928 or 944

Both are good Porsches, but I'd recommend a 944 if you're concerned about running costs. Any 928 in that price range would need some work. Looking for 944, find one that has recently had the timing belt done, check the control arm assemblies, and make sure there's no oil in the coolant. I'd recommend an 85.5 car for the improved interior, but the early cars are quite good as well. Emanuel

I have had pretty good luck with my $5000 928, but it was a long time looking for it, and I got it from someone who was in a bind for cash. Plus I have done the timing belt service, cv shafts, front brakes, and will be taking the torque tube out as soon as I get around to it.

So if you are paying someone else to do the work, it will be expensive to maintain, but if you can roll up your sleeves and follow directions in the shop manual, it is just time.

I wouldn't trade my 928 for anything, except a newer 928 ;)

Bernard

So why did Porsche stop making them, anyway? They don't look all that dated, even today. I always liked their styling back when I was a kid. I have a Boxster now.

Cost Prohibitive. A private company like Porsche can carry too many lines. The 911 series is the constant.

Concur. As great a car as the 928 is, particularly the 928GTS, it never sold in sufficient volume to make it a viable profit maker for the company. Porsche produced some 61,000+ over a span of about 18 years, and when the 928GTS was introduced in the U.S. as a late model 1992, the sticker was nearly $81,000. The last two years of production saw less than 400 units each year......

The S2 is the best of the 944s, but I didn't realize they could be THAT much.......

Whew, that is a lot. Why was it so much? I'm not getting it.

Well, the car was certainly a performer. In November 1982 a standard production 928 averaged 156.22 MPH for 24 hours on the Fiat test track at Nardo, Italy, stopping only to refuel and replace one set of rear tires. In its ultimate version the car sported dual overhead cams and four valves per cylinder. And the relative strength of the dollar versus the deutschmark had a role as well.

Indeed, the 928 was always a supercar, superior to or competitive with anything from Ferrari or Lamborghini and a LOT more practical to run. The S4 and later variants are good for more than 170 mph, spectacular even now. I don't think there's another car you can find for under $15k that'll do those numbers. And the cars from 1987 truly have timeless looks. I'd also think the demise of the 944/968 were a factor, since they shared engine platforms. By dropping those two lines and adding the Boxster, which shares lots of components with the 996, they went from

2 engine platforms to one. And as good as both cars are, they simply weren't selling in the numbers they needed. The Boxster really saved their asses in the '90s. Emanuel

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:>Dan Stephenson wrote: :>> In article , Jim Keenan :>> wrote: :>> :>> :>>>Devils944S2 wrote: :>>>

:>>>>Cost Prohibitive. A private company like Porsche can carry too many lines. :>>>>The 911 series is the constant. :>>>

:>>>Concur. As great a car as the 928 is, particularly the 928GTS, it never :>>> sold in sufficient volume to make it a viable profit maker for the :>>>company. Porsche produced some 61,000+ over a span of about 18 years, :>>>and when the 928GTS was introduced in the U.S. as a late model 1992, the :>>>sticker was nearly $81,000. The last two years of production saw less :>>>than 400 units each year...... :>> :>> :>> Whew, that is a lot. Why was it so much? I'm not getting it. :>

:>Well, the car was certainly a performer. In November 1982 a standard :>production 928 averaged 156.22 MPH for 24 hours on the Fiat test track :>at Nardo, Italy, stopping only to refuel and replace one set of rear :>tires. In its ultimate version the car sported dual overhead cams and :>four valves per cylinder. And the relative strength of the dollar versus :>the deutschmark had a role as well.

: Indeed, the 928 was always a supercar, superior to or competitive : with anything from Ferrari or Lamborghini and a LOT more practical to : run. The S4 and later variants are good for more than 170 mph, : spectacular even now. I don't think there's another car you can find : for under $15k that'll do those numbers. And the cars from 1987 truly : have timeless looks. : I'd also think the demise of the 944/968 were a factor, since they : shared engine platforms. By dropping those two lines and adding the : Boxster, which shares lots of components with the 996, they went from : 2 engine platforms to one. And as good as both cars are, they simply : weren't selling in the numbers they needed. The Boxster really saved : their asses in the '90s. : Emanuel

I think the 968 Turbo S is a 170+mph car as well (and the 951's aren't that far behind but I think parts/costs are lower with in the 4banger family and mechanics may be a bit easier to find as well.).

Did we get the 968 turbo in the US? The 951 is indeed a hell of a performance bargain, but I'm not a big fan of turbocharging - I'd pick an S2 over one myself. Emanuel

Add the fact that the 951 was one of the best handling cars you could buy in the 1980's and into the early 90's, it's probably one of the best kept secrets on the road today. I've had wheel time in many high end exotics and my 86 944 costing tens of thousands less is pretty much untouchable by any of them.

I don't doubt it, but as far as my tastes I like my women curvy and my torque linear - that burst as the turbos come on is unsettling to me. I'm the same way about variable cams - just an old fart, I guess. Turbos, superchargers, variable cams add a dimension to driving I'd rather not bother with myself. Emanuel