excitement completely. Same with cleaning battery connections and replacing a known-weak-spot battery ground strap. Lots of electrical low-voltage issues magically disappear when the battery ground strap is replaced and the various ground points on the car are cleaned, then coated with a little Vaseline.

Many have walked this path before you. Those same folks will do everything possible to help you make the right decision, based on their own experiences and what we have learned from others before us. Don't be afraid to step up to some of the easy stuff yourself when you find your car. Know that it might easily be $20-25k by the end of the first year of ownership, assuming there are no major issues with the car you choose.

Adk46

First, my own experience after about a year: No failures - or rather, no new failures. A number of things don't work (CC, AC has a six-month leak, hatch release is wonky, gages all seem inaccurate). I addressed many deferred maintenance issues over the winter - timing belt "plus", motor mounts "plus", CV boots, shocks. "Plus" means the standard things one does at the same time. I have plans to do the standard preventative work under the intake manifold this winter, and perhaps address the non-working bits.

I bought a small lift. I've spent about $2,000 on parts and newish tires.

Result: It's become my favorite car. Partly because I've found it to be very rewarding to drive a car I've been improving. All other cars I've owned have gotten worse as I've owned them. In no way is a 928 a better car than my Cayman, except a bicycle fits more easily in the back. The Cayman is just too easy, or something - it is not challenging to own except writing out the check. It is very special, but not nearly as special as a 928. Nor is a vintage 911 as special, in my book - it is a well-worn path. (I do want one, though, the same model the OP wants: the newest no-nanny tail-swapper, with a G50 transmission. They cost roughly the same as what I'd get for the Cayman....)

Second, the key thing is what sort of owner do you want to be? There are three categories, I suppose: 1) Like most folks on this forum, you'll make the car better as you own it, usually by doing the work yourself and enjoying it. 2) You'll use your checkbook and a nearby 928 mechanic liberally to make the car better as you own it. Or 3), you'll just drive it, then sell it when it becomes too much trouble (hopefully without parking it in the sun for ten years first).

Few here will give their blessing to the third type. But those folks may have more time and money for other fun things, so I make no judgment. Anyway, most of us get our cars from them, cheap, so we mustn't complain too much.

C531XHO

I bought a 1981 4.7litre S. It's been fantastic and no major issues in 6months of regular use. Changed the timing belt myself and done all fluids. Cleaned a few grounds to get rid of rougue warning lights, that's it. Recommend the 4.7 over the 4.5 as it has 300bhp v 240 in the UK. Compared to later S4s I think it is much better looking and also doesn't have an interference engine like the S2&S4s - no big bill if the belt does ever snap. Early cars also avoid the problem with flex plate/clamp movement and pressure on the crank thrust bearings which can result in block write off. Not sure if I would DD it as I think it would detract from the feel when I do drive it but if you can do some spam wring it's quite possible, only the fuel bill...
David

safulop

I've used my S4 as my one and only car for 4.5 years, it has rarely let me down. If I have to keep it in the shop I rent a car. It's still way cheaper than owning two cars. This summer I ran into big problems and it was laid up for 3 months, but that was a period when I was not working and out of the country. I would say if you have a good maintenance budget (figure $3,000 /year if you don't do any of the work yourself) you can keep it up as a daily--as literally your one and only car.

-Sean

mj1pate

Buy the best you can afford, like any other classic, aging car. I've owned my 86 for 7 years and have spent average $900 a year on maintenance. The experience will be best and most affordable if you do own wrenching. I'm currently running a thread in which mine has recently for the first time become stubbornly resistant to start. the cause may have been damage from contaminated fuel. In any event, I don't expect to break the $900 barrier this year. Team up with an experienced member and have some phone discussions about the significance of prepurchase examinations. That significant step is where to pick a winner or loser

James Bailey

Call or visit your local Porsche specialist shops. Ask if they have any 928s in for work...ask how long they have been there and approx what the repair estimate is. Even check the local Porsche dealer to see IF they will still work on a 928....some decline since their current techs were not trained on the 928.
Over the years my wife and I drove 928s But big but always had one or more backup cars and I worked at 928 International so had everything available that I might need to fix one.
No twenty five year old car is going to be reliable not even a Porsche....

dr bob

My annual 928 budget probably averages a couple $thousand all in. Some of that is insurance. Rest is parts and such. The challenge seems to be getting a car to the point where you are past the "surprises" stages, and on to where you pretty much have only planned maintenance to deal with. Thanks to this list and the shared experiences of the members, you can easily build a matrix of things that will need attention. The fun part then is assigning places on the car's life calendar when you'll need to do something to best avoid the negative experiences we read about. Staying ahead of reactionary repair scheduling is key to a good ownership experience. For me, there are "bellweather" cars and owners from whom guidance comes. When somebody asks a question or reports a failure, it's a cue to look where their car is in its life relative to mine, examine the same system on my car to evaluate probability and timing of a similar failure, and add the needed service to my list of to-do's. Turns out you are all guinea pigs in my extended ownership experiment. And I thank you all for sharing as it make my mission so much easier.

James Bailey

I almost edited my comments Dr Bob because of his detailed preemptive replacement of known wear items does have a reliable 25 year old Porsche. There are a few others as well......but sadly the typical 928 being offered for sale needs tons of work no matter how shiney the paint or the amount of Armor all on the runber.

Rhetro

Hey folks,


I made my move. An 04 White 996 coupe. I can't thank you guys enough for all the help, and didn't want to leave here without saying thanks.


See you around!

Hilton

Congratulations, and welcome to the Porsche fold!

dr bob

Thanks for sharing your decision. 996 cars are currently under appreciated market-wise, IMHO. I hope you found one that's current on everything so you can drive and enjoy it.

I have a habit of not driving other peoples' toys, a bow to a lifelong habit of buying one of every toy I've played with. SoCal 928 owner Larry M decided he was ready to change gears, and found a deal on a well-used 996. I did a few things to it for him on his new car, and almost went shopping for one after driving his. Then Rolf R sold his 928 to Sean in Fresno, and a 996 cab replaced it ands Camry. Both guys happy with their choices. SoCal is paradise for a convertible Porsche... Hmmm. Still have my 928 and no room for more toys in the garage right now. I'd look hard at a good cayenne tt I suspect. I convinced K to sit in one but she'd rather have the space in her 4runner she says. Not a car person although she tolerates most of my car habits. Anyway--

Enjoy your new toy!

Wisconsin Joe

Congrats on your new toy.

Glad you got what you wanted. Even more so that you didn't decide against the 928 based on the "myths and misinformation" that so many believe.

ForceReconTrojan

I read this thread as I am now on the hunt for a 928. I have a 951 and learned all about having a solid PM plan. I also have a 987 Spyder and just sold my 993t. I use a Tesla for a DD or FJ Cruiser so this would be a 6th car and used on the occasional day.

My budget is not set but between 20-35 seems to be my sweet spot as I know the slope I'm entering and regardless of how nice it is I will want to make it better. I believe that one of the better 928 shops is here in OC so I think that is a plus. I am looking at several currently and trading emails. I have been a member on the board awhile and have read a lot of threads and welcoming one here all the way through. I will PPI whatever I buy and will error on the high side in selecting my car. The 928 is awesome looking car and my goal is to have one of the best. I believe I accomplished that on my 951 and it's rock solid with just about everything that can or should be done to make it a safe, fun and dependable 30 year old Porsche done.

Any of you have leads on one please let me know.

ForceReconTrojan

I'm sure you know but make sure you have that IMS inspected.