Discussion
Love the 928, yet another 80's icon.
Theres one featured in this film from 87, http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4u5Ix8_Or9E 20.34 in, enjoy.
Theres one featured in this film from 87, http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4u5Ix8_Or9E 20.34 in, enjoy.
I ran one for a year in the early 90's fabulous cars, it was a s4 auto.
It needed new engine mounts, PITA to replace and changed the cam belt, relatively easy to do and a rear wheel bearing.
Only car I have ever owned that could light up the rear wheels and keep them smoking including changing gear twice getting to 80mph ! The advertised top speed is a reality, mine could hit the red line in top, the only noise you can hear is wind at that speed.
I replaced it with a range rover as I had a few near misses with speed camera's the last long journey was 145mph on cruise control for pretty much 3 hours, that's with 175,000 miles on the clock!
Do it
It needed new engine mounts, PITA to replace and changed the cam belt, relatively easy to do and a rear wheel bearing.
Only car I have ever owned that could light up the rear wheels and keep them smoking including changing gear twice getting to 80mph ! The advertised top speed is a reality, mine could hit the red line in top, the only noise you can hear is wind at that speed.
I replaced it with a range rover as I had a few near misses with speed camera's the last long journey was 145mph on cruise control for pretty much 3 hours, that's with 175,000 miles on the clock!
Do it
Edited by Grom1t on Saturday 8th February 23:34
Edited by Grom1t on Saturday 8th February 23:48
This beauty is up for €75,000!! Only 7k km on the clock though...
http://vipservicensk.ru/tunning/47-928.html
http://suchen.mobile.de/auto-inserat/porsche-928-g...
http://vipservicensk.ru/tunning/47-928.html
http://suchen.mobile.de/auto-inserat/porsche-928-g...
As with any exotic car they can be bought on the cheap but most certainly the cheapest will be the most expensive in the long run. Always buy on the physical condition of the car. Look for an up to date service history, complete main dealer history is not necessary but the later it goes from when the car was new is a good sign. Don't be tempted to buy the first car you see (they all take your breath away IMO) use your head and not your heart or you will be purchasing a shiny money pit. Look at how long the owners have had them for. Personally I would avoid a car which was bought and sold within a year. It would be hard to judge how the owner had maintained it. My last owner had the car 11 years and then had a previous 928 for 7 years. They do that to you!
Parts are plentiful thanks to the owners that have bought them cheap then something has gone catastrophically wrong requiring pennies spent that could not be afforded. Generally speaking the mechanicals are uber reliable but they do like a regular oil change. On the subject of that, do not be put off by high-milers as long as the paperwork and expenditure match the condition. Mine has just turned over 176,000 of which 50k have been done by myself. I usually wind it up to the red line most times out in one gear at least once a week and the delivery is still silky smooth. It doesn't smoke or rattle and mechanically it is a sweet engine with 5 bar oil on start and around 3 when warmed up. I always allow the engine to warm to at least a quarter on the temperature gauge before going over 3000 rpm so I know that the oil is getting to all the places it needs.
These are heavy cars and as such all 3 of mine have gone through ball joints and A arms, the latter which are a pain because the joint is fitted and not interchangeable (unless you go non OEM) so you have to buy the whole A arm complete (Porsche charge over £700!). There are plenty in the breakers and they go for around £100 from unloved owners that have let them go beyond economic repair.
I've had the engine stripped out for inspection at around 145,000 miles due to a rattle which I could not put my finger on, it turned out to be the cam chain tensioner (fed from oil pressure) which was not throwing out fully at low rpm. I asked the engine builder (Paul Anderson) to put in new rings, mains and big end caps, but he declined stating there was no visible wear and that the leak down test was only 5 psi off what it should be. That itself speaks volumes about the tolerances but that's not unusual for German machinery.
I had to take the car to my recommended specialist which is GT One in Chertsey last year, due to an MOT fail for the suspension cups starting to rot through. My local garage declined to do the job stating it was an unknown operation. The bill from GT One was mostly labour and the parts bill to rebuild both sides using genuine Porsche parts was a little over £100! It's going to get a complete suspension refresh this year with new springs and shocks, new disks and pads and callipers too. Then there is the paint work - I don't have a garage and the car is my everyday drive even though I have a Puegeot 306D! but the drive to work and back is worth the £280 it cost me in fuel a month.. need I say more?
This is my 3rd 928, I've owned the early S, and an S2 and now the GT. I've thought about upgrading, if that is the right term, to a GTS but the difference will be marginal if at all as I have a performance exhaust with a Y piece and no cats. I would not have the option on a post '91 car. If you are used to modern cars the 928 will feel heavy by comparison. It does like to drink a lot of fuel - my on-board computer says the average is around 17mpg and if I really try using the cruise control on a long journey I can eek out a reported actual 23.9
My averages are always low because the turbine smooth V8 is as intoxicating and rewarding justification to plant your right as it gets.
As you can see from my glowing opinion I'm rather fond of them. They offer 0-60 in 5, a genuine top end of 170, looks that are timeless (mine is 23 years old now but still looking fresh) and the sense that you are driving something a bit special. The 911 fan boys don't appear to like them (and they are not the poor man's Porsche!) but it is the model that was designed from the ground up to replace the 911.. boy did Porsche underestimate the cult following!
If you are in two minds about ownership, don't buy one. The car is like a cat - it will pick the right owner and then it will become part of the family.
Parts are plentiful thanks to the owners that have bought them cheap then something has gone catastrophically wrong requiring pennies spent that could not be afforded. Generally speaking the mechanicals are uber reliable but they do like a regular oil change. On the subject of that, do not be put off by high-milers as long as the paperwork and expenditure match the condition. Mine has just turned over 176,000 of which 50k have been done by myself. I usually wind it up to the red line most times out in one gear at least once a week and the delivery is still silky smooth. It doesn't smoke or rattle and mechanically it is a sweet engine with 5 bar oil on start and around 3 when warmed up. I always allow the engine to warm to at least a quarter on the temperature gauge before going over 3000 rpm so I know that the oil is getting to all the places it needs.
These are heavy cars and as such all 3 of mine have gone through ball joints and A arms, the latter which are a pain because the joint is fitted and not interchangeable (unless you go non OEM) so you have to buy the whole A arm complete (Porsche charge over £700!). There are plenty in the breakers and they go for around £100 from unloved owners that have let them go beyond economic repair.
I've had the engine stripped out for inspection at around 145,000 miles due to a rattle which I could not put my finger on, it turned out to be the cam chain tensioner (fed from oil pressure) which was not throwing out fully at low rpm. I asked the engine builder (Paul Anderson) to put in new rings, mains and big end caps, but he declined stating there was no visible wear and that the leak down test was only 5 psi off what it should be. That itself speaks volumes about the tolerances but that's not unusual for German machinery.
I had to take the car to my recommended specialist which is GT One in Chertsey last year, due to an MOT fail for the suspension cups starting to rot through. My local garage declined to do the job stating it was an unknown operation. The bill from GT One was mostly labour and the parts bill to rebuild both sides using genuine Porsche parts was a little over £100! It's going to get a complete suspension refresh this year with new springs and shocks, new disks and pads and callipers too. Then there is the paint work - I don't have a garage and the car is my everyday drive even though I have a Puegeot 306D! but the drive to work and back is worth the £280 it cost me in fuel a month.. need I say more?
This is my 3rd 928, I've owned the early S, and an S2 and now the GT. I've thought about upgrading, if that is the right term, to a GTS but the difference will be marginal if at all as I have a performance exhaust with a Y piece and no cats. I would not have the option on a post '91 car. If you are used to modern cars the 928 will feel heavy by comparison. It does like to drink a lot of fuel - my on-board computer says the average is around 17mpg and if I really try using the cruise control on a long journey I can eek out a reported actual 23.9
My averages are always low because the turbine smooth V8 is as intoxicating and rewarding justification to plant your right as it gets. As you can see from my glowing opinion I'm rather fond of them. They offer 0-60 in 5, a genuine top end of 170, looks that are timeless (mine is 23 years old now but still looking fresh) and the sense that you are driving something a bit special. The 911 fan boys don't appear to like them (and they are not the poor man's Porsche!) but it is the model that was designed from the ground up to replace the 911.. boy did Porsche underestimate the cult following!
If you are in two minds about ownership, don't buy one. The car is like a cat - it will pick the right owner and then it will become part of the family.
LordFlathead said:
As you can see from my glowing opinion I'm rather fond of them. They offer 0-60 in 5, a genuine top end of 170, looks that are timeless (mine is 23 years old now but still looking fresh) and the sense that you are driving something a bit special. The 911 fan boys don't appear to like them (and they are not the poor man's Porsche!) but it is the model that was designed from the ground up to replace the 911.. boy did Porsche underestimate the cult following!
If you are in two minds about ownership, don't buy one. The car is like a cat - it will pick the right owner and then it will become part of the family.
Spot on with your comments, this is one of the few cars that really does have a jekyll and hyde character, it will drive like a lazy pussycat, or rip your heart out like a wolf depending upon your mood, and it is all so controllable --- right up to it's limit --- do not take it for granted!If you are in two minds about ownership, don't buy one. The car is like a cat - it will pick the right owner and then it will become part of the family.
And I say this hand-on-heart, because every time I open the garage door, and look at my 928, it gives me goosebumps, I jump in, turn the key, listen to the fuel pump turning for a few seconds, then start the engine, and the hairs on the back of my neck really do lift in anticipation.
There really is no other substitute, the Porsche 928 really is astonishingly good in everything it accomplishes, it's solidly put together, has a sensational 5 litre V8 engine in the S4 model. Has an intoxicating exhaust note. And goes like stink when necessary.
Don't be fobbed off by tales of unexpected high bills. If the previous owner has looked after it well then you really shouldn't be in for any nasty surprises. As a footnote, all supercars entail huge running costs and I really don't think the 928 is particularly bad unless you have bought a cheap tat dog that has been neglected - you get what you pay for.
And if I remember correctly from the manufacturers figures, the S4 auto is very very fast, with 60mph achievable in 1st, 90mph in 2nd and 121mph in 3rd, and can reach 170mph in the right conditions. I have it on good authority that it is remarkably stable at over 160mph. I've actually watched a 928 smoke the back wheels whilst entering traffic flow at approx 40mph from the Metallifacture Ltd factory on Redhill in Nottingham a few years ago, which was mighty impressive to say the very least because the driver remained in total control of the car and it didn't snake on little bit. Left two long black tyre marks on the road.
Most Porsche 928 auto owners are blissfully unaware that when the gear lever is left in D, it will set off in 2nd gear rather than 1st, and is the reason why it appears so laid back when accelerating away from traffic lights. However, If you select 3, it will then pull off in 1st gear, and that is when serious amounts of rubber will be left at the traffic lights. I know this because I tried it just the once!
So would I buy another 928, yes I would. Would I recommend it to a friend, yes I would. And do I still own my S4, yes I do and I'm not intending to sell it anytime soon.
If any potential buyers are still unsure as to what has been said about the 928 by LordFlathead, other owners, and myself, then please visit www.928.org.uk website which has a huge following of 928 owners and enthusiasts.
Edited by rich888 on Monday 10th February 00:48
Conian said:
not compared to a Cayenne no!
They're longer than a Jaguar XJ......something hahah I can't recall which one.
Wider than an XJS, definitely not longer, my 928 replaced an XJS, also had an XJ12 same applies.They're longer than a Jaguar XJ......something hahah I can't recall which one.
I ran mine for a year, not an expensive car to run IMHO if you do it yourself, cost of parts was fine and everything unbolts like new.
Regards Mark
Well my red one ( featured above outside the Porsche Museum ) has gone to a delightful guy down south to be his daily driver! I miss it already!
The blue manual 1980 went on sale yesterday as unfortunately I have lost my workshop space .
Interestingly enough I have already had three enquiries already!
Certainly 928.org have suggested that the 928, and specifically early ones seem to be in demand right now,
and Roger at 928rus over in the USA suggests that they cannot get their hands on enough recently.....
so are we seeing a resurgence of demand for the 928 as people slowly realize that that bang for buck they are untouchable!!
The blue manual 1980 went on sale yesterday as unfortunately I have lost my workshop space .
Interestingly enough I have already had three enquiries already!
Certainly 928.org have suggested that the 928, and specifically early ones seem to be in demand right now,
and Roger at 928rus over in the USA suggests that they cannot get their hands on enough recently.....
so are we seeing a resurgence of demand for the 928 as people slowly realize that that bang for buck they are untouchable!!
Julesx said:
Lord Flathead and Rich888 - good reviews! Thanks!
Pleased you liked the reviews, I'm still well chuffed to bits with my 928 S4 and hope to keep it for a great many years till my kids can drive.Ought to mention that the 928 is also very practical when needed because it is a 2 + 2, so you can get the wife, and two kids in the back, plus buggy and lots of other junk in the boot. The back seats drop down flat so longer items can be stored, or the Christmas shop can be accommodated. I'm averaging 21mpg which isn't too bad considering what it is capable of, so doesn't break the bank in that department, and classic car insurance is very reasonable, some owners are paying less than £200 per year to insure.
In terms of servicing, don't bother with the official Porsche dealers because most of them are not familiar with the 928. I take mine down to Paul Anderson in Stroud who is the 928 guru who sorted out a few things on my 928 after I had purchased it. Might be worthwhile asking him to cast his eye over any potential purchases you have in mind which might save you a fortune in unexpected bills.
And before you leap into the unknown, take a look at the information posted on www.928.org.uk which is a fantastic source of information for anything related to the Porsche 928.
Have enclosed a pic of my 928 S4 and can't wait to drive her out of the garage when the sunshine returns
Gassing Station | Classic Cars and Yesterday's Heroes | Top of Page | What's New | My Stuff