Just saw a 928 GTS

[ds475]

On the way to work today, i look behind me, and i was like, "oh cool, a 968" then i keep driving, and we get on the highway and he pulls up next to me, waves, of course, and pulls ahead. i'm sitting there behind him, still drooling, drifting off the road, and i read "928 GTS" then i realized, i was in love. it's not exactly the same as the 968, but the body is similar, correct? i never new there was a 928 that didn't have to "old" standard 924/944/928 body.

are these hard to find, i want one. (after my 944 and i'm more financially stable)
how much hp does the GTS have at the wheels?

THEN, i pull into work, and as i'm walking to our offices i see a Carrera 4S, and i do have to say i like those too, but the GTS looks a lot better...

[singpilot]

ds......

Yes we all have the fascination with the 928. You already have half a connection to the 928. Your 944 engine is half a 928 engine. Sounds great, right?

Now put the wallet in the other pocket.

The 928 engine has the exact same belts, seals and rollers as you.. TIMES TWO.

The exact same rubber belt breakage causes the exact same valve crash as you.... TIMES TWO.

Get the picture?

The driver of the 928 was waving at you because he is jealous of the fact that you only have ONE ticking time bomb under your hood, haha.

Yes, I have driven one, SPECTACULAR! When you look under the hood, there are two of those spectacular cam covers under there. Sounds like a V8 at idle, and at speed.

I think I'll keep my 944.

[ds475]

Originally posted by singpilot

Sounds like a V8 at idle, and at speed.

are you bragging or *****ing? i like the masculine roar of a v8 personally...

[JH924S]

"Sounds like a V8 at idle," oddly enough because there's one in it

[Z-man]

Originally posted by ds475
I never new there was a 928 that didn't have to "old" standard 924/944/928 body.

ds475: The 928 never HAD the old 924/944 style body: it was a similar hatchback design, but no sheetmetal was shared between the two.

The interior was vastly different as well.

Just trying to clarify,
-Z-man.

[Trevor]

I was watching Risky Business the other night admiring the 928, and Rebecca Demornay. I thought the 928 in that movie sounded more like a Ferrari than a Porsche. Anyone know whats up with that?

[ds475]

well, i didn't know if they LITERALLY shared the same body, but it looked similar... and actually, i've never seen the interior either. some pics would be nice (of interior/exterior). what years were 928's made? this is the next car i would like to go to... i used to want a 951, but i caught the 928 bug...

some specs on the car would be nice too.

thanks for the info all you porsche gurus!


dave

[ds475]

p.s. what does the GTS model have that the typical 928 model wouldn't?

[CJFusco]

" I thought the 928 in that movie sounded more like a Ferrari than a Porsche. Anyone know whats up with that?"

Yeah, it's a V8. You are used to hearing a large-displacement four, or an air-cooled flat six, when you think of Porsches.

"i never new there was a 928 that didn't have to "old" standard 924/944/928 body."

Are you thinking of the 968? The 928 was released in 1978 as the intended replacement for the 911, and was priced accordingly. It was the first sports car to ever win CAR AND DRIVER's Car of The Year award, and in the middle of a fuel crisis, nonetheless. The 928 is bigger, more powerful, and MUCH heavier than a 944 series car. It was much more "luxury GT" than "sports car", kind of like the modern Astons, or the 456-series Ferrari. Not surprisingly, then, 60% of 928s were sold with automatic gearboxes.

That being said, the 928 was the Porsche that got me interested in Porsches. I actually thought that 911s were ugly, at one point!

The way I see the 928 now, and I think most Porschephiles would agree with me, is that it was a fantastic car brand new, but not so great a buy on the used market. The 928 seems a bit of a trap because you can buy one that seems pretty solid for 944-like prices, but the maintenance alone would cost much more than the buying price. Why? Parts are more expensive than for the more-plentiful 944; a new 944 radiator costs less than $200. The same part for a 928 costs over $1000. And apparently they are sort of a pain to work on. Get the picture?

Some people don't get the design of the 928. The car looks fantastic from the front and side, but the early cars look a bit strange from the rear... almost like some kind of submarine. Obviously, by the time the GTS came out, Porsche had ironed out the design and the rear of the car was decidedly sharp. Even the new Carrera 4S rear reminds me a lot of the 928GTS. Personally, if I could design a "perfect" 928, it would have the pointed snout of the 928S and the rear of the GTS.

I love the 928, but I don't think I'd ever own one. To me, the 944, 911, and Boxster-series cars just seem more Porsche-like: nimble, sharp-edged, and a bit more serious than the 928 luxo-barger.

[mattdavis11]

Maybe some one can step in here. A family friend, and Porsche mech, took me for a ride in his 84 928 last weekend. He told me the same about the 944 being veritually 1/2 of his V8, but the design was not an interference engine, thus a grenaded cam belt(s) would not bend valves. Did the engine design change? He has one nice ride, but it's an auto.

[plandy]

From Rennlist's 928 FAQ this is what they say;
"The 16 valve engines pre -1985 are non interference engines and will not damage the engine if the belt breaks. I have never seen one really break, but the teeth do get chewed up causing the belt to slip accomplishing the same end result. The 1985 and up engines were 32 Valve engines and are interference engines and will bend the valves if a timing belt slips of breaks."

Originally posted by mattdavis11
Maybe some one can step in here. A family friend, and Porsche mech, took me for a ride in his 84 928 last weekend. He told me the same about the 944 being veritually 1/2 of his V8, but the design was not an interference engine, thus a grenaded cam belt(s) would not bend valves. Did the engine design change? He has one nice ride, but it's an auto.

[Alex Cook]

Originally posted by Trevor
I was watching Risky Business the other night admiring the 928, and Rebecca Demornay. I thought the 928 in that movie sounded more like a Ferrari than a Porsche. Anyone know whats up with that?

The sound in the high speed sequences is overdubbed with a Ferrari of some kind. Kind of like the GT40 overdubs in Bullitt.

When he starts it up and backs it out the garage though, that's unadulterated 928

[CJFusco]

and i believe when he revs it for the gals on the street... that's all Porsche too

every 928 i've heard sounds pretty damn good

[macreel]

I, too, was seduced by the 928 lines. After a day of professional talks I
was downtown standing on the curb waiting for my daughter to pick me
up to go home. Down the street coming toward me, was a fine looking
Porsche. At first I thought it was a 968 but a quarter block away I realized it was a 928, GT or S4. Not a GTS, as it turned out. I lusted.

Later, at a Skills Day, a '94 GTS parked next to my 924, changed his
street tires for slicks and we chatted. When he started that V8, my knees got weak. When peeled from the mini-AutoX starting line, I
'swooned'. Not a car there that day could touch him, 'cept maybe the
951's; not even the newer Carreras. I began my search for a 928. Yes,
they have drawbacks; they can be $$$; but I kept looking.

Finally, after looking and rejecting 9, I got the 10th, in So.Cal. It took a
year and a half BUT I GOT ONE. Drove her home 1,200 mi to Seattle, no
problems; "ate" a couple 'vettes on the way. All I can say, if you can find
a way, TREAT yourselves.

[Brando]

Originally posted by ds475
p.s. what does the GTS model have that the typical 928 model wouldn't?

Somewhere close to 400+ bhp and a manual transmission, not the VW/Audio tiptronic that was far too common on the 928s in the later years of production.

[944 fanatic]

Maybe someone already posted and I missed it, but IIRC, less than 200 odd 928 GTS's were made, and they are still commanding prices north of $50K

350HP 32 valve Porsche V8....I'll take mine in black!

[Brando]

On a side note, is it possible to switch your 944/928 over to a timing chain, as opposed to a timing belt? I think it'd be much sturdier and last a lot longer...

[ds475]

unfortunately, i didn't get to hear this guy's engine this morning...

do 928's have the 50/50 weight distribution? how much do they weigh?

[..P]

Hi guys, I have em both, two 944s and one 928. Don't underestimate the 928 any more than you would underestimate a 944. They are all superb cars. The 928 is heavier, but it is more stable at high speeds as a result. It also has the Weissach rear axle, and aluminum body panels to get the perfect balance and passive 4-wheel steering from that rear axle.

Take a look at my Imagestation link, noted below, and you'll see the photos of my recent 928 transaxle rebuild. You're right, the 2-v heads were not interference engines. They are bulletproof guys, and the 16v motors sound a lot better than the 32v units, but the 32v motors are rocketships.

To answer one of the questions, the GTS is one of the very last of the 928 series, and it was a 171-mph car right off the dealer showroom floor. For many of us in 928 land, owning an older model like my '83 seems to be a nice way to go. They are complicated, but they are not as complicated as the later cars, and they are all awesome.

Regards, P

[ds475]

how much does it weigh?