soontobered84

SAW,
A timing belt job on a 16 valve car is not that difficult. There are a lot of really good guides to help you along the way.
Even better, invite local owners, who may have done the timing belt job before, to your house to assist you in your maiden timing belt job. Ply them with alcohol and food and there is no limit what might be accomplished.
Seriously, plan on a full day the first time you do your timing belt on a 16 valve engine. (most of that will be cleaning) It only takes part of a day the more proficient you get.

prescott

Welcome! 928's are great cars and I drive mine all the time! I'm a NOOB to 928's (only own mine for 2 years). Read the stickies for new guys, especially on PPI....a lot of great information there. Then go get a PPI by somebody who KNOWS 928's (NOT the dealerships). Lots of great owners here have advice on a great 928 mechanic near the car for the PPI...so post the car's location. Automatics have a couple of special checks that have to be run to avoid buying a car whose engine is a lump.

Don't overpay for your 928. I bought my barn find 1988 that was supposed to be "perfect" and "needs nothing".....it cost $12+k in repairs to get it up to snuff. If that car is all original and hasn't had anything done on it since Reagan was in office, then let me tell you about my adventure....

Paint and interior were original and in great shape, and it ran (but I shouldn't have driven it 2 miles to the shop with those old belts and hoses...YIKES!). However, every piece of rubber on the car (hoses, belts, boots, motor mounts) needed replacement. Count on a new battery...these cars like to destroy marginal ones. My car sat for 11 years in Georgia, so the gas tank, fuel lines, fuel injectors and fuel pump were full of varnish and junk (tank was able to be cleaned out, new pump, fuel lines (important!), injectors were installed)....Gaskets on cars that have sat will leak once you start driving the car (Oil gaskets, oil neck filler, WP, intake manifold, and (most worrisome) the head can get corroded from old antifreeze). My front brake caliper was partially seized due to bad/old brake fluid (new lines/rebuilt calipers/rotors/fluid). Don't get me started on electrical gremlins....you learn quickly how to clean your CE panel, grounds on the car, and you will soon be able to replace a 53 relay as fast as you shift gears.

Bottom line....Deferred maintenance (which your prospective car has), electrical gremlins and old rubber fuel lines add up to BIG money and potential fire hazards. You really need to do some homework, thoroughly inspect the car so you KNOW what needs to be done and how much it will cost. Then deduct these very real costs off of the asking price. If you are mechanically inclined, than a 928 can be both a joy and a PITA. I'm not a great wrench, so I fix the easy stuff to save money. I don't have a lift, so I found a good independent P-car mechanic familiar with 928's. Some are hours drive away but worth it...they can save you lots of cash and headaches. Dealerships don't know 928's.

Post some pictures (interior, engine, exterior) as it will help with pricing. Looking back on it....I should have paid about $2 to 5k for my car, and I've dumped another 12k into it....and it would probably sell for $15 to 20k. These cars will test you mettle and the depth of your bank account. Go into owning one well informed....then once it is ready....enjoy the h*ll out of it! Best of luck.

Adk46

Buying one of these cars based on a superficial look actually does cover the most expensive parts of returning one to a functional beauty.

The "functional" part may be difficult to assess. Among all 928s, how many were purchased by someone who found a true 928 expert to do a PPI? Including a flex plate check?

It seems some cars have lived in benign environments, while others have suffered. Ozone? High temperatures or sun exposure? Salt? Just looking at the bolts with the perspective of having to unscrew them will be informative. Grime is OK, but crusty stuff - only the most determined owner will be happy with crust, particularly electrical crust.

If you read the FAQ, and get the car on a lift somewhere, you can judge many things yourself. Torn CV boots? Collapsed motor mounts? The test drive should tell you about the AC, shocks, etc. Make sure the tires are inflated properly, and figure out their age. Make sure you try every system, all the buttons.

You do these things not because you're going to reject a car that isn't perfect - it won't be - but to avoid over-paying. If you fall in love with the car, however, don't quibble too much. It's not going to be a wise investment, it's a passion. Just don't allow yourself to be abused by the relationship.

Wisconsin Joe

Why? There's nothing terribly difficult or unusual in the 16v TB/WP job, except maybe the WP bolts can be difficult (and there are a variety of techniques/tricks for them).

The 84 US isn't a "valve bender", so if you really screw it up, the engine stops.

It's simply parts bolted onto parts. The parts aren't cheap, but are readily available. Just call Roger and say "I'm doing a 16v TB/WP, send me what I need". Porken Tensioner is an upgrade some find appealing. New gears on the cams and oil pump may be necessary.

Find a good writeup, read it through several times, follow it. If you get stuck (and you probably will), post a "Doing a 16v TB/WP and (insert difficult issue here) is a problem" thread. Make the problem clear in your thread title (not just "Help I'm stuck") and you will get good solid advice.

These cars are fairly easy to work on, it just seems that I spend about 2:1 or 3:1 in time just getting to the things I'm actually replacing. That's one reason labor is such an issue with these cars.

skpyle

What Wisconsin Joe said.

SAWCoach...your ballpark estimate for the work might be a little light. $4k might be a starting point, depending upon who is doing the work.

My 'new' 1986.5 928S is under the knife right now having much the same done to her. The estimate started out at $4500, and is currently at $6600.

Granted, your results may vary. Just be aware that this is NOT cheap to work on. I do my own work. However, my 928 is 550 miles away at the moment.

If you play with bikes, then you understand fiddly. There is nothing to be afraid of in a 928. Get your tools and get in there. If you screw something up, I am POSITIVE someone on Rennlist has been there, done that, is still wearing the T-shirt, and will have a solution for you.

You can buy any and all the parts you need from any of the Big 3, plus all the odd specialty tools, manuals, etc...and still be much cheaper than having a shop do the work for you.

Something to keep in mind...

Good Luck no matter what you do!

Seth K. Pyle

James Bailey

Over all those years selling 928 parts the story I heard over and over was a new owner of a 928 would take the car in for service....it would then take far too long, cost far too much, and when they finally did get it back the car STILL had PROBLEMS.....that is when they stopped getting someone else to work on it...Not so much because they wanted to but simply in self defense they started to fix it. Many also simply never got anything fixed because it was "too expensive" which explains the state of so many poor neglected 928s. And how some very low miles cars got "stored".
Owning 928s is a great hobby if you have the time and desire (skills will come) to actually do the work. Paying someone else is quite a luxury And like most hobbies they are likely never going to make you money.

Foxbaker

HI there, all! Potential first time Porsche owner. On my way to look at a 1980 928. Seems to be in great shape. Everything works on it. (AC doesn't blow cold air-seller suspects it just needs freon, but that could be expensive for me to assume he's wrong). I think I asked all the right questions, but my biggest concerns are the wiring. He says the last owner had a lot of the wiring replaced. I guess I'll be looking at those records (has the records going back to 82). He's only asking $7,400. Any must ask questions unique to the 928 I should be asking? Thanks!!!


Mario,

Randy V

Unless this is about the same car in the OP, start your own thread.

bureau13

If you do some of your own wrenching on various cars already, there's no reason you should shy away from the timing belt job. If I did it (I did) then anyone can do it.