Manual 928 for daily use... S, S4... others?
 

Hello everyone

I'm lucky enough not to drive to work most days but do put 6-8k a year on my primary car which is currently an E30. I used to drive a Carrera 3.2 daily but it became too valuable and stopped being fun. I'm getting itchy and interviewing all sorts of cars that have always piqued my interest. One thing I've learned from daily driving older german cars is that subtle differences in generations can make a big difference. For instance I was always very happy to have the simplicity and reliability of Motronic on the 3.2 and E30, felt that is a golden age for reliability and self-fixing. In addition there are really no parts on either car that are total "gotchas" where replacement are NLA or mind bendingly expensive. I do all my own mechanical work including engine rebuilds so labor is cheap.

I've never thought too much about 928s besides loving the way they (and 968s) look. My instinct is that the S, S4 and GT may be the sweet spot for modern classic daily use.
LH-Jetronic and EZF is a new beast to me and I don't quite know how it compares to motronic.

For a daily I don't want to spend much over $30k, less obviously preferred. Love all the cool and unusual colorways these cars are often seen in. I'd probably have bought an E28 M5 by now but the black/tan bores me and US bumpers hurt my eyes.

i don't know how much snow and ice you get there - but if by daily driver you mean a car you can use daily year round a 928 is pretty much useless if the roads are the least bit slick - at least that has been my experience in colorado

I don't know about "daily".. but my fav 928S is the '86.5 - 32V motor with older "sharkier" (crisper) lines.

As to what the above poster mentions, my mom sold her then 3 year old 1984 928S after it refused to get up a hill with a 1" coating of packed snow/ice. She quickly replaced it with an Audi 80 Quattro with no such poor weather issues. I too nearly marooned the car on about 1/2 of packed snow/ice in a parking lot. Now, admittedly, in both situations the car did NOT have snows or an LSD. But still.. My 914 with 4 snows was worlds better ;)

5 Speed 928 -
 

Hey Rmm - Depending on how much stop and go traffic you encounter when heading into work, a "Manual 928 For Daily Use" may not be your best choice . I know many 5 speed owners love their cars but you might compare the manual transmission with an automatic before making your final decision.

Like other owners have mentioned, I agree that a 928 is not very practical on ice and snow. As far as MY winter weather driving skills are concerned - I've been caught a few times in an unexpected light snow that caused some pretty tense moments until the roads cleared. On this trip the wife and I were just able to dodge one of Bambe's kin on a slick curve - then down a little ways farther passed an even larger relative right by the road. I slowed way down for a safe passage and aggravated the wife when I rolled down the window for a photo. Then got out of there fast - we don't pick up hitch hikers. :)

Good Luck - Michael
http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1576617006.JPG
http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1576617006.JPG

People judging cars winter performance when running on summer tires - epic fail.

Besides, many "all season" or winter tires that they sell in countries that have mild winters are complete joke, they are neither good summer nor decent winter tire, they are just what they are, crap.

Have driven many Porsches in winter (924, 924 turbo, 944 S2, 944 Turbo, 928 S, 993 etc) and there is nothing peculiar about the performance, just a matter of having good tires and right foot that knows positions other than on or off. Same goes to saying that "Porsches are not meant for drag racing" LOL, one just needs to actually know how to properly drive a manual car.

raceboy - everything you said is true - here in colorado i see many people who should not be driving in the snow - but if i had to depend on a car to get me to and from work every day, year round, a 928 would not be my choice - even with winter tires - the "snow plow" front spoiler, low ground clearance and the light rear end are not very snow friendly - i would prefer a front or four wheel drive car if i knew i had to get someplace every day - i would compare the 928 to a two wheel drive pickup - there is just not enough weight in the back to keep the tires planted - at least that's been my experience

Agree with that, and that's why my daily driver is Audi S8 :)

But it is unfair to 928 that it does not drive well in snow, it actually has 50/50 weight distribution unlike for example BMW 3 or 5 series with rwd, those are MUCH lighter in the back. 928 "problem" is huge engine torque but that can be modulated with right foot, just takes some practice.

928 Snow mobile -
 

Here are a couple of photos from Brian Long's 928 Reference Book showing some of the early 1977 928 winter tests in Finland. With no chin spoiler, jacked suspension, narrow enough wheels+snow tires and a follow-on rescue team to pull you out of a ditch - even a 928 can be used as a snow-mobile. :)

Michael
https://books.google.com/books?id=jMx1xheOTcwC&pg=PA54&lpg=PA54&dq=prototyp e+1977+928+porsche+winter+test+finland&source=bl&o ts=UNxVafG88k&sig=ACfU3U3kXUPBlQJCQdBFD_PMqORDn06J ag&hl=en&sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwiJqNL00NbmAhVNXM0KHXK2Bhc Q6AEwB3oECA0QAQ#v=onepage&q&f=true

^^^
Some time back my auto trans reached a point of no return, and a decision was made to swap for an 87 manual.. I didn't think much about the 95lb difference at the time. It became apparent that the back of the car behaved differently with respect to uphill turns, in damp or drizzle conditions. Spare tire also long gone...another 30 lbs.

Bottom line is that whatever weight is added to the rear shelf is going to help with adhesion. Without a typical trunk however, the task of material positioned in some manner, is fairly difficult.

Weight suggestions welcome.. And in my case perhaps something else, such as not having 'limited slip', or other item, causing stability issue :

Phil

my car is in the same situation - no spare/manual conversion - 125 lbs...that's quite a bit - so which version was 50/50 weight distribution (manual or auto) - would seem 95 lbs would shift that somewhat...or would it not matter? - 3% of the cars weight - as for weight in the back...sand tubes?

Your budget should get you into a nicely sorted 928 S or S4 but probably not a GT or GTS. The manuals in each of these models are heading up and nice manual GT & GTS are probably now above your budget. Regardless of which 928 you'd buy, since all are headed up will you feel safe driving your "asset" in the daily battle? How much fun will you have if you're more worried about someone piling into you? It would make a better weekend fun car, but that defeats the purpose of your purchase.

I would suggest a Cayman S. It would give you the same kind of thrills as a 928 along with being more reliable. Plus they're not so valuable you won't go nuts if something happens to it when using it as a daily. Put snows on it and you'll get along just fine in the winter as long as the snow is < 4". I do that with my CSS - put a set of Blizzaks on it and drive in the winter. You should be able to find a nice 06 or 07 CS in your price point. Something to consider...

Quite a good suggestion on sand tubes, so long as they sit low near the battery, and don't leak. Done moderately for an extra 90 - 120 lbs would help. Also....

Now realizing for those tooling around in the winter, an important task should be : FILL the tank, maintain that way often, in case a storm whips up unexpectedly, and prevent occurrence of 1/4 tank filled.

December :

>> 23 Gal -- approx 180 Lbs

> Tubes at the ready -- approx 120 Lbs

Optional :

Steel wheel, tire stud combination

http://forums.pelicanparts.com/suppo...leys/roker.gif

I love the way my open diff 928s handles in the rain. I can only imagine it would be awesome in the snow with a limited slip and snow tires.