HIGHWAYMAN: Bringing the Devore 928 back from the dead
 

Let's get one thing out of the way first....you don't know me. I'm active in the Porsche world but not on forums for the most part. About 3 months ago, I bought the Devore 928 from Bisimoto.

I do recall some banter about how Bisi did not have title, sticky lawsuits, and a bunch of bull. However, I buy cars from lien sales all the time, and after looking over what Bisi had, I bought the Devore 928. there were no problems. Apparently the CA DMV agrees, because I am sitting here looking at the Pink.

I have 5 other Porsches. None of them are 928s, although I have owned 3 (three) 928S4s in the past, all three of them 1987s.

I've been steadily working on the car in between other projects, and I waited for a while to do this thread because I wanted to really assess the condition of the car before I started tearing it apart.

GOAL: TO BUILD IT BACK INTO A RACE CAR

The pics are out there as to what the car looked like when Bisi had it. On the surface, it looked pretty good:
-OMP Seats, 5 point harnesses
- Fuel cell
- Cage
- Fire system
- Kevlar bodywork on all 4 corners with Dzus fasteners

In reality, the car has lots of problems, at least for me:
-Seats expired (1996 vintage)
- Seatbelts with a 1989 date (!)
- Fuel cell with a 1992 date
- Fire system older than my grandma

It has some really great ****:
- custom rear suspension with special banana arms, heim joints, etc.
- The awesome kevlar bodywork
- the cage is well done
- most windows are acrylic
- It has a G28.55 trans
- the BBS wheels

Then it has some things that you just wonder what the hell they were thinking:

- 27 Gallon fuel cell (!!!)
- Someone left the key ignition system intact, so you have a column lock on a race car. Not cool.
- The rear hatch still has its key lock
- It had four (4) fuel pumps, and a maze of AN plumbing

LET'S ALSO GET ONE THING OUT OF THE WAY:

This thread is not about bashing the PO. I don't know this guy from a hole in the ground, but I do question his tastes. Apparently his contributions were limited to some custom upholstered pasha seats (gone), a questionable livery of false sponorship stickers, and some key items painted yellow. 'Nuff said.

First things First
 

In the last three months, I gutted the car.

Out went the:
-Seats
-Belts
-fire system
-fuel system
-windshield (replaced with acrylic)
- those ridiculous driving lights that weighed like 50 pounds right on the nose of the car.
- the ancient computer system and AIRSensors control box (Sorry Bob Devore, it's ancient tech now)

To do:
-Replace the quarter glass with acrylic
- Install new fuel cell
- Install new fire system
-Install new seats
- Get rid of those hideous stickers with the false sponsorships!

Rear Suspension
 

Bob Devore was kind of a genius in my book, and he did some way cool stuff to the ass end of this car. First of all, I don't know of any 928 that has tires this wide: 15" wide in the back, 12" in the front. These pics show you how that was accomplished.

Oh, and final installment for tonight:

Carl Fausett has been busy building the motor. Normally, I build my own motors; far be it for someone else to touch my hardware. In this case, Carl has probably the most experience building race motors than anyone, and also, I was sold on the fact that he could break the motor in on his dyno, meaning that I could just turn the key and drive.

Carl, feel free to chime in!

So..where are you?

:)

^Hmm. Of all the questions I thought I'd get, that's an odd one. Orange County, CA

Well, if you ever need anything...you'll find that was the most important thing we need to know. :)

Profile updated!

What do you plan on doing with car once completed?

The lower control mod is interesting, as I need to do the same to mine. I have 8x12's on the back and with the 13.5 wide 335's. When the car is on the ground the lower control arms, clear the tires by 3/8ths of an inch but when the car is lifted off the ground the sidewall rubs on the lower control arm. Can you send me more pics of the control arms? and also provide how much has been clearanced out?

It might be a good idea to redo the rear upper control arms as the heim joints probably need to be replaced anyway. I would also check the wheels to see if they are hub centric and if so, replace the adapters on top of the rotors to be hub centric to take the load off the lugs.

Cool. I've always thought that car still had lots of potential for the right person. Good to see it getting some much needed love. I personally like the bodywork and W-I-D-E rubber.

Glen Faken did the same basic rear suspension mod back in the early 2000's on his '80 Euro 5 speed track car. IIRC he said he got the idea from Bob.

Like John V asked, I'm interested in what type of racing you plan to do once you're done. N/A or boosted? Good luck with it.

Good luck with the project but please hang onto anything that might have been a Devore developed part. I feel this is the most significant altered 928 that pioneered the changes that are commonplace today. What a great acquisition.

Cool race car....subscribed. T

John,

The plan for this car is as follows:

- Initially break it in at the local AXs
- Race in POC GT1 series
- use as a family race car
- Preserve the car and get it running again. I'm not a flipper so will never sell
- Create one of the most powerful NA 32v 928s out there