Going to buy a 928 S4 with 55.000 miles. Records are good and car seems great, but the low mileage scares me. What to look out for ?

 

Hi, what year?

 

Three months ago I bought a 1987 928 S4 as the third owner. I knew the shop where it was serviced since that ownership. If possible find out where it was serviced and talk to them. It was crazy because I spent a year looking for a 5 spd and couldn't find one and bought an automatic 8 months before the 5spd with 78K on the clock. LOL. Now I own two but both very nice cars. I may sell the auto, not sure yet. Like them both. Gary

 

I'm trying to look back, two years ago as of yesterday, when I might have asked this question. What sort of simple answer was I looking for? Probably the specific big problems often noted for individual old cars, such as leaking rear seals and IMS bearings in old Boxsters.

Just two of that sort, I think: the timing belt and tensioner, and the thrust bearing issue for automatics. The list is much longer, but those two things are on top, in bold. I'm going out on a limb here, qualified to say only as a relative newcomer myself.

A glance at the new visitor thread will tell you more about these things. Not many depend on miles so much as time - exposure to conditions that cause trouble to rubber, plastic and electrical connections.

The members of this forum are big fans of pro-active maintenance, since they like to drive their cars a lot. If you follow their lead, you'll have a car where the parts that get old have all been replaced.

 

Oh how refreshing it is to read these words! Over on the Ferrari forum, if you car has more than 6k miles it must be a completely worn out junker.
I drive my cars, all of my cars, and they run and drive much better for it.
As far as this 928- follow the advice the others have posted. Don't be afraid of the mileage (high or low), it's all about how they have been maintained. This is true for all cars, imho.

 

I'd start with computers and sensors (LH and MAF) because they will not work tomorrow unless replaced. After that it's timing belt (I bought an 87 with an 18-year-old timing belt on it once, that ran fine), and everything under the intake that would concern me. And there's your relays, too, for good measure.

 

Fuel lines, fuel lines, fuel lines.

 

I bought my '87 S4 (w 54k) with very limited information on maintenance and I did the following in order...

Fuel lines, fuel filter, heater control valve, cleaned grounds (most of them), ATF, ATF filter, ATF gasket, new fuses, replaced relays for ignition, starter, EZK and LH, adjusted crank end play and replaced both pinch bolts, RiTech Clamp, oil, oil filter, new exhaust hangers, replaced coolant and hoses, new water-bridge gaskets and thermostat, oil filer neck paper gasket...

I believe the timing belt was done over 10 years ago, so that is next on my list.

When I purchased mine, I was torn between one with maintenance and higher miles or one with little known maintenance with low miles. I figured to really get to know the car and ensure it is reliable, I need to dig in and get my hands dirty.

 

If you can swing it, have a true 928 expert look it over.

 

Step 1 - search and read RL and Pelican.
Step 2 - get a PPI performed by someone competent
Step 3 - search and read RL and Pelican.

https://rennlist.com/porsche-928-faq...se-inspection/

http://forums.pelicanparts.com/porsc...ues-fixes.html