928 crash/repaired question... - would you buy?
Discussion
Finally, I have decided to say goodbye to my pretty good (reliable etc.) 944S2 and find a 928GT instead. I have looked at and driven a couple and I have found one as follows.
Things I am OK about include:
- 1992 (badged as an S4 although engine/chassis numbers confirm it's a GT)
- LHD (import from Germany in 1997),
- 150,000km
- Reasonable history (from 2000), new clutch, tyres,
- "Titled owner" - who apparently spent $$$$s on it.
- Vendor happy for it to be checked thoroughly by JZ Machtech.
- Clean, solid etc, drives well.
- Vendor will take my 944S2 at a reasonable price.
- Electrical trickery seems to work (see below).
Things that are not so good:
1) After being imported it had a BIG front end accident. Would this put you off?
2) No A/C compressor (new ones are £1300)
3) Airbags not replaced after crash.
4) Gauges / dials still in German & KM
5) Digital display reports - Tyre monitor not working, airbag problems.
6) 50mm Rust bubble on front wing...
7) Didnt notice that the cam belts & chains have been replaced recently.
Overall the vendor wants around £7,500 for it. I would appreciate your thoughts about:
- Should the crash/damange put me off?
- Generally does this seem like a 928 to be wary of? I guess that it could easily require a few thousand to fix the things that I know about... Maybe a car costing a little more would be better?
Things I am OK about include:
- 1992 (badged as an S4 although engine/chassis numbers confirm it's a GT)
- LHD (import from Germany in 1997),
- 150,000km
- Reasonable history (from 2000), new clutch, tyres,
- "Titled owner" - who apparently spent $$$$s on it.
- Vendor happy for it to be checked thoroughly by JZ Machtech.
- Clean, solid etc, drives well.
- Vendor will take my 944S2 at a reasonable price.
- Electrical trickery seems to work (see below).
Things that are not so good:
1) After being imported it had a BIG front end accident. Would this put you off?
2) No A/C compressor (new ones are £1300)
3) Airbags not replaced after crash.
4) Gauges / dials still in German & KM
5) Digital display reports - Tyre monitor not working, airbag problems.
6) 50mm Rust bubble on front wing...
7) Didnt notice that the cam belts & chains have been replaced recently.
Overall the vendor wants around £7,500 for it. I would appreciate your thoughts about:
- Should the crash/damange put me off?
- Generally does this seem like a 928 to be wary of? I guess that it could easily require a few thousand to fix the things that I know about... Maybe a car costing a little more would be better?
my 928 workshop manuals have detailed information on how to repair body damage. In this case, the body is a unibody and I would tend to be very wary about a so-called "BIG" front end accident. One might ask, "how big was it"? but I can assume bent front fenders left and right, buckled engine hood, radiator and headlight retractor damage, and worst of all, a potential misalignment of the actual structure.
I would tend to lean heavily toward one that was never wrecked. They are tough enough to take care of, without having to worry about something resulting from an accident repair. As DEVEK says here in the US, the cars have no known weaknesses. They just demand good care.
There are Porsches, and then there are Porsche drivers. Buy one from a Porsche driver. Porsche drivers are the ones who will care for the car in the proper manner, everyone else should be driving a Toyota.
:-) Dogsharks
I would tend to lean heavily toward one that was never wrecked. They are tough enough to take care of, without having to worry about something resulting from an accident repair. As DEVEK says here in the US, the cars have no known weaknesses. They just demand good care.
There are Porsches, and then there are Porsche drivers. Buy one from a Porsche driver. Porsche drivers are the ones who will care for the car in the proper manner, everyone else should be driving a Toyota.
:-) Dogsharks
In my opinion, walk away. Thereare plenty of 928's out there. Why have one which has had a crash (no matter how well repaired) when yuo can have one with nodamage.
The fact that the airbags went off indicates to me it was a big one...
Also: why no compressor?
Why no airbags?? A proper job would replace these as well. Or would that mean a write-off??
Rust? Let me guess: at the front. It smacks of a poor repair.
You may be lucky, but ou may find yourself spending many £££££ on the car. Wait a bit longer, and get one which will only need 0.£ spent on it...
The fact that the airbags went off indicates to me it was a big one...
Also: why no compressor?
Why no airbags?? A proper job would replace these as well. Or would that mean a write-off??
Rust? Let me guess: at the front. It smacks of a poor repair.
You may be lucky, but ou may find yourself spending many £££££ on the car. Wait a bit longer, and get one which will only need 0.£ spent on it...
Euro spec (LHD 928 you said imported fromGermany) airbags have v.high detonation thresholds; for the bags to pop it must have been a _BIG_ un!
No questions asked: walk away. Unless you can guarantee that the thing was aligned properly by Porsche on a Celette jig or was reshelled, you've just got toooooooo much potential headache for a 170mph+ car.
You should be able to pick up a reasonable LHD S4 for 7.5k anyway, let alone one that's been binned. I've driven a GT (and I would think it was a good un as Camtune were resting their rep on it) and it's one hell of a lot of car, and worth paying up front for a straight one. In the long run, it will save you money, heartache and poss, your marriage too!
Fox
---
964C2
No questions asked: walk away. Unless you can guarantee that the thing was aligned properly by Porsche on a Celette jig or was reshelled, you've just got toooooooo much potential headache for a 170mph+ car.
You should be able to pick up a reasonable LHD S4 for 7.5k anyway, let alone one that's been binned. I've driven a GT (and I would think it was a good un as Camtune were resting their rep on it) and it's one hell of a lot of car, and worth paying up front for a straight one. In the long run, it will save you money, heartache and poss, your marriage too!
Fox
---
964C2
Aren't the front wings aluminium on 928s? In any event this is a dog of a car full stop. Buy a "lesser" 928 if you have to.
But...in this month's edition of Porsche Post there's a 928 GT with a blown engine for sale - I've no idea how much it is or how easy it is to get a replacement engine. Equally, in the same edition, there are 3 other 928 GTs, all rhd - 1 at £10,950 with 76k miles one at £9,500 with 125k miles and the final one at £11,450 (no miles indicated).
Mail me thru PH and I'll pass on the rest of the details if you like.
But...in this month's edition of Porsche Post there's a 928 GT with a blown engine for sale - I've no idea how much it is or how easy it is to get a replacement engine. Equally, in the same edition, there are 3 other 928 GTs, all rhd - 1 at £10,950 with 76k miles one at £9,500 with 125k miles and the final one at £11,450 (no miles indicated).
Mail me thru PH and I'll pass on the rest of the details if you like.
General rule of thumb when buying a second hand car (unless it's a really rare model). If you have any reservations, walk away.
Also, if there is rust on a relatively new repair like that, it sounds like non-genuine parts have been used for the repair.
I'll add my vote to "walk away". Alternative is to offer him 5 grand.
Also, if there is rust on a relatively new repair like that, it sounds like non-genuine parts have been used for the repair.
I'll add my vote to "walk away". Alternative is to offer him 5 grand.
Thanks for your replies guys, in the end I did walk away.
I called one of the independent garages that had serviced the car (from the history) and they remembered it and warned me off (lots of DIY maintenance as well as anything else).
The vendor reduced the price (down to £6k) but I want a straight one, and UK spec too. Shame really, as getting rid of my 944S2 at the same time would have been too easy.
I called one of the independent garages that had serviced the car (from the history) and they remembered it and warned me off (lots of DIY maintenance as well as anything else).
The vendor reduced the price (down to £6k) but I want a straight one, and UK spec too. Shame really, as getting rid of my 944S2 at the same time would have been too easy.
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