Porsche Enthusiasts Club Forum

A warning from Michael Garrod

About two years ago my 92 GTS had an engine fire. I pulled up on the
drive, smelled petrol, opened the bonnet and lost half an eyebrow and all
the hair on the back of my hands.

I got the fire out pretty quickly with a fire extinguisher but there was a
lot a petrol and the fire re-ignited, I was not able to put it out this
time and had to wait for the fire brigade.

The front of the engine was pretty extensively damaged and the car was
taken on a trailor to Tom Fergusons (Porsche specialist). I was desparate
to get the car fixed but with an estimate of ?10,500 it was written off by
the insurance company.

The base of the fire was around the fuel manifold at the front of the
engine and the radiator, all of the belts, the aircon and the fuel system
were pretty badly damaged. The two killers for the insurance company were;
that the engine wiring loom was beyond repair (a new one could not be
sourced) and that the plastic oil filler neck had melted and fallen into
the engine requiring a complete engine rebuild.

The car K3 SSS is currently on ebay as a classified ad for ?7,995.

If anyone is genuinly interested drop me a mail and I can give you more
information.

Pining for a GT/SE/GTS

Mike Garrod

BTW. The eyebrow did eventually grow back.

Not wishing to disagree. But a secondhand loom will solve that wiring issue. The oil filler may have melted but won't travel through the engine as the oil pump mesh will have stopped it going through the engine & the frazzled loom will have stopped the engine pretty quickly. So a swap of bearings & pump would fix the engine even if the damage was that extensive. Even a secondhand engine would be another option. Obviously the insurance co. took the expensive route when looking at this. I suspect one concern was the unknown aspect of exactly how much damage there was.

Looking at the ad, he says it runs & drives so obviously some work has been done, also not listed as on the register, strange if it was written off? I'd expect a Cat C, possibly a D given this level of damage.

There is another lesson in this! NEVER, EVER open the bonnet if you suspect a fire. Get a decent size extinguisher & blast it into the radiator aperture, the heat will take it to the top of the engine bay. Also immediately disconnect the battery. This is why a master switch can save the car.
This is taught on race marshalling courses.

Hi Mike

I wondered why that was so cheap....and I am always loooking for a bargain 928.....

So thanks very much for the warning

All the best Brett

Mike,
thanks for the info, im not in the position to buy a newer model yet but will in time

All the very best Mark

HI there every one this car back on E Bay.

Is it the same seller as before?

I suspect this car has not been on the road since the accident and the lack of the V5 is because it needs a VIC check to have a new one issued.

I also suspect that the wiring repair has been botched together and is now failing or has not been done at all.

Potentially would make someone a really lovely car and would still come in under what one is worth even with the Cat-d... But I am not going to bid on it, although I would if it was about half the price.

Hi Jon

The car is only in Dorchester... I will go halves with you and make him an offer of £1000 (rather than the £7700 he wants)...so thats £500 each IF he Mots it first

All the best Brett

Good morning Brett car got to be worth £4k all day long with no M.O.T .The last twice it was on E Bay it was for sale in my neck of the woods first listing at Mansfield and then at Chesterfield.No nothing about car whats the info on the green light showing on relay ?

I think this sounds like a lemon car which has been passed from person to person, may indicate it has more issues that it seems.

I would still pay him half the asking price, even £4k is reasonable, more than that could be a can of worms that outgrows its value.