MikeN

Hey martin -

Yes, instead of seeing an early model get tortured by a Chevy conversion and come out worse then before.......I say send it to the graveyard to help out some better off 928s or find a used engine that will work.

Having said that.....I know that a Chevy conversion done right and followed all the way through could probably produce a decent car......problem is I have never seen one that doesn't have several issues
still pending at any given stage. It usually costs way more to do a conversion then it would be to find a good used engine and live with it.
Personal preference.

Sure the GT is an improvement over an S4......I think so, but there are some on this list that don't think so......and I don't spend time trying to convince them otherwise.......just state my opinion pure and simple.

Actually you answered your own question......the GT is a FACTORY upgrade, not third party and has been tested over time and many thousands of miles. If and when anyone comes forward on this board with a Chevy convert that has passed 100k miles then I'll be the first to stand up and say good job.......until then I still think it's a bad idea IMHO.

bcdavis

When you look at cars, they are all the same.
Boring, boring, boring...
One Honda Civic after the next...
YAWN!

People are all individuals, with their own personality.
I think it is natural to want to express your own ideas about what a car should be to you.

If you are a tire smoking, nitro-burning kind of person, then you should make your car
reflect that.

If you are a sedate, quiet, demure person, then your car should reflect that as well.

I respect people who value efficiency, or only use what is practical.
I respect racers, and their goal of removing everything but the essential systems.
I respect people with the goal of ultimate power and speed, and the quest for horsepower.
I respect the desire for comfort and luxury.

The 928 has all of these things in abundance.
But I think it is cool that people take it to the next level, and make the car their own.

Rob M Budd

Take a look here LT1 Porsche 928

I did the conversion a couple years ago. The only problem I have is door locks. The warning system, gauges, electrical, transmission all work fine.
Its a daily driver with 32,000 miles and no issues.

OahuJames

Rob, The Interior looks great.

I am very happy to own a Porsche. I am glad that I have Porsche parts, however, I really do not care what others do to their cars. Just keep em looking and sounding nice.

Aloha,

OahuJames

Rob, The Interior looks great.

I am very happy to own a Porsche. I am glad that I have Porsche parts, however, I really do not care what others do to their cars. Just keep em looking and sounding nice.

Aloha,

OahuJames

Rob, The Interior looks great.

I am very happy to own a Porsche. I am glad that I have Porsche parts, however, I really do not care what others do to their cars. Just keep em looking and sounding nice.

Aloha,

H2

Rob,

Your Por-Vette looks great! I wouldn't hesitate to buy a good example like this. I'm a little peeved at the TB issue that comes with 928s.

Harvey

H2

Rob,

Your Por-Vette looks great! I wouldn't hesitate to buy a good example like this. I'm a little peeved at the TB issue that comes with 928s.

Harvey

MikeN

Nice car Rob, honestly the first conversion I have seen that has looked nice and complete......bravo.......does it have A/C and all intact?

Now for the big question.......how much $$$ did it take to get it all done?

MikeN

Harvey,....man you need to get off of the timing belt issue......true some people including yourself have had some issues......but they do not happen on most cars if taken care of / repaired properly.........it's still not any single reason to go looking for a transplant. Timing belt issues don't just "come" with all 928s.......many have gone 100, 200, 400k miles just with regular replacements of the belts and a water pump here or there.....myself included.

I just hope you can get to the bottom of your TB problems and feel "safe" again......

Nathan Valles

HARVEY
My 85 Civic lost it's timing belt and destroyed the motor. Bent all valves, broke one valve and punched the top of the piston. It wasn't a Porsche but I was still stuck on the side of the road with a repair bill I couldn't afford to pay.

Almost every car with a decently performing engine will have an issue with Timing Belts. And most cars I have recommend 5 years or 70,000 miles. What's the difference?

Sorry to take us so far off topic.

As for transplants..... If you want to do it, GREAT, if you don't GREAT. Either way you get what exactly that YOU want.

Rob M Budd

James, Harvey, Mike,

Thanks very much.

Once the Chevy was put in, the decision was easy to make the interior changes.
I looked into modifying the original 4.5, but there was no way to get the desired result without spending a lot more than I did. One factor was the logistics of procuring the Porsche parts and machine work, compared to that of the Chevy. I'm in the Detroit area, so GM parts & service are plentiful.
The AC is intact and works exceptionally well, though it gets used only a few weeks a year. It uses the GM compressor.
The cost was about $6,000 if I remember correctly. That includes completely rebuilding the LT1 350, mods including headers, cam, etc.. I ended up with 368 flywheel HP and 319 at the rear wheels.

What I found intriguing is how the Porsche systems coordinated so well with the GM systems and visa versa. Each time I got something hooked up and working, ie throttle cables, AC, PS, gauges, electrical, ECM, transmission, fuel, heating, cooling, I would shake my head, just amazed at how simple it was.

Jim bailey - 928 International

Rob how many hours of your time are invested in that very nice conversion ? That might be good information for those who do not do their own work . Very nicely done must be a fun car now about those rims ??

Rob M Budd

Thanks Jim,

I estimate the time in the actual conversion took about a typical work week, 40 hrs. A great deal of that time was spent reading manuals, tracing wires, doing research and playing disilfit.
I did the interior and a lot of WYAI at the same time so it was off the road a few months.
The 15' rims in the pictures have since been replaced with 16" polished phone dials and a paint job will come before new rims.

H2

The very fact that this whole topic of Por-vettes, 350s and Hybrids has generated so much discussion (coincidentally, at a time when several 928'ers have lost T-Belts) should be indicative of the nervousness associated with the "What if I lose MY T-Belt...what would I do?" The Chevy is an alternative and, although it may be 2nd best...it's still a reasonable option that has some attraction and could keep an otherwise wonderfully beautiful and functional car on the road....and perhaps more reliably.

Admittedly, I'm ****-compulsive about the T-Belt thing but I just forked over more than $2200 for a complete T-Belt job and other "take it back to like new" stuff by reputedly one of the best 928 mechanics on the West Coast and my T-belt now seems to be migrating to the edge of the gears after only a couple thousand miles....and all key parts were replaced...and the engine has less than 66K miles on it. Yes, it could be a bad (new) part part was put in...or mechanic error (current or previous) or any number of things but to just to have it checked out will be another $600 to who knows how much more money to get it fixed. That's what makes Chevy look appealing to me. I've run them all my life an had relatively few problems...but I will keep the 928...even if I have to replace its heart.

Harvey