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washernoob

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Joined
Jul 3, 2010
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The search for a car continues.

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My parents are now digging a 1984 Porsche 928S with the 4.6 V8 (310 hp)

It gets around 20 mpg city, 27 HW.

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I wont be driving it all the time. I would drive my moms car. The 928 is a dream car for my mom, but no one in our family has had experience with a Porsche.

What do you guys think? Is it another BMW case, or might it be a good purchase?

washernoob++4-23-2011-19-05-58.jpg
 
928

those are awesome cars-i have a 1981 928 with the standard for '81 220 hp
4.5L(273CI)v8 and 5 spd stick.Some "experts"say you can't afford to keep
these cars because parts and service are expensive,but i have had mine for
nearly 7yrs and nothing major has ever gone wrong though i do maintain it
properly and inspect for any developing problems from time to time.
Car is tough and has decent utility for a GT type car too.
Only a couple complaints with mine:
-sometimes likes to stall at low speeds in very hot weather-there is a minor
problem in the fuel system somewhere...
-chassis not overly rigid by modern standards.
-ride can be a little bouncy.
The '84 model has some improvements over the '81 version(928 came ot in 1978,
'95(!)was final year)
 
Fantastic!

It would be REAL hard to hit the goodwill and thrift stores. There aint allot of room in that back I see! :D

Dont think I can fit a washer back there, nor many vacuum cleaners!

Curious...

Is the visibility in the car good? It looks like it would be fantastic. But not sure how high up that back end is really compared to where one sits in the car.
 
Just wait until your parents insurance agent gives them a price quote for insuring you in this car. Your monthly insurance bill will be about what they pay for an entire year of insurance!

Let's see:

Two Door High Performance Coupe
Four Speed Transmission
Pricey parts on car
Having an 18 year old drive it

Yup, $$$$$!

This same thing is what kept me out of a Corvette while I was in college. I really wanted a used one, but when we found out what the insurance rate was my father told me I could get one when I could afford it and the insurance that goes along with it. The problem was by the time I had the money to do so, I realized how unpractical a Corvette really is.
 
True.

Initially I was going to be put on the insurance thing, but it was listed with our truck AND my dads 2007 Mustang GT. V8, manual 5 speed, aftermarket performance parts (375 hp)

It was like $200 a month- 8 months out of the year.

I would think insurance would be roughly the same. Plus I don't have the huge expeditions with it anymore. Rather my moms 2010 Honda Fit.
 
PS...

my 19 year old brother drives a 2011 Dodge Challenger with the V8, and a 2003 expedition (not my parents). He pays about $190 a month.
 
<span style="font-family: georgia,palatino; font-size: medium;">My Dad had a 1984 of this model!  It was White with Black leather interior.</span>

<span style="font-family: georgia,palatino; font-size: medium;">What an awesome car! I used to love riding around New Orleans in this car.
</span>

<span style="font-family: georgia,palatino; font-size: medium;">It took me some time getting used to my legs being level with the car considering the floor board.</span>

<span style="font-family: georgia,palatino; font-size: medium;">His plans was to keep this car as an investment.  He actually got rid of it because in the early 2000's</span>

<span style="font-family: georgia,palatino; font-size: medium;">the parts were very hard to come by.  He did good on his investment because the car only had 27,000 miles on it.</span>

<span style="font-family: georgia,palatino; font-size: medium;">In it's day it was such a head turner.  Compared to today's performance cars, this car is really not all that beefy. </span>

<span style="font-family: georgia,palatino; font-size: medium;">Great Highway Car though!  It would cruise at high speeds like there was no tomorrow!</span>

<span style="font-family: georgia,palatino; font-size: medium;">Time is going by so fast.  This all seems like yesterday!</span>

<span style="font-family: georgia,palatino; font-size: medium;">Brent</span>
 
We have a 1988 Porsche 944. Porsche's are great cars, but they are definately overengineered. Lots of fun to drive, but when something breaks, you will wish it was a Chevy Citation than a 928 Porsche. Get to know a good Porsche mechanic, maintenance is critical on a Porsche. Things like timing belts, idlers, water pumps,etc, must be done on a regular basis. Parts are readily available, but it might take a day or 2 to find them, and have them brought in. I don't think the AutoZone down the street carries much for Porsche.

As long as you're aware of what it takes to own and maintain a Porsche, I'd say go for it. They hold resale pretty good, they're a blast to drive, and ours still turns heads going down the street.
 
Thanks!

We have a few options on our hands. There are 4 porsche 928s that we can find around us. Each are between 82 and 87. We will be going to check out all of them for sure!

Our eyes are set in an 82 right now. its got an entire interior redo, and tons of motor work redone. At 80k miles, it seems that maybe its the best fit.

I do think the red one posted above is in the best overall condition though... and I love the color!
 
the red one...

i do like the red one!-nice color and though i usually don't like later
aftermarket wheels on older cars,those on that red one look good.
Mine has the standard 15" wheels,16"were optional in 1981.
mine is still mostly original,but when i got it there was a nasty cheap
aftermarket am/fm cassette installed so i got a becker"grand prix"stereo
out of a wrecked '87 benz 560 and installed along with some proper german
speakers(got an authentic blaupunkt too,but i really like the becker so
for now it remains in place)
These cars use a large rectangular engine air filter in a plastic housing
the lid of which is clamped on with four rubber straps-those straps can
loose their tension with age and allow dust to get past the filter and into
the engine to cause wear-this was happening on mine when i got it,but i
corrected the condition and appears no real damage was done as car uses no
oil and oil is still clean after 5000 mi.
It actually kinda good that the discount auto parts stores don't have many
parts for these as that helps prevent junk chinese replacement parts getting
used-i'll pay the extra for real german parts anyday....
 
Good car, good collector potential, expensive to repair, expensive to insure. Not practical for carrying passengers or much luggage. However, I like them and want one myself.
 
I'd suggest if it doesn't have a fully documented history, then walk away.

Standard porsche wheels or factory options will be better than any after market ones and if you change the tyre specifications you're likely to ruin the ride/handling balance. Don't forget that Porsche spend $$millions getting these things right....not the $100's that you or I may do trying to second guess their highly paid engineers.

If it were me, I'd find the best, well cared for and unaltered example I could. Preferably a one or two owner car...
 
my 19 year old brother drives a 2011 Dodge Challenger with the V8, and a 2003 expedition (not my parents). He pays about $190 a month.

But a Porsche is not even in the same category as a Dodge Challenger. I would guess that if you got by for $250-275 per month in insurance charges, you'll be doing good.
 
My "bipolar" dad (not really) Decided I need to get this.

LOL

A change in mind definitely. Of course, probably for the best. :)

1973 Volkswagen Beetle with the following- NEW engine, clutch, brakes, brake pads, floor boards, fenders, tires, distributor, carpet, horn, paint, and much more

HEY ITS PRETTY MUCH A PORSCHE

washernoob++4-24-2011-21-00-18.jpg
 
my 928 experience...

...actually started back around 1980 when i bought a model one because i
thought the engine looked cool(i still think so)and the kit came with really
nice real rubber tires-a few months after finishing the model i saw a real
one in dark blue(probably had the wild early upholstry too!)
A friend liked the model and the awesome tires and bought one too.
In 2004,one turned up for sale locally and i started to get interested...
looked it over,took it for a test spin,and bought it for $7000 in good shape,
81000 mi,but needing a little TLC in a few places;
-the air filter situation mentioned upthread
-the crappy aftermarket stereo
-a couple lights out
-aux condenser fan missing(bought one on ebay)
-a couple coolant leaks
-busted A/C switch
-cracked rear exhaust resonator-removed and made a"y"to reuse the original
exhaust tips
-weak alternator-french-made SEV alternator supposed to be 90 amps,but i
think it was repaired once and the wrong stator used as there was no way,
with the winding on the stator,that it was a 90a alternator...
i had a bosch alternator from an '82 saab 900,rated at 75a,that was nearly
a direct fit-only had to add a spacer.problem fixed.
This car has been very,very reliable since i have had it and though a bit
high geared is impressivly fast for a stock '81 car(an"s"version with a
slightly bigger engine and a couple other tweaks was also offered)
Tranny is rear mounted in these and the optional automatic is assembled by
porsche in their case using mercedes benz internals.The cast magnesium
engine fan is also a benz part and caused some to think the rest of the
engine was mercedes too,but it is porsche all the way.The hood,front fenders
and doors are aluminum,main body is steel(those doors are much lighter than
the doors of my '82 z28 LOL)
 
Brandon,

At the risk of sounding like a boring dad....and since I am a dad and a former Porsche owner...here are my two cents with some fatherly advice:

I had two 911S Carreras over the years. Any maintenance on these vehicles has to be done by someone that knows what he is doing. A brake job (pads) for mine was always around 375.00 per axle.

When I owned the vehicles I could afford to maintain them. My son is two years older than you. Even if I would agree to help him maintain this type of vehicle he would be concentrating on that as opposed to his studies.

You need to continue to school and have a vehicle that will provide reliable transportation.

My son went to an expensive private school for HS and many of the students (his buddies) drove new very expensive cars. The operative word is NEW here and still these vehicles required maintenance. Two of them had to get jobs just to afford the insurance. So they worked just to pay the insurance on these vehicles.

Trent, my son, had a Camry and it is not glamorous but it was not expensive to insure or maintain and is reliable. He is not constantly worrying about where the funds are going to come from to maintain it.......with a Porsche and especially a 928, you as a young man will be on the side of the road and up shit creek constantly.

Ask dad if he will agree to help you get a newer vehicle using the money that you will not be needing for crazy high insurance and simple maintenance.

You aspire for this type of vehicle, then when you can truly afford it start looking for one.
 
Being a car guy, and having worked on 928's...

Here's my 2 cents:

A) I would not touch a 928, at any price, that's been screwed with. Those aftermarket wheels are a huge red flag to me. You need to remember that this was one of the fastest and most glamorous european cars of the era. All aluminum body, perfect front to rear balance ratio, and a power to weight ratio that was insane. This is absolute tire smoldering, traffic ticket getting, wrap yourself around a tree at 130mph German engineering at it's finest.

So you have to ask yourself, who purchased this originally, for $80,000 and then, 8 year later, when they were 5 grand, who do you think was buying them.......and how were they being driven.

No car has the potential for having the absolute bag run off it, like a 928. Needless to say, when I see the ganster wheels, I see a huge red flag.

B) As a teenager, and a guy, your chances of affording and surviving ownership of a car like this are on the extreme edge. I doubt you've ever, or will you ever, drive anything with this much power and this much potential. I don't know you, so don't take that the wrong way.....but honestly speaking, do you really think you can drive the speedlimit in a car like this? And honestly, how many traffic tickets do you think you'll get in the next 5 years...if you kept it that long?

C) Affording maintenance, and being able to find an actual skilled Porsche tech who knows how to work on a 928. Servicing Porsches is as expensive, or more so, then a Mercedes. Price a timing belt replacement on this car. You'll be doing that roughly every 5-6 years. Price a real set of tires......every 3 to 4 years. Price the brake job, front and rear, with rotors.

No my friend, get yourself some normal transportion, get into college and graduate with a career on track, and once you have your student loans handled, you'll have plenty of time for a 928 if that's still on your mind.
 

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