'79 Porsche 928 Question

Hi Dan
I have owned three 928 over the years and was about your age when I bought my first. Most of the issues are the same as any car of that age. Rust does not usually cause a problem but window seals, esp. the rear hatch seal can leak when old, make sure all electrical gear works, though problems here are usually only the switches in the car itself, which are easy to replace, window and headlight switches are particularily prone to wear. The clutch takeup should be sharp, clutch is long lasting but quite expensive to replace, if auto, just make sure the shift quality is good, smooth esp under acceleration, look at the trans fluid colour should not be black. The autobox is very tough. When driving any driveline vibratons can be due to worn torque tube bearings, they can be overhauled cheaply, and may have been done on this car already. There is an engine oil cooler, and the pipes are known to rupture spewing you oil on the pavement{happened to me}. Again changing them is simple and recommended every 10 years to avoid this. Similair with cooling hoses, just like any car thay perish so check them. A 928 just needs a sniff of the red zone on the coolant gauge and its head gaskets will blow. Its recommended to change the water pump, a simple and fairly inexpensive job when done with the cambelts which is every 10 years or 60k. Look for oil smoke on hard acceleration, is there is some it could be valve guides, pulling the spark plugs for a look will tell you more, if plugs are oily walk away,
Overall the 928 is a tough car that will last and last if taken care of, most important is regular oil, cambelt and coolant changes. An absolute performance bargain, brilliant drive and looks and top notch quality. best of luck
Steve

 

The 928 is built like a tank, just like most Porsches. We had an 83 928 and it was great, fast, and really solid. I think like 95% of the 928 were made with the auto transmission.

BT

 

Just make sure you are willing to work on it yourself, or it will cost you a fortune to get worked on at the dealer.
One major tune up with belts and waterpump would cost way more than what you payed for the car, thats why people partout 944, 928 etc.
911 seem to hold there value enough to be restored.
My low mileage one owner 944 is always needing something from me, but I love it enough to keep it and fix it weekly.
928 are COOL, Good luck.

 

They seem to cost $3-5K a year to operate regardless of the pre-existing condition of the car...........the auto trans is about $5-7K if it packs it in......head gaskets are $3K......water pump $1K......t-belts $1K.......etc......etc......etc.......the car you are talking about it probably "parts car" quality in all honesty.

Don't mean to burst your bubble Lemke........but I sold 928's at the Porsche dealer when they were new.........there is a reason why some 20 years later, I cannot find any good 928's to sell.....but there are tons of 911's.

Proceed with extraordinary caution.

 

Second this. 928s CAN be hideously expensive to operate. You're treading in the murky waters of 1988 750ils and poorly maintained MB W140s...tread lightly. Best bet is to find as many local 928 owners as you can. Odds are they share a mechanic who has lots of experience with the 928 and will know the good local cars if they are for sale and know the cars with stories.

Having said all of that. One of the most intoxicating Porsches I've ever driven was the 928 GTS and I wouldn't hesitate if the right car came along.

 

I'd echo this, based on my former experience in the car parts biz. A $1200 928 sounds like huge deal, but it's going to hurt the first time it breaks. Lots of power goodies in the 928 as well, all of them old. You wouldn't need too many minor problems to suck your wallet dry.

156K miles is a lot for any engine. It could be good for another 50K miles, or another 50 miles. It's likely priced at $1200 because the car's near the end of its useful life.

If I were shopping in the four-figure range for a Porsche, I'd go for a 912 targa or a 914-4 - tough cars, cheap parts and both (distant) future classics, IMO. Incredibly cool daily driver material there.

 

Dan (or Daniel),

I'd recommend you try posting your question on the 928 forum at Rennlist.com - you'll get lots of specific info from people who own and drive these cars & might even get some feedback about the particular car you are looking at.

David S.
prior owner 1987 928 S4 (5 spd)
current owner 1983 928 S (5 spd) un-modified Euro version (except for some crummy ansa exhaust & cats).

 

Why are you even asking? 1200$ is spitting in the ocean. You are basically asking if you should take a car for free...

Buy it, screw the PPI (it will be 33% of the cars cost!). And drive it. When it breaks, consider fixing it. If the thing drives for 1 month, you did great. Anything else is gravy.

What if it breaks? Sell 1-2 parts and you are at break even.

Just buy it, but appreciate it for the toy it is, and don't expect it to get you anywhere. If you don't buy it, and its local - I will buy it.

That car is worth 4000$ if it runs.

 

Run. Seriously. This car will decimate your finances and leave you heartbroken on the side of the road with a bad taste in your mouth and no recollection of when/how/where the journey began.

Better yet, take the $1200, fly out here to FChat land, have us beat the hell out you, rob you and sodomize you. We'll slip you some midazolam beforehand and start a thread to tell you all about what happened.

This car is NOT a keeper.

 

People just need to appreciate beater cars for what they are. Resist the urge to fix ANYTHING. Perhaps some 20$ seat covers, or spruce up the interior. I wouldn't even change the fluids, yet.

If you plan on "restoring it," don't. Even a tire change would double the price of the car.

But if you just kept it simple:

1) Buff the exterior
2) Take apart the interior, and sew those seats back together (your self).
3) Steam clean the motor

Then you would add 1000$ to the value of the car.

Here in the midwest a total bondo job, with rust everywhere, leaking everything, 928 is 4000$. I have NEVER seen one for 1200$.

According to Excellence Mag, even a 928 in "poor" condition is worth 5000$+. For gods sake, its a$1200 car...

 

Honestly, the car looks VERY clean. I'd do that in a heartbeat. Good find.

 

PS. Here is your nearest competition, note the price (courtesy of rennlist.org):

1984 Automatic 928S


Category: 928 Ad Number: 5689
Price: $5,000 OBO Date Posted: 10/19/2006



Features
Year: 1984 Make: Porsche Model: 928 (all)
Miles: 144,000 Engine: Fuel Inj. Stereo: AM-FM/CD
Body Style: Coupe Transmission: Manual - 5 speed
Color: Black Ext./Black Int Drivetrain:

Options (denoted by check marks)
Power Steering Air Conditioning Rear Defroster
Power Brakes Sunroof Leather Seats
Air Bags Cruise Control Foglamps
Antilock Brakes Power Windows Alarm System
Traction Control Power Locks Intermittent Wipers

Description
1984 928S Automatic for Sale. The car is in great shape. It was given to me as a gift by my stepfather, and was owned before him by his father. This car only been owned by my family. The car is in great shape mechanically, and has been well cared for over the years. I am moving to a much colder and snowier climate and don't think it will be practical to own it there, so sadly, I must sell.

Please contact me with any questions.

Seller Information
Type of Seller: Private Seller Company:

Contact: E. Michelle Drake
Atlanta, GA 30312
USA Telephone:
E-mail: [email protected]
Web Site:


Add/Remove from Checklist

 

Good point. My post was based on the assumption he'd be trying to keep it a running specimen.

You're right, if the goal is to keep it a beater and drive it till it drops you'll likely break even at worst and probably come out ahead. $1200 has got to be right at what a salvage yard would offer.

Buy it, buff it, Ebay it and use the proceeds to get a very cool 914.

 

914 have jumped in value over the last 3-4 years. Crap is now 4000$. Decent 7-10. Really nice 914-4, 10+. 914-6 are still big bucks, 16,000$ plus-30,000$ plus.

The porsche market has really moved. Incidentally, early 928 are moving too.

If you can buy the 928 for pocket change, then do it. If losing $1200 effects you...don't.

 

Damnit! About ten years ago I was offered a 914/6 for $9000. One owner(my parents next door neighbor) low miles, meticulously kept. I bought a Maxima instead....DOH! Sad thing is I never did really care for the 914 until I started autocrossing and then developed a deep respect for them.

 

I've got a 1980 928S. It's been off the road for a few years, due to numerous faults. I can't bring myself to sell it as it's such a great shape and it's not going rusty.

If I could get $4000 for it, I would consider selling but they don't go for anything like that here in the UK.

The common problems are electrical/wiring. The insulation on the wiring and rubber pipework in the engine bay can get brittle at that age and mileage, causing no end of grief. However, if you can locate the problem yourself, then bypassing cables and patching or replacing pipes is pretty cheap.

Radiators are expensive as they have 3 circuits, 1 water and 2 oil (gearbox and engine) so check there's no oil in the water.

I believe the 3 speed auto gearboxes on the early cars are based on a Mercedes unit and can be quite cheap to replace or repair?

If you can afford to lose $1200 then do it. I've never managed to find a car with the same blend of attributes that the 928 has.

 

FIRST, watch the Top Gear episode where the challenge is to buy a Porsche for £1500... Clarkson buys a nearly $3000 USD 928 and it breaks down like 6 times in the first 2 hours, and ends up getting towed home.

 

It can be viewed here:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eBGPR6tE9Bs

It certainly reminded me of running mine!

 

1200 bucks, Buy it, have fun, keep your wallet closed.
If it breaks and cost to much to fix you could part it for way more than 1200.