928 Question Need a fast answer

[osidak]

Friend of mine is thinking about buying a 928 at auction

Car has 120+K miles
1984 with Automatic

What are the week areas and major down falls of this car.

Thanks

[osidak]

also what is typical rebuild cost

[lendaddy]

As in the Monty Python scene with the rabbit, "run away! run away!". Unless it is an absolute steal!!!!! These are very cool cars with tons of neat features, all which are expensive and not nearly as available as 911 parts. This is IMHO but it aint worth it.

[MAS]

Timing belts and water pump for sure. If the seller does not know when these were replaced, you can factor in at least $1K (or more) to get this addressed ASAP after buying the car.

A prepurchase inspection is essential with this car. My (Porsche) mechanic told me that the 928 series was the most expensive for repairs. If an PPI is not possible, I'd only consider the car if it could be picked up for a very low price (and I mean low, since there are quite a few cheap 928's on the market most of the time anyway)

-MAS

[Slant930]

Repairs can get really expensive fast. 928's can be electrical nightmares. Being water cooled, water pumps can be an issue. Timing belts are also something to keep an eye out for. I think the automatic trannies are also kind of trouble if they need rebuilding.

[lendaddy]

I forget, but they went to a benz tranny at some point, supposed to be better I believe.

[MAS]

Typical rebuild cost? Possibly almost as much as the car may be worth.

-MAS

[osidak]

going price will be ~$4300 or less

Good price? Electrical he is capable of t/s and repairing

[MAS]

Under $4,300 ain't bad. If he gets it (in running order) for less than that price, it may be worth the risk.

-MAS

[JEB]

As in the Monty Python scene with the rabbit, "run away! run away!".

HAHA - those were the exact words that came into my mind when I read the original post.

Great cars - but I understand they can be expensive and tough to fix.

Wasn't one of the major problems vacuum lines?

A nicely maintained late model with a 5 speed would be a nice addition though.

[lendaddy]

You don't mention condition, but if it is good and goes down the road fine then yes that is a very good price. Again imho. If it needs work he will have that in it again within 6 months

[osidak]

As I haven't seen the car I do not know condition. He said it appears to be in good shape.

What is a typical Engine rebuild cost on one of the beast

[Iggy]

If you're considering a 928, hold out for an '85 or newer. The '84 has the older, 16v engine that produces about 230hp. The 85-86 will get you 288hp, and going to an 87 or later produces 318hp. The GTS got into the 340hp range.

Timing belt failures can ruin the engine when valves hit pistons, which I understand can also happen with the 944 series. Water pumps should be replaced whenever the timing belt is replaced, usually every 4 or 5 years. I did mine 4 months ago and it took about 12 hours, but it was my first time doing it.

Electrical issues are most frequently the result of hack jobs and aftermarket stereo installations. My worst electrical gremlin was caused by an interior light housing cracking and grounding out. It caused the seat belt warning bell to chime constantly (fixed now, thank God).

928s have a bad reputation that is frequently exaggerated. We often get crap from 911 owners about the "front engine water cooled" thing, but take it in stride, even if it means avoiding PCA events in favor of events put together by 928 clubs.

I'd pass on the '84. Get a newer model with more HP and less mileage.

Dave

[MAS]

It depends on what needs to be rebuilt. For example (a "lesser" car) 944 can cost upwards of 2-3K to get the top end rebuilt.. and that is only 4 cylinders. A new clutch on a 944 is between 1.5K and 1.8K... and belts and water pumps 1-2K. Now, a 928 is at least as expensive as the 944 (I used to own a 924S), if not more so.

However, there's no reason to suspect that the engine would necessarily have to be rebuilt, as they (like other Porsche engines) are fairly robust units... IF serviced regularly.

The main factors I guess would be: belts, water pump, tranny, and possibly steering rack.

-MAS

[Jadams1]

Talked to a 928 owner/wrench on Sunday who rebuilt his own engine. Parts and machining was $4K. He also turns wrenches for a living and charges $1K to to a timming belt + water pump job (nasty job). To pull the engine, you need a shoe horn. It's is really tight coming out in going in. There are some good used out there. I saw one this weekend that had 39K miles on it, the owner picked it up for $7,500, interior was perfect.

[john walker's workshop]

resale value is in the dumper. if he puts any $$ into it, he won't get it back. nice car to drive when everything works, but any major work needed will put him in the poorhouse. nobody stocks any parts for it, and most any labor takes about 5 times longer than you thought it would. i quit working on them years ago. every time one would poke it's nose in the door, the first thought was, crap, another looser job. my apologies to the folks who like them.

[Iggy]

The timing belt/water pump job isn't that bad. It's time consuming, but not difficult. $6K for a complete rebuild (including labor) sounds more realistic to me, but a rebuild shouldn't be necessary for before 200K-250K miles. I've got 102K miles and still get 1/4 mile times/figures better than those published by Porsche for my model year.

[JoeF]

Dr. Osidak,
Tell your friend that the car must, MUST, have a complete service record. The 928 was an extremely advanced and complicated car for its time and required lots of expensive maintenance. If maintained properly,
the motor has been described as 'bullet proof' if not maintained it could get expensive quick. It is very important that your friend knows when the timing belt was last changed, if service records with the car do not show when it was changed last, tell your friend to get an estimate on what that would cost to have it done at a dealer. Tell your friend to do this BEFORE he buys the car.
The car is also prone to electrical gliches and has a complicated clutch set up that can be difficult to adjust.
If the car is not to be driven every day, it should be hooked up to a battery tender.
The car is heavy, so it tends to use up rear tires.
The 928 is a great highway cruiser, great for long trips. The 911 is lots more fun on the back roads. One last thing, a 928 may not hold its value as well as a 911.
JoeF

[MAS]

"One last thing, a 928 may not hold its value as well as a 911."

I think that's a fact already... and I'm not meaning to put down the 928 series of Porsches either.

-MAS

[Iggy]

John....you really seem to dump on 928s every time the topic comes up. Your statement that no one stock parts is just flat out WRONG. There are 3 main suppliers, not including Pelican. Rennlist has a very healthy 928 community, and repair help is easy to get there.