Imo000

Screw that......buy the $2 S4 intead, get it road worthy and then slowly fix it if you want to....or just drive it as-is as long as it's mechanically sorted out and safe.

jerybak

I made the jump on my 87 auto in October 2015......and have been lucky IMO.

MY87 928 daily driver and the maint history was/is sckechy at best, I tracked some kind of regular maint up to about 57k miles via carfax report, but no documentation as the dealership that did the work converted to digital and doesn't have the original papers on what was done at each visit. As such I don't think the timing belt/water pump had been completed, but the flappy works yea!!! No belt tension alarms to speak of yet and we have been driving it daily here around town and have put on about 3k miles locally.

Background of car is, it had 58k miles on it, it sat for 2+ years before I got it & under Roger's & this forums guidance I have completed the below:

1. New AGM Battery
2. New Starter
3. New Air Filter / Oil Change
4. New fuses & various relays, cleaned ground points
5. Replaced Fuel Filter, Pump & check valve
6. Replaced Fuel Regulator & Dampers
7. Replaced Fuel Lines
8. Replaced Spark plugs & Ignition wire Set
9. Replaced Pinch Bolts & Installed RiTech Clamp
10. Various Vac Lines, coolant lines, trans lines (fluids replaced)
11. SS Brake lines (fluid replaced w/ ATE Gold)
12. X Pipe is fitted
13. EZ Chip is installed (Ken's Chip)
14. 24lb Design II injectors & LH Chip (to be installed next week)
15. 996 Rims (needs new tires)
16. New Audio System/ Subs
17. Various light bulbs (driving, fog, brake, dome, etc)
18. Replaced sunroof & both window switches
18. Purchased hard bound manuals

I would suspect you will be performing items 1-11 from the above list straight away, I did this work with a buddy of mine on his lift and kicked him some cash. But for items 1-11 with your own wrench time plan on spending $3k on parts alone. Labor can be any where from $1500-$4k depending on your selection.

For me this 928 has been good as it keeps me & my $ focused on one toy....instead of HO Slot Cars, Scale Trains, RC Helos, RC Cars, RC Trucks, RC Drones, Golden Tee Golf Machines, Arcade Games, Foosball Tables, Stretched & Widened 49cc Scooters, and a mess of other hobbies I dropped coin on, I can spend $ on this project and it keeps my interest and perhaps is an investment, maybe.

Water pump & timing belt are up next for me as I am now at the 60k mark, I will be installing Ken's tensioner also so their is another $2k on parts & labor you will need as item no. 12 on your list, but at the end of the day I am happy with my 928 decision.

Cosmo Kramer

^^THIS^^

OP didn't say he wanted to buy a sorted example.

Nothing wrong with a long term project, sometimes working on these cars is all the fun!

Just as long as you realize what the work load and costs are, and you are capable, do it!

928 DesMoines

If you haven't bought the 2k car, please send the contact info. How is the paint? Any pictures of the car?

linderpat

Jeez Stan, why do you do that? I am so tempted!

Bigfoot928

or decades.... that is how so many of these cars get mothballed and go down for the permanent dirt nap...

Many people get sucked into "I can save this one~!" None of them are like Christine and roll back the odometer and fix themselves when you are not around...

Just food for thought

Loudogrules

Buying it isnt a forever commitment, you could pick it up, se if you can beat some life back into the paint, maybe you can get it running and while youre doing that you can learn a lot about these cars and what you reeeaally want done already when you buy one, if you do the work yourself you can probably make a few bucks selling it then make a MUCH mkre educated decision on the next one. Ive owned 3, made money on the first two, could make money on the current one but im gonna give it some time and see if its perfect (for me) i bought my last car for 1600 bucks, spent around 800 bucks in parts, got it running pretty well, be careful with your steps to get it running, one move out of order and you can foul or break parts thatll cost you! I sold that one for 3600, just my two cents

Speedtoys

^^Great points..but the condition we read here W/O photos, sounds like it's a few thousand behind the curve on investment/flip potential.

MarkW flipped an S4 for $2500 in, and the only reason it didn't run was one coil wire came off. The rest of the investment was cleaning and an intake refresh and rear wheel bearings for the most part..and a long list of other small things.

Sold for around $8k or so.

Flipping can be done, but solid runners need to generally be square 1.

19psi

I'd be there asap with cash in hand at that price.

Being that you're looking for a project, it's safe to assume you have a valid man-card and won't be paying $216 for an oil change or over $1,100 for something as simple as a blower motor replacement.
When it comes to parts, there are several great vendors to choose from. Their prices are reasonable and if something is NLA, they'll often have a quality alternative available.

jetson8859

Bought mine for $3,800 off ebay, sight unseen in March of 2014. Didn't know anything about Rennlist or thrust bearing failure, timing belt/water pump, fuel lines etc. but did do a PPI and she had many issues. If you want a project and have capability or resources go for it. If not then follow 77Tonys advice and buy Stan's car. The reason is simple, if you can't document any previous maintenance and that it wasn't done by someone who knows 928s not just Porsche them you will probably need to do the work anyway. Stan is one of the most 928 knowledgeable guys in the country and you can rest assured that he has sorted everything out.

Here is my thread of progress and there are many others.

https://rennlist.com/forums/928-forum/835244-new-87-s4-owner-introduction-and-refurbish.html

I took mine on knowing no history and with tge thought that I would do everything needed to make her a daily driver and give myself a baseline for future maintenance. The stories are many here of guys who have taken many years and those who have taken less to refurbish these cars. Depends on your resources, finances and time.

I have spent quite a bit and still have another $8-10K for a few interior issues and complete respray to get here completed....to my desires. I do drive her almost everyday and can say I enjoy it more and more.

Good luck the people on this site will support you at whatever level you decide to take on.

Adk46

The community here is going to be torn between encouraging you to save a car and giving you good personal advice.

If saving a car is important to you - it is a worthy goal, and many hours of fun - go ahead. If you think starting very low and making "payments" over many years is a good financial approach - probably not. If driving the car is important to you, buy a better one. As has been well said, it will still require a good bit of time and money, more than most normal people have.

The inhabitants of this forum are not normal! You are showing signs of the same affliction, so whatever you do, pursue your own 928.

Wisconsin Joe

Bingo. Best line of the thread.

The idea that the most expensive Porsche to own is the cheapest to buy is absolutely true.

If you are looking for a long term project, something that will never return the money invested in it (not counting the time), but something that you can make yours and know that it's on the road because of you, then go for it.

Restoring any car is a losing proposition (with a very few exceptions). While the values of 928s are rising, I highly doubt that they will ever reach the stratospheric heights that the 911s are seeing (and I strongly suspect that that bubble will burst badly in the next few years).

For that price, buy it, work on it, maybe get it running and driving. Depending on what it takes to get it to there, you may be able to sell it and recoup most of your money (or part it out). Then take the knowledge you've gained and find a "keeper." Or keep it and keep going with it.

F451

If you truly want a project, I would low ball the hell out of him and see what he says. Show up with a trailer and cash in hand, who knows, he might be glad to just clear out the space.

When evaluating cars I like the "3 major areas to evaluate" approach: 1. paint/body work, 2. mechanical, 3. interior. Depending on how many of those are in good shape, I start negotiating from there.

Sounds like this car doesn't have any of the 3 in good shape, so low ball away I say. And depending on how it checks out it sounds like it very well be worth the $2k, but no harm in making an offer.

Good luck and keep us posted. -Ed

Speedtoys

Just...so we're clear. Those were the records when I got the car. Not work I had done.

soontobered84

How are you going to "lowball" a guy selling an S4 for $2K?

He's already lowballed himself.