looking to buy a 928...

[jq74]

greetings!
any fellow 928 enthusiasts around?
I've had all sorts of cars and bikes over the years and recently been really hankering after a 928. I think these cars are so damm cool especially the early ones in a retro colour. i especially love that check board interior they have... kind of trippy!

Planning to go and look at some over the next few weeks. There was a lovely looking s2 on ebay that went for just over 3k had a manual box as well which I liked the sound of. Any advice from owners would be great.

[markmullen]

I've got a Gemballa 928 S4, its a 1987, LHD and auto.

I've had it since November but not run it until recently when I got the cambelt changed (didn't fancy 32 valves meeting one another unexpectedly).

It goes well, corners nice and flat and stops well (I was expecting 17 year old brakes to be a bit dodgy).

It also turns a lot of heads and I get a lot of nice reaction from people.

The electrics seem to be a weak point (probably due to age) but I am working my way through and sorting them but by bit.

From the research I did before I bought mine a wrong un can cost you an arm and a leg. Mine is a good one but my last bill was £2350 for a belt change, some electrical bits and an alarm fitting.

The best news for me is that I seem to be getting 20mpg which after the 9 I got in the RX7 I had previously seems amazing and at that I am hardly tickling the thing along, I'm not shy of giving it the boot.

[iain_cam]

I don't own a 928 but they are my favourite type of Porsche. The manual gearbox is the best - but is very rare - as the standard gearbox fitted to the S2 was a three speed automatic.

Servicing is very expensive - over £2000 at a Porsche dealer! - but for such an amazing car, I think it isn't too bad.

Hope you find the right car!

[rubystone]

£3k is about right for an S2 of that spec. LHD 928s are dirt cheap. They are not easy cars to sell. There are some hideous Essex Boy bodykitted cars about too and these only sell to the Max Power Brigade (there's a particularly hideous convertible conversion with Strosek strakes that has to be seen to be believed).

Only buy an original, straight car with full history and check that the electrics all work. You MUST have it inspected by someone who knows these cars, for example, they can have head gasket problems too and replacing these can eat 4 figures. The S4 is more sought after and is the best buy at £3k for a high mileage car to £8k for a minter. The S4 GT is the best buy for a manual 928. The S4 GTS is the best of all and higher mileage examples can now be had for less than £10k.

Make no mistake, these can be very expensive cars to run, difficult cars to move on after you're fed up with them and poor examples wallow around and are a bad advertisment for the Porsche marque. Anything for £3k has to be viewed with care...

Good examples are rare but worth finding as I think the car was a real example of a '70s icon that in S4 guise moved with the years and even now does not disgrace itself in the looks department

[poorcardealer]

I sold a manual S2 recently.........much quicker than an auto, but remember a LUK clutch kit costs £550 + Vat, then you have to fit it...........buy a mint car, as bringing a condition 2 car will cause you more hassle and ££ss than it is worth.

[iain_cam]

This website gives a lot of good information on these wonderful cars -

www.channel4.com/4car/buying-guide/classics/porsche-928/928.html

[s2art]

I think you would be lucky to get a manual s2 in good nick for 3K. If you do find one at that price be v careful and budget an extra k or so for repairs/maintenance initially.

[Phil Dicky]

A 928 GT manual
wasn't there a bloke in Autcar the other week who was a seller of these. Had a yard full a broken ones but was a bit of an expert. Sorry can't remember his name.

Phil

[markmullen]

Phil Dicky said:

A 928 GT manual wasn't there a bloke in Autcar the other week who was a seller of these. Had a yard full a broken ones but was a bit of an expert. Sorry can't remember his name. Phil

Didn't see the article but sounds like Paul Anderson.

Try www.928.org.uk for more 928 buying information.

[cheburator]

rubystone said:

£3k is about right for an S2 of that spec. LHD 928s are dirt cheap.

You wish mate! I agree that eBay shows a lot of cr*p around the 3K mark. Then you go and see the car and it ain't what it is supposed to be. A good S2, with FSH is more around the 4.5K for Auto and 5.5K for Manual as a minimum price guidance. And as for LHD 928s being cheap - may I ask where have you seen them, because I would dearly love to add a third 928 to my garage. Porsche 928 are still appreciated in Europe and hold their value a lot better than in the UK

rubystone said:

Only buy an original, straight car with full history and check that the electrics all work. You MUST have it inspected by someone who knows these cars, for example, they can have head gasket problems too and replacing these can eat 4 figures.

I agree on that one, but headgasket problems are very easy to spot. Mayo on the oil filler cap, white smoke after the car has reached operating temp, smell of antifreeze being burned off, oil in the coolant.

rubystone said:

The S4 is more sought after and is the best buy at £3k for a high mileage car to £8k for a minter. The S4 GT is the best buy for a manual 928. The S4 GTS is the best of all and higher mileage examples can now be had for less than £10k.

What a lot of tosh!!! The best buy is a 1986 Manual S2 with the S4 suspension and 4-pot Brembos. But that is a different topic for a debate. As for the prices quoted here - good luck mate! I wish I could find these mint S4 and GTS for 8K. You are having a laugh. Just FYI - the S2 is valued at 7.5K and my LHD GT is valued at 11K by my insurance companies!!!

rubystone said:

Make no mistake, these can be very expensive cars to run, difficult cars to move on after you're fed up with them and poor examples wallow around and are a bad advertisment for the Porsche marque. Anything for £3k has to be viewed with care...

You are contradicting yourself - £3K at first sounded about right, but then has to be viewed with care...

rubystone said:

Good examples are rare but worth finding as I think the car was a real example of a '70s icon that in S4 guise moved with the years and even now does not disgrace itself in the looks department

I am annoyed that people who have read bits and bobs about 928s on the Net, or have perhaps seen one can post inaccurate information about the cars. How can you comment without actually having been through the pleasure and pain of owning one or two...

Rant over!!!

[rubystone]

Alex mate, chill. Did I say that a 928 GTS could be bought for £8,500???? In December one sold for £9,995.

Ask the trade - an S4 IS the most desirable for resale purposes perhaps I omitted the word "resale" from my posting....

You're letting your enthusiasm for your own 928S2 cloud your judgement - the guy asked for advice, not the rose tinted rantings of a person rightfully in love with a no doubt very nice example of a motoring icon. I preumse your car is a 928 S2 manual with S4 suspension and 4-pot Brembos?.....

LHD 928s, whilst rare in the UK, are very cheap indeed. If you want one, please let me know what your budget is - I have several contacts in mainland Europe who will be only too willing to source one for you. If you have some spare time, take a trip to Techno Classica in Essen from the 5th to 8th April 2005. Virtually all the major classic car dealers in Europe are attending this and you could find out for yourself just how cheap an lhd 928 could be bought for.

Head gasket problems can be very subtle - so subtle that only a test of the coolant will reveal the hydrocarbon content that indicates a failing head gasket. By the time the symptoms that Alex describes have appeared, the damage may well have been done to these all alloy engines.

My insurance company values all my cars at well above their true market value - that doesn't mean a thing.

Any 928 at £3k has to be viewed with care. Those at the botom of the pool - 928s and S2s at this money will have been neglected from a servicing point of view - there's a fair chance that their present owner has not lavished tons of cash on the car and wants to get rid of it. Any S4 at this money will be ultra high miles or cheap at that price for a reason.

Finally Alex, there is indeed nothing like hearing it from the horse's mouth, but you really do have to be dispassionate about these things. That's what I've tried to be here. Nothing I have posted has been in any way inaccurate - Dogsharks would have been on long ago to correct me if I had.

Would anyone else like to comment - Henry F and Poorcardealer are the professionals here....

>> Edited by rubystone on Tuesday 29th March 15:33

[jq74]

Hey guys thanks for all your helpful advice! i'm going to see one tomorrow so I'll let you know how I get on... Am a bit worried about buying a dog that has headgasket problems etc.. but i tend to go on gut feel for these things as I dont have the time or patience to get a full check over done.

What would you say the top things i should look out for are in order...

ie. quote...... Mayo on the oil filler cap, white smoke after the car has reached operating temp, smell of antifreeze being burned off, oil in the coolant.


thanks again.... James

[cheburator]

rubystone said:

Alex mate, chill. Did I say that a 928 GTS could be bought for £8,500???? In December one sold for £9,995. I preumse your car is a 928 S2 manual with S4 suspension and 4-pot Brembos?..... LHD 928s, whilst rare in the UK, are very cheap indeed. If you want one, please let me know what your budget is - I have several contacts in mainland Europe who will be only too willing to source one for you. If you have some spare time, take a trip to Techno Classica in Essen from the 5th to 8th April 2005. Virtually all the major classic car dealers in Europe are attending this and you could find out for yourself just how cheap an lhd 928 could be bought for. Head gasket problems can be very subtle - so subtle that only a test of the coolant will reveal the hydrocarbon content that indicates a failing head gasket. By the time the symptoms that Alex describes have appeared, the damage may well have been done to these all alloy engines. My insurance company values all my cars at well above their true market value - that doesn't mean a thing. Any 928 at £3k has to be viewed with care. Those at the botom of the pool - 928s and S2s at this money will have been neglected from a servicing point of view - there's a fair chance that their present owner has not lavished tons of cash on the car and wants to get rid of it. Any S4 at this money will be ultra high miles or cheap at that price for a reason. Finally Alex, there is indeed nothing like hearing it from the horse's mouth, but you really do have to be dispassionate about these things. That's what I've tried to be here. Nothing I have posted has been in any way inaccurate - Dogsharks would have been on long ago to correct me if I had. Would anyone else like to comment - Henry F and Poorcardealer are the professionals here.... >> Edited by rubystone on Tuesday 29th March 15:33

I agree with you on many points - I guess it's' the subtlety of the use of the language. Overall if a 928 is cheap, it is cheap for a reason. You can pick up a S2 Manual for 3K and you will see £2K leaving your bank account just to put it straight.

A GTS for £9K is a most deffo am oil-burner, which needs extensive/expensive rebuilt to be sorted out.

My S2 sadly is not with S4 suspension or S4 brakes. It has a 5-spd GTS gearbox and PSD. I also have a LHD 928 GT with a brand new engine.

928 are not cheap in Europe. Full stop. (unless you look at dogs) I have been at the Essen show for the last two years running because I was looking to buy a LHD 928 GT. The cheapest I could get my hands on was valued at EUR14000 and was in decent-ish nick. Rene Cummer offered me his own white 928 GT for EUR19000... Do you know that there are more 928 GTs left on the road in the UK than anywhere else in the World?

[rubystone]

An lhd 928 GT with blown engine sold thru Porsche Post last year for decent money IIRC - did you buy that car by any chance?

I was going to Essen this year but will be in the US instead - I'll find out just how good the show was when I get back. Cheapest GT in Europe is about £8k at the moment - high mileage though.....

[cheburator]

rubystone said:

An lhd 928 GT with blown engine sold thru Porsche Post last year for decent money IIRC - did you buy that car by any chance? I was going to Essen this year but will be in the US instead - I'll find out just how good the show was when I get back. Cheapest GT in Europe is about £8k at the moment - high mileage though.....

I bought the car of a guy in Cambridge, who in turn bought the car in Germany with a blown engine. Fitted a fully rebuilt - rings, bearings, main seals, valve guides, gaskets, pumps, leads, dizzy caps and rotors, knock sensors, temp sensors, vacuum lines - GT unit. The GT also has a new clutch kit, new brake pads and rotors, bearings, braided brake hoses front and rear and shabby-ish interior, which I am restoring to as new condition.

Low mileage GTs sell for a minimum of EUR14,000 so I guess £8K for a high mileage one is about right. But then you are buying a cat in a bag... Btw, just out of interest what Porsche do you drive if you don't mind me asking?

[rubystone]

cheburator said:

I bought the car of a guy in Cambridge, who in turn bought the car in Germany with a blown engine. ... Btw, just out of interest what Porsche do you drive if you don't mind me asking?

That's the same car - I can't remember the exact price - it hung around for ages - £7k rings a bell with me though...

I've just sold my 3.2 Carrera - it'll be on GT Classics' stand at Essen LOL

[cheburator]

Lovely cars - Carrera 3.2s... Must be a good one if it will be at the show. LOL. The GT - I bought it for decent money, considering that it probbaly has one of the best engines in the UK. I also traced the service history through Porsche Zentrum Cologne, where the car was serviced until it blew up the engine. I intend to keep the FPSH as you rarely get this on a 928...

On another note, for those looking to buy a 928, I believe the following check list is extremely usefull:

[url] www.928.org.uk/mambo/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=26&Itemid=42[/url]

[poorcardealer]

Right.........a NICE FSH S4 Auto from 87/88 is worth £4K trade, they dont come up much because most cars are dogs,and would cost too much in recon to bring them up to retail standards so they are not worth £4K, I have just sold an 84 S2 manual, needing two new boot struts, central locking sorting out and £300 worth of paint for £3300, not a bargain in the sense its about its worth retail, really.
I have had about 7 or 8 GTS's over the years the last one was 12 months ago, a 95 car, in blue done 80K, I gave £8500 for it, and retailed the car having spent 1500 on it to make it "proper" for £12K.........I have the car 4 months and wasn't exactly knocked over by buyers.
At the end of the day a car is only worth what someone is willing to pay for it........it may have been Henry who once said to me "928s are great but when it goes wrong its a grand a go" I can vouch for that.
Insurance valuations mean little.

A blown headgasket on an early car may finished it off and send it for breaking....book time if my memory serves me correctly is 17 hours to do the job.....on a car worth as little as £1000...doesnt make a lot of sense.

928s are great cars, buy a good un and you have a bargain, just keep a few ££sss back for those big bills.

Matt

[944Tman]

I was asked to inspect the 928 manual referred to at the start of this thread but the dealer refused - if you come across this situation yourself do exactly the same - walk away and save yourself from buying a lemon. There are good cars out there but you must have it properly inspected first - a typical inspection fee of less than £200 is peanuts compared to what these cars can cost and almost every cleint has negotiated a discount ot more than cover the fee anyway.
Suggets you spend a fiver at www.sportscarguides.com to learn the basics.

[poorcardealer]

944Tman said:

I was asked to inspect the 928 manual referred to at the start of this thread but the dealer refused - if you come across this situation yourself do exactly the same - walk away and save yourself from buying a lemon. There are good cars out there but you must have it properly inspected first - a typical inspection fee of less than £200 is peanuts compared to what these cars can cost and almost every cleint has negotiated a discount ot more than cover the fee anyway. Suggets you spend a fiver at www.sportscarguides.com to learn the basics.

Just to clarify it wasnt "my" 928 thanks.