Adk46

A question, which I'll put as concisely as possible:

You buy a fairly typical 928 - running, driven moderately, but no preventative maintenance ever performed. Shocks worn, tires are ancient, TB and WP are old, motor mounts are flat, leaky AC, and anything under the intake is suspect.

What is the typical cost for a DIY guy to get it to proper running condition, as a typical member of this forum defines it?

I ask because I think that's my case, and my cost is going to be less than is often stated. I have not added it up, actually, and have a bit more to do, but I'm pretty sure it's going to be about $5,000.

Don't ignore all my "typicals" - many of us are not typical. Well, perhaps none of us, generally, but you know what I mean.

Mrmerlin

year model will change the cost,
the newer it is the more it will cost.
for example an intake refresh on an early car will run about 1200 in parts,
the 32 V S3 about 2.5K includes the cost of PC intake and cam covers, you do the labor
the 32V S4 about 3K includes the cost of PC intake and cam covers you do the labor.

harveyf

I did a top end refresh article on my website that I included my parts cost.

http://newhillgarage.com/2015/07/15/...p-end-refresh/

FredR

My "costometer" tells me that to get a decent 928 you are going to have to part with a minimum of $25k one way or another. Cheap examples will invariably need a repaint and a new interior to a lesser or greater extent and that is likely to set you back $10k on cosmetics given few if any can actually do the work themselves. For a dog you can easily blow $10k on parts and then some- that may sound a bit strong but given you can spend $3k on the inlet refurb, one major setback- say gearbox refreshment- ding- another $5k to Dr Brown's account? Wheels and tires can set you back a bundle but at the very least $2k for a set of cheap wheels and tyres? Throw in a set of discs and pads all round- another $2k?

Not difficult to see how $25k can easily disappear without trace and that without horror stories such as TBF. There are so many other things that can go pop - I have only covered a random selection but if one gets into a decent looking and reliable example for less than I indicated I reckon you are doing well indeed.

A very good well sorted S4 is likely going to cost you at least $20k, a good GT or a GTS a good bit more and there will still be some bills.

There will be exceptions but what I found interesting back in the UK a few years ago at a 928 event was that of the 20 examples I saw only one met my expectations- the rest ranged from grotty to down right awful. Maybe that was not a representative sample but I suspect it was.

Rgds

Fred

zekgb

I'm into the TB/WP/Intake/Ignition/Fuel System refresh on my S3 for $5.5K before I pulled the engine because of a burnt valve. That's only the engine mechanicals and doesn't count the torque tube, blower motor, motor mounts, steering rack bushings and AC compressor which have already been fixed and the shocks and suspension components that are next on the list. Best advice is to hide your calculators and uninstall Excel before you get started.

Loudogrules

Good ones go pretty cheap around here, eugene to portland oregon. Keep an eye on our craigslist. Ive seen unbelievable 928s and never one over 17k and that car had 25k miles and had been spruced to around 425 hp, not sure what available atm but fairly regularly they pop up, just wish i had 17k to drop on one

Loudogrules

This ones fair, not the best example ive seen but ive considered buying it more than a few times. https://portland.craigslist.org/wsc/cto/5410154859.html

928S MN

For my 85 S3 I'm into it for ~$6 K for the TB/WP/Intake/Ignition/Fuel System/Intake Manifold Powder Coating/Motor Mounts/Shifter Linkage refresh and parts upgrades. Searched 3 years to find a rust free 5 Spd with LSD. Figure I have another easy $2K to go to get the interior up to a decent caliber.

I also voraciously read and educated myself thru this forum. I went in with my eyes as wide open as I could get them. Knew I wanted a project car from a German manufacturer because of how well they'd been built.

Yes the cost is there, but being able to spend time with my Son and Son-in-Law working on this project? Well you just can't put a price on that.

dr bob

So much depends on how you define "Our Standard". My definition may be way different from others; there's a pretty broad spectrum of "acceptable" within our own community. Go to any of the larger gatherings/events for some grapic illustrations. Read about the latest "look what I found for so cheap!" thread here and the follow-up posts suggesting cheap/just-enough-to-get-by solutions.

To the subject: Dive into the parts catalogs and cost sheets to see the current costs of the rubber bits essential for safe and hopefully reliable operation of a newly-purchased car. I used to suggest $5k in parts cost only as a starting point. As the cars age though, suspension parts are getting into the list of rubber parts, so add another $1.5k for rebuilt control arms. If you put the WYAIT items in there, the rubber parts allowance can easily triple or more. eg: Replacing fuel lines in the rear adds a fuel filter and banjo washers, and there's a 74% chance you'll need a new S pipe. Gets way deeper if you decide to go after the fuel pump(s) and in-tank hose and strainer. Intake refresh is another example, where the basic hose costs are a fraction of the project cost if you include powder-coating or painting the intake, the idle stabilizer, boots and connectors, oil filler neck and gaskets, water bridge and seals, thermostat and seals... The timing belt is probably the cheapest part of the timing belt project. Same with motor mounts if you use the Volvo parts.

So, how much should a cheap car cost? If you look at end market value minus costs to make it safe and reliable (not including any cosmetics), a large percentage of cars for sale have a liability number that's significantly bigger than the sale price; You have negative equity as soon as you sign the check.

Planning on a stellar example like a Kermit or a Chuck Z GTS, or a Rob & William-level resto? It has to be for love, 'cuz it sure isn't about the money.


So what is "our standard"?

Adk46

I'd say that you define the very high end of the range, Bob. I'm striving to be no better than typical; for me, that's a stretch.

As I see it - and from looking at cars at Frenzy - "our" standard is to work on our car until maintenance is up to date, it's unlikely to fail from any of the common failure modes, and it pretty much drives as it did when new - 90%, say.

The cause and effect may be uncertain at this point, but perhaps the Dwayne standard is our standard.

FredR

How true- this is why I believe most of "the project cars" have negative equity of circa $20k. I also used to recommend $5k negative equity for reasonable examples but nowadays that is probably closer to $10k.

Very clean well sorted examples are few and far between and invariably undervalued but I have a feeling that is not going to last much longer reading between the lines.

As the value of 911's soars it is inevitable that there will be a knock on effect as those who previously might have purchased such default to the 928 and other forgotten relatives.

Regards

Fred

Adamant1971

I would say 5k US (8k funny money) for the average 928, assuming the interior is not trashed. And that's doing your own work, so parts only.

jcorenman

To quote James Bailey: "You're only $10K away from having a $5K car !!"

Oh, you wanted a $10K car?? Just change the $10K above to $20K...

James Bailey

And I was avoiding commenting on this thread

RKD in OKC

When I bought my 94 GTS from Willhoit's i spent $0.00 to make it a VERY nice car and bring the maintenance up-to-date.

About the same time another rennlister bought a similar featured GTS for $5K less, then spent $10K to make it a VERY nice car and bring the maintenance uu-to-date.