Daniel5691

As we all know, the internet is full of 'experts'.

I thought it might be interesting to see how much experience with the 928 has accumulated here on the forum.
Would you please consider sharing the following details?

Time,
Degree of 928-specific repair/restoration experience,
Technical education,
Outside technical or shop skills which are relevant,
Number of 928s you have repaired/restored,
Auto restoration/repair work other than the 928.

I'll start, because it will be incredibly brief:
A little over 1 1/2 years with my first 928 currently.
Learning as I go, each job is the first-time for me.
No formal training whatsoever.
No relevant outside technical skills whatsoever.
I have previously worked on an MG, an Opel GT, a 70's Chevy Camaro.

It will be fascinating to read your responses.
Thanks for your time.

Dan

xschop

I've chopped up a few.

Robert Rhubribb

LOL !!! Stay away from my car dude !!!

bureau13

About 1.5 years with my first and current 928.
No formal mechanical training
Electrical engineer, so some of the electrical stuff, although my career has been almost entirely in software, which there is precious little of in these cars.
I have previously worked on several vintages of RX-7, an RX-8, some minor work on my Hummer H3. None of this would really be considered advanced, although I did reverse engineer a NLA ECU daughter board for the 3rd gen RX-7, and then created a new version with available silicon. And it actually worked lol...

dr bob

Owned since late 1997
Worked on it since early 1998

Somewhat-competent DIY technician 7.
Scale: 0-10, with 0=Just Drives It, 11=GB

None 928-specific.
There are a couple engineering paper thingies that used to hang on the wall.
Otherwise three years of Romper Room.

Technical Writer
Tool Hoarder
Project Planner, Instructor
Project Manager, Instructor
Previous Victim, Instructor
Developed and taught Logical Problem Solving seminars for manufacturing and power industry engineers & technicians - mechanical & electrical


More than 15, fewer than 30, as clinic cars for repair/maintenance.
No 928-specific restoration experience beyond what you've read from me here on RL

Put myself through the first round of college holding the tools, working exclusively on "interesting" Euro cars.
After a few frame-up restorations on early Brit and Italian cars for myself, learned my lesson.
Tons of partial/system restorations, interior, paint, metal fab.
Successfuly campaigned several interesting race cars
Full restorations on a truckload (literally) of 80's GP motorcycles



Otherwise, I've got nothing.

wpgshark

Had my first project 928 for 2 years, ongoing, bought my second last year, it jumped to the front and is now complete.

Grew up on a farm, 30 years ago, so everything can be fixed, reverse engineered, improved, or eliminated, often in a hurry.

As a kid I hoped up a Nova and then a Scirroco, the Scirroco being the surrogate for the Porsche that I wanted.

Since then have done several Volvo's.

No formal training.

Have a knack, design all manner of stuff for a living, lots of controls, a couple of patents.

Not much for TV and like a challenge, in addition to the 928 ongoing projects include a restoration of a Volvo C70 convertible, front end replacement, frame, on a Volvo S60, my wife's next DD. And probably the worst time value mistake I've made, the rebuild of a fiberglass bass boat that was run over by a larger boat, almost cut in half. One of those it can't be fixed, yes it can. Similar to hold my beer and watch this. With the structural improvements, if the accident occurs again the hull of the larger boat should suffer more damage

And that in a nutshell is that.

the flyin' scotsman

Owned: S4 since 2000 GTS since 2012 Cayenne since last year and worked on them all.
Tech. Experience: mechanic training from father and worked in shops prior to returning to university
Tech Ed: Telecom Engineer
Outside tech skills: multiple
928s maintained/ repaired: my own and many others; known as the 928 guy around these parts
auto resto: grew up with Brit cars and motorcycles so many many. Also North American cars, multiple Japanese m/cycles including GP bikes (past racer)

Koenig-Specials 928

♥ Bought my first 928 in 1981. Was a 911 freak before that.
♥ Chem Engineer turned Nuke Eng (retired)
♥ Nuke Oversight (Quality Assurance)
♥ Currently on my fourth 928 for 16 years now. Maintained all of them so far.
♥ I repair all my vehicles incl a F360 Modena Spider with help from others

mark kibort

Owned: 79 928, '84 928S, and two S4s and converted them into race cars.
Tech/pro Experience: Aero/ electromechanical engineering , focusing on air flow and motion control systems
Tech Ed: Aero Engineering/Robotics
Outside tech skills: Hack electronics, parrot auto mechanic.
928s maintained/ repaired/ race cars built from near scratch : 7
auto resto: grew up with American, Japanese, Italian cars and motorcycles from dirt, ricer to harleys. Nothing ever built to show room conditions, all very functional though!
Main skilll sets: figuring out how things work and making them work better.
20 years + racing experience with over 150 flag to flag races
Instructor/Coach/competitor
autoracing
skiing (water/snow)
Track and field
football
baseball
fitness
[/QUOTE]

Cosmo Kramer

First 928 was purchased in 2009, an 85 auto. Refreshed and supercharged it myself using a highly modified FAST kit. Sold car in 2011 and had a 996 after that briefly. Purchased a 1988 S4 5 speed last year, had an engine fire and brought it back to life. Shortly after had a foreign object fall into cyl 4 and had to pull passenger side head and fish it out!

My experience was growing up in the country with a large garage and always working on stuff, motorcycles, snowmobiles, cars, tractors, whatever needed fixing.

JWise

Answers in blue above

The Deputy

Owned these two 928's for a little over a year now, basic repairs...timing belt, motor mounts, water pump and an assortment of other issues.

Been a mechanic for thirty eight years, fully certified in auto and heavy duty mechanical, seen the inside of more engines than a man probably should...but it's all been good. Mostly diesel mechanic now, rarely work on gas. That's why I'm looking forward to getting this engine out of the 78...it will be like old times.

Two years of vocational training in high school, several vocational/mechanical classes at both St. Clair and Macomb county colleges; also have been through Cumins, Detroit Diesel, IC (International), Cat engine courses and Allison transmission week long study courses (hands on).

Assoicated skills: auto body repair/paint, welding and fabrication (aluminum/steel).

The only three 928's I've worked on were my own. One has been disassembled, great learning experience for finding out the finer details on assemble process. The 84 is a driver and the 78 is a retirement restoration project.

Was a "car guy" for several years earlier on in my life, making every chevy/gm product imaginable as fast as possible, then switched gears and found myself jacking up 4X4's and jeeps and playing in the mud...then kids came along and gave up being a motorhead to raise them...plus, I was getting kind of burned-out on wrenching anyway. Was having my fill at work, so mountain/road bike riding, coaching the kids baseball teams...became my "get away" from mechanical stuff.

Enjoy working on the 928's, so far, and hopefully my restoration will take me a few years to complete.

Brian.

Ad0911

A lot of geniusses here, let me balance it out with my contribution:
Time, 928 Since 2006. Out of service due to repairs since 2007
Degree of 928-specific repair/restoration experience,
Gained along the way, based on previous experience with beetle and 911.
928 experience:
General dismantling and putting back together, TT bearings, clutch, brake lines, calipers, suspension F&R, instrument cluster, engine (heads, TB, WP), bodywork, paint (parts of it), electrics, door windows, wipers, lots of bodywork.
Technical education,
None. Self educated by reading and doing step by step. Lots of listening to other, more experienced people. I am a master distiller by profession, a food technologist by education
Outside technical or shop skills which are relevant,
Self criticism, Qualtiy Control & Quality Assurance
Number of 928s you have repaired/restored, : my 1978 is my first
Auto restoration/repair work other than the 928.
: VW beetle '76: mechanical jobs (everything)
Porsche 911 '71: dismantling, total body restoration including making my own rig, mechanical stuff yet to be done.
Planned to be on the road: 2016!!! (at least before all 40y celebrations in 2017)

John Speake

928 owner since 1997.
Educated to degree level in electrical/electronics.
Design engineer, high performance radio receivers for 40 years.

Owned many motorcycles; Triumph twins, Ariel Square 4, Rudge 4 valve, Vincent twin, did lots of rebuilding/tuning on these.

Owned various cars including Rover SD1 V8s (modified); Opel Manta 2.4 litre. The Porsche 928.
I work on my 928 as much as time and energy allow.

Started jdsporsche in 2002 which keep me busy !

Always interested in tuning anything I get hold of :-)

Rennlist is a fantastic resource..... thanks to everyone...

worf928

Background: I bought my '91 in 1997. By Spring of 1998, with the help of the Porschfans mailing list and a couple of 'trials' with local shops I came to the conclusion that I could not get the 928 service for which I was willing to pay. I bought the shop manuals, starting reading them, starting doing basic maintenance, started accumulating tools, and began doing repairs methodically.

The first 'intake removal' writeup was mine and is still on 928 International's website along with a few others.

By 2000, I decided I needed a project and bought my '89GT. I got my money's worth in terms of projects. In 2002 a local rennlister cajoled me into correcting mistakes made by his shop. After that I started getting referrals through him and The Big Three (which at the time were The Big Two.)

At the end of 2005 after selling my company I settled into a pattern of doing management consulting gigs intersperced with focused work on 928s for local owners. By 2007 I was getting 928s on flatbeds from owners who had given-up on other shops.

In 2010 I went back to work full-time, focused my 928 work on my previous customers and stopped taking all but the most interesting-to-me referrals for 928 work. I work seven days a week.

16.2c S.B. in Aeronautical Engineering with concentration in Avionics from 'the local-to-Boston Technical Institute.'

My professional experience is software: I debug things for a living (some in my own work, a lot in other's.)

50+

Almost none. 99% of my wrench turning is on 928s. I don't even change
the oil on my Audis myself;

But, I will be doing work as time goes by on the 981 and 991.