Porsche Enthusiasts Club Forum

Hi all,

Just been to see 928 S4 that is for sale on EBay

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/151164591830? ... 1423.l2649

It has no recent service history but it was good for it's first 15 years

Does anyone have any idea about this car, it's last owner was in Birmingham area

cheers

Neil

Hi Neil

I don't know the car but it has one rare and good sign - driver and passenger footwell lights working! Someone has been conscientious, but oddly same someone has not replaced missing jump post cover which is important.

But price ridiculously cheap for a car of 928's ability and quality, almost regardless of any hidden problems.

What did you think of her and how was test drive?

The 928 has a worn but comfy feel to it, seems to have been loved but used, so shame it has no recent service history and it is being sold by a dealer from his house, not the owner on the v5 - So I am very wary...

i wouldn't worry about service history too much. Dealers tend to toss that stuff away. If the guy was into DIY (like me) then there would be no formal "stamps" service history (though I keep record of virtually every time I undo a bolt on the car).

If test drive didn't convince you then you should have the car checked out by someone in the area who knows 928s. Have you joined 928uk list? Someone on there will probably offer to run another pair of eyes over the car.

This car was going very cheap recently in Birmingham... £2k? I nearly bought it. As I recall there was a power steering issue.

I didn't view and ended up losing out at the the time but it looked alright. Weird there is no spoiler though.

The footwell lights working is quite rare, normally they never work but it's usually a very simple fix - bulb, dirty contact etc

You tempted? how much is it for sale for now?

Hi All,

Well after an in-depth investigation and a good drive, it seems the 928 needs £3000 spending on it to make it properly roadworthy (Able to take to Max speed on track)

Needs new Engine Mounts, Cam Belt, Water Pump, Fuel Tank bracket, Front brake discs and also x4 new tyres. Plus possible Steering rack rebuild as it is leaking.

So based on the this a minor discount on the price we are up to £7000

I might be able to find better, but keen our every ones feedback

cheers

Neil

Are you looking for a road car or a track car?


Steering fluid leak will need fixing, so you need to budget for that too.


Well it doesn't look too bad in the pictures (apart from the missing rear spoiler, which is a bit weird) so I would say that a total spend of £7000 for a car that you know has no issues doesn't seem a high price; it isn't the bargain of the century either, so you may want to try and negotiate a larger discount on the purchase price with the seller.

Before you buy it there are a few other things to consider.

You haven't made any mention of the flexplate issue and potential for thrust bearing failure - do you know the car's status with regard to this?

Have you looked at or driven any other 928s for comparison?

Finally, if you know the previous owner's address from the V5 you could try phoning them for a chat - if they're a 928 fan they might be quite happy to discuss their ownership and the car's history (and as they're not selling it they won't be so tempted to just tell you about the positive bits).

Hi,

There is no knowledge of flex plate from the seller, I am fully aware of TBF having read the forum, but there is no history on this car, so if I get the car at the right price, this is the risk as it would cost me £200 at least to get this examined properly.

Having just reread the thread, I notice Lew saying this car was for sale for £2K ish in Birmingham. If I can get the price down then the added 3000 would make a nice car for £6K or less.

I am looking for a 928 that I can take to the Nuerburgring in Germany and MAX out at 150 plus MPH. But other than that it would be doing 10,000 miles a year on the motorway going to work.

My local Porsche Engineer Paul Sage is not afraid of 928's but he says the bills can be a bit scary, which makes life difficult as I need all my spare money to carry on the restoration of my 1936 Bentley (Barn Find total restoration by me)...

cheers all and can all and anyone please help with this tricky decision

Seasons Greetings

Neil

Hi NEIL

If you are going to have to spend 4k on it...its worth around 1k MAX....

You can easily buy another WITHOUT those problems for a lot less than 4k....

All the best Brett

As they're so easy to find Brett, perhaps you should provide some links for all these sub 4k cars that are fully serviced and need for nothing except a tankful of fuel; then we could do a comparison with the one the OP is thinking of buying.

An S or S2 could be had for that price but personally I think you'll struggle to find a decent 1990 S4. A target of 6k or less sounds more realistic to me.

Most of the so-called problems are actually service items that will need doing at least once during the car's life and as it's going to be used as a daily driver I would say that the OP should pay attention to the condition of the bodywork & interior - he's going to have to pay out for the mechanical bits sooner or later but doesn't want the extra cost of fixing a worn interior or bubbling paint.

Also, if it's going to be used for 10k annual mileage, that's quite a hefty fuel bill compared with a more economical car. If you're committed to spending that amount on fuel, it's probably worth paying a bit more at purchase for a really sorted car, rather than buying cheap and regretting it later.

I have never driven the Nurburgring, so I don't know if there are any straights where it's possible to get the car up to 150, but I think if driving at such high speeds are being considered I would want the rear spoiler restored - I don't know if it's just there to reduce the turbulence/drag or if it aids stability at high speed, but I doubt it's just there to provide a handy picnic table when you stop for lunch.

Finally, just to satisfy my curiosity, I think we need some photos of the 1936 Bentley

Hi

I have a daily search setup on Ebay and see cars (decent ones) under 4k all the time....

I think Paul Anderson has a good GT for around 7k to 8k....

He is always worth a ring if looking for a 928............

Personally I would NEVER buy a 928 needing 4k of work....the way I would look at that is thats 4k you KNOW about, then add the other 2k or 3k you dont know about.... IMHO...

I use mine as a daily driver (around 8000 a year) and yes the fuel is pricey, but nobody who drives a 928 daily worries about that cost lol The noise is worth it on its own...

All the best Brett

Did you see that a white S4 near Croydon has been posted on the 928uk mailing list? Cheap but hasn't been driven much or serviced in the last 5 years and now has a "fuel pump problem".

Hi,

I am off to see Gary on Saturday with Paul Lacey to see the white 928, touch wood we can start it and hopefully it will look good after standing for so long - 6 years, even though it has had all service items plus bearings etc...

The price looks very enticing even in white and pre digital dash.

My problem is hidden costs, fuel and servicing I am happy with, maybe I should cut my mileage down to 6,000 a year to keep some cash free for 928 costs....

I'll speak to Paul Anderson tomorrow, a manual GT sounds exciting.

cheers

Neil

Hi all 928 Enthusiasts, I am now a 928 member, committed with a 928 to prove it.

This car has arrived today at the princely sum of £4000

A Spoiler has also been purchased from our friendly EBay so hopefully that will arrive at the weekend

Thank you for all your kind support, just wish I knew when the Cambelt was last replaced, nothing since 100,000 miles I can find and it is on 161,000 miles now.

Cheers
Neil

Hi Neil

Congrats! Tell us more about the car!

Would be prudent to change cambelt asap if you can't trace history since last recorded change.

Where did you find your 928? What do you think of her?