928 problems

[928 Bro]

Hey guys I am set on a 928 but from most of the stuff that I read there are common problems and I just want to get the facts straight if we can. I hear about alot of 928 starting problems - now I deal with bikes alot and more then not people that ride once in a while most away have problems with starting or idle problems, because gasoline just gums up everything when it sits for to long (can this lead to much of the 928 starting and rough riding problems.

I have heard of the fuel pump problems

and the timing problems " which I have to say it's a go when it comes to the porken something system one of the majors wrote about"

What other common problems does the 928 have that I didn't talk about that you guys know about.

Knowledge in 928 and what to expect when she cames just does away with surprises or %#$?!&^~ and a dame after all that. Thanks for the time guys or girls just in case.

[Danglerb]

Cars that haven't been driven in years are money pits and the starting issues are the tip of the iceberg. Non starting is generally only expensive to fix on CIS cars, but until it starts you can't know what else is wrong.

Forget the notion of common problems, or the 3 things you need to check etc., its a pointless assumption of condition.

PPI, Pre Purchase Inspection checking a 100+ things is what a 928 requires. It is the ONLY reliable way to find out how much and what sort of work the car needs to have done to it.

Timing belts are NOT an issue, they are routine preventive maintenance. Trouble is some owners buy a running car and drive it into the ground fixing nothing until it doesn't run, of if they are smart selling it 5 minutes prior to it not running. The only reliable fix is to catch up ALL of the deferred maintenance.

[Landseer]

What price range and year are you considering? Auto or manual.

Then, specific advice can follow.

[928 Bro]

Looking for a 5speed 1979-1983 but would like to stay in the 80"s can't really spend more that $1500.00 rite now. Trying to finish a VROD project and selling it before diving into the 928

[Fabio421]

Originally Posted by 928 Bro

Looking for a 5speed 1979-1983 but would like to stay in the 80"s can't really spend more that $1500.00 rite now. Trying to finish a VROD project and selling it before diving into the 928

Stay away from a 928 if this is your budget. You will be heartbroken and penniless within the first year. Run!!!!!!

[MPDano]

Stay away from a 928 if this is your budget. You will be heartbroken and penniless within the first year. Run!!!!!!

Boy do I agree with this statement, but if this is your initial budget and you know that you "WILL" be putting more $$ into it in the future, then I say go for it and yes there are some in that price range out there. I see more Autos than Manuals in this range and also a lot of owners just want to off load them ($$ reasons), so you may be able to barter them down in price. But like Fabio said, "RUN" if you think you can have a good (without some work) 928 in that range.

[diverdan]

928s are more bullet proof than just about anything out there and have no real achilles heel except for lack of care mainly by folks who don't understand how expensive parts and proper service personel are for the car. That doesn't mean that its of the realm of a meticulous DIY guy. There are no shortcuts to proper 928 maintenence. Usually $1500 cars need about $10,000 worth of work to bring them up to the $5000.00 range. (Not exact figures but you get the jist of it.)

diverdan

[Fabio421]

I've seen it said elsewhere and it is even more true when said regarding a 928. " There is nothing more expensive than a cheap Porsche".

[Danglerb]

The catch22 with a 928 is that no amount of skill or DIY ingenuity can substitute for a fairly serious amount of money for parts. Some things you can clean and fix, some are easy to find used, but some critical parts are Porsche only and $75 hoses add up pretty quick.

Going cheap also makes the cars MUCH harder to fix. If I have a lot of used parts, used relays, controls, substitute hoses, cleaned but not disassembled with all the expensive factory o rings etc. replaced, how can I begin to guess which interrelated part has actually failed? The biggest problem many of us have is that YEARS of previous owners half @$$ed repairs need to be redone correctly with new parts.

*************** That said ... It is possible to get lucky, and find a decent car with a non costly repair keeping it from running and to buy it cheap. $1500 budget means you need to find such a car for $1000 and hope $500 in parts can get it going. Mostly this means you need to walk away from ANYTHING that has not been taken care of reasonably well, driven recently, and that you can buy leaving a budget for parts. Deals like that are NOT going to be easy to find, and will require some skill to negotiate the price. I think time spent hunting for such a car might be better spent collecting aluminum cans until you have another $1k or so.

*************** Or forget about making a $1500 car into a driver. Buy a cheap wreck and just see what you can do with it before parting it out. Don't buy ANY parts, just take it apart, clean it and see what you can do with it, selling the parts you can fix.

[928 Bro]

I understand and know what you are saying, I have extra$$ for parts and have the hook up for being able to do the interior for a very good price. the rest engine,tranny that's on me and it can take time - I do want a project, I really don't want to buy a 928 that I have not restored. I want to know the in and outs of the car and this is the way for me to do it. Body work will be the last and I have someone for that too. But it will most likely be a 1.5 to 2 year project for me and I'm fine with that. When I first start thinking about doing this someone was selling me one for $500.00 and had 90,000 miles on it but I didn't act on it fast because of work and when I wanted to see it - it was to late he sold to. So I have the finger on the trigger now.

[Landseer]

Well, you sure have the right mindset, then.

So, to prove it to yourself, just read the heck out of this forum and rennlist, searching posts about the earlier cars.

At this age, anything can be an issue. Best if you get a 5 speed which has had documented clutch replacment recently and still shifts well and holds gears, including on decel. This is worth a couple thousand dollars of parts, cause thats what it will add to, middle of road, if you need to dive-into clutch and gearbox. My clutch parts alone totaled more than $1600, at a discount.

Same with brakes. Rotors are $90 each delivered. Best to have a car that still shows the cooling grooves on the front, and/or records of brake maint. If Ebrake holds, that's another plus. Ebrake shoes are another $80 or so.

Calipers can be rebuilt.

Racks are high at $450 or so, but can be rebuilt DIY with some special care and fabrication of a couple of parts that the supplier "leaves out on purpose" to give shops an edge.

And so the list goes. If engine is solid, good compression, that's a major plus.

But all this will be things to read before you buy, and give you negotiation leverage.

[Danglerb]

Bro, I hear you, pretty sure I was thinking about the same $10,000 or so ago myself.

Title, mileage, body, interior, or mechanical, two strikes in ANY of those and its a parts car.

Let us know how we can help when you find your project.

[m21sniper]

Originally Posted by 928 Bro

I understand and know what you are saying, I have extra$$ for parts and have the hook up for being able to do the interior for a very good price. the rest engine,tranny that's on me and it can take time - I do want a project, I really don't want to buy a 928 that I have not restored. I want to know the in and outs of the car and this is the way for me to do it. Body work will be the last and I have someone for that too. But it will most likely be a 1.5 to 2 year project for me and I'm fine with that. When I first start thinking about doing this someone was selling me one for $500.00 and had 90,000 miles on it but I didn't act on it fast because of work and when I wanted to see it - it was to late he sold to. So I have the finger on the trigger now.

If your plan is to buy a $1500.00 928 and restore it, be fully prepared to spend over $10,000.00

A set of bilstien shocks for this car costs $1000.00, and takes about 8 hours to install. Motor mounts are a 6-8 hour job too.
(quoted times are for a 928 beginner, with no lift access or power tools. On a lift with power tools and good 928 familiarity you can do both jobs in about 1/2 the time)

[928 Bro]

Thanks guys for all this help, it is being all inputed and understood.

[Cosmo Kramer]

I have noticed a few on Craigslist, early 5 speeds for around this price that are driveable, so it should be do-able.