Sabotoge!!

[RichHawk]

Here's a good story I'm just getting into. Sorry I'm shy on the details. Feel free to speculate with me.. I'm digging for possibilities - probabilities.

Stephanie, is a friend of a friend and is going to call me in the next couple days.
Stephanie went through a divorce two years ago. In the settlement, she got the Porsche that she knows nearly nothing about. I just learned this yesterday, and I don't even know what model it is yet.

Her Ex drives the Porsche to her place, drops the keys off, and is never heard from again. Conveniently, the Porsche never runs again. The Ex was a car guy, and they speculate that he disabled the car somehow.

I'll be gathering much more information soon. But I thought I would get you to chime in on the fun part of speculating two things:
1) what model Porsche can it be?
2) What could he have done to it?

SO here's the months old "facts" as told by our mutual friend yesterday. She's not a car person but had at least seen the car, and looked it up on KBB once to see how much it was worth.
1) It's a 1994 model year
2) KBB told her it was worth about $12K
3)she wanted to get it running so they could drive around with the "top down" (SO I think it's either a cab, or maybe just a targa. )

Stephanie wants to just sell it to put a down payment on a townhouse. I'll help her get it running, or maybe buy it outright.

speculate away!
is it a 928? (nah no convertible)
a 968? Likely match to all three above..
or a 911 variant 964 or 993 cab or targa?

Onto sabotage!
I'm an aircooled 911 guy to date, and don't know much about the front engine Porsche family. But my first suspicion was DME relay. Is that under the drivers seat in the 928 and 968 like it is in the 911?

What else could he easily have done to keep it from running??

Thanks,
Richard

[krystar]

not to belittle stephanie....but we are talking about female here.

did he unplug the battery? or did the battery just drain itself?

possibilities? anything and everything. any part of the fuel or ignition or engine sensor system would prevent a car from running.

[JJ 911SC]

Sound like Sabotage as oppose to Sabotoge... (Yeah the spell checker does not work in the Title box).

A tractor with sugar in the diesel tank.

[Laptop_geek]

If it starts but doesn't "run" then it could also be vacuum lines unplugged somewhere.

Sounds like a 968 to me, that's about what KBB would say they are worth and its a cab.

[JJ 911SC]

Originally Posted by krystar

not to belittle stephanie....but we are talking about female here...

I'm sure you won't hear from Angela But probably will after I PM her

[krystar]

it's not a stereotype if the statistics back it up :P

[RichHawk]

Let's imagine he did disable the car, and did so rather inconspicuously when he dropped it off. What would you do? Let's limit it to easily accessible inside the car and under the hood with no more than two bolts to disconnect.

I think the DME is a prime suspect,
if it's under the seat like in the 911. you could pull it loose before hand, disconnect it when you get to her place, and leave it disconnected, all without getting out of the car. But it requires specific Porsche knowledge.

Less knowledgeable people might remove all the fuses, or at least some specific ones like Fuel pump, or ignition fuse. (does anyone have a fuse block Diagram for a 968?)
Remove the plug wires
Unplug the wiring harness to the Distributor
Cut a battery cable

I can't imagine he could tamper much with the FI system unless it was unplug the injectors. Remember he drove it in, so nothing like sugar in the tank (Which Mythbusters disproved anyway)

REALLY pissed off and vindictive Exs might do something like a handfull of glass bead media in the valve cover to destroy the engine. But it would have run for a short time at least

Richard

[krystar]

why are we speculating vs ...actual diagnosing and fixing?

[RichHawk]

Originally Posted by JJ 911SC

Sound like Sabotage as oppose to Sabotoge... (Yeah the spell checker does not work in the Title box).

And now I'm stuck, ya can't change the title.....

[Cocacolakidd]

The DME relay, all relays and all fuses along with a diagram of what is where, is under the hood close to the driver's side firewall in the box on the 968.

[gearheadgreg]

Cut/removed ignition wires/unit. Or even a fuse in the fuse panel. Quick and easy. Hidden ignition cutout or alarm system??

[gearheadgreg]

Upon first glance, I thought maybe a Beastie Boys reference from the title...

[RichHawk]

Originally Posted by krystar

why are we speculating vs ...actual diagnosing and fixing?

Because I haven't been invited to see the car yet. And since it's 45 minutes away, I kinda want to be prepared with different thoughts when I get there. and it's fun to speculate.
Richard

[pontifex4]

I would guess DME relay. Be sure to update when you get some details, now that you've piqued our interest!

[968 GUY]

Like the 3 Stooges say "sabatoogie"

[RichHawk]

so what if it's a 1994 928?
Are all 928's from 1994 the $80,000 GTS versions with the 350Hp?
Richard

[Cocacolakidd]

It's a FORD - but she didn't know.

[mikepellegrini]

Originally Posted by krystar

why are we speculating vs ...actual diagnosing and fixing?

+1 start with the basic diagnostics and maybe it'll get fixed a little quicker. All the speculation about sabotage is stupid, given no evidence.

You're spinning your wheels...

If I was a really paranoid person, I'd probably surmise from this discussion the YOU are the person getting ready to drop off the 968 at your ex's, and you're asking our advice on the best way to sabotage it.

Go figure...

[fmartenies]

My advice is to not talk about sabotage or the ex. Play your game, not someone elses. Take your time and maybe make up some bs about ordering a part to make sure you have an in to go over a 2nd day. That is if you are trying to get in with her, I mean she is recently divorced and no one drives 45 min to work on an ugly girls car.

[pontifex4]

This thread is awesome.