Porche owners?

[Leadfoot281]

I've been considering trading for a 928 Porsche. Has anyone here owned one before? Any pro's/con's to them, known problems etc..

If I do get one, it'll be the first non-Ford car I've ever owned. Everything else is just an off-brand to me, so this might be my biggest hurdle. Thanks for any help you can offer!

[Bradley G]

New one?:confused:

[Mike Poore]

I've been considering trading for a 928 Porche. Has anyone here owned one before? Any pro's/con's to them, known problems etc..

If I do get one, it'll be the first non-Ford car I've ever owned. Everything else is just an off-brand to me, so this might be my biggest hurdle. Thanks for any help you can offer!

Just remember what they say about Porcupines. ;)

[RoyLPita]

Those are nice. Find one that does not have an 85 MPH top end speedomter.

[ADE 1000]

I've never really liked Porsches, but I've always been a fan of the 928. Perhaps because its the most un-Porschelike of Porsches. Or perhaps because I really like the movie Risky Business.

In any case, I would never buy one as they seem to be one of the most unreliable and most expensive to maintain cars out there. My cousin in Australia has a '93 928 GT and the problems have been endless. They are now selling it as the cost of repairs have equaled the value of the car.

[gpfarrell]

We love our 911.

Find the most recent copy of Excellence magazine that did a market update on the 928; it's a great resource regarding the strengths and weaknesses of the different years & gives some helpful guidelines on prices.

Like the 911, the 928 changed considerably over the years, but you can park a 1978 next to a 1993 and on the surface the differences appear subtle.

I'd focus on looking for a great car, not a great price. Maintaining the cars isn't terribly expensive, but bringing an under-maintained car back up to speed can take deep pockets. It's cheaper to buy a good one.

Sometimes a dose of creativity/practicallity/hot-rod background can keep them from being sooo expensive. I'm sure I could take our 911 to some German Werkes shop and pay $279 for front brakes, but I can slap the pads on myself in under 20 minutes and the parts only cost $50 or so.

So, buy a bad car and find an expensive mechanic and you too can whine.

Buy a good car, get your hands dirty once in awhile, and find a good 928 mechanic, and you'll have lots of fun.

The most frustrating part of having a Porshce is the A-holes on this site that tell you everyone who drives one is a wealthy prick. My marauder cost more than my 911, but nobody thinks I'm a wealthy prick for driving it. Good and bad people drive every kind of car; I hate to see Marauder owners make such sloppy generalizations because pretty soon other folks will think all Marauder drivers are pricks.

Go ahead a buy one... the acceleration available at 100 mph is awesome! :)

[Mike Poore]

Just looked up the 928 and although the text was German, the pictures were not. That's a beautiful car, not what I had in mind at all when you said Porsche. Go for it, that's a sweet looking machine, great lines. :high5: .

[Hotrauder]

Leadfoot, Every thing GP Farrel says is true in spades. I have owned 4 Porsches over the years, have never been wealthy and never regretted owning one, ever. The 944 Turbo I started with basically has one half of the 928 engine and it is a beauty. They are non clearance engines so maintence of belts is critical. The last 3 911 Turbos were great cars, too. Read Excellence magazine. I will PM you a user name and password that will get you into PCA.ORG and you will be able to find listings of member cars for sale, every maintence issue ever and maintenance recommendations and proceedures. A Porsche is truely an engineering marvel. The capabilities of these cars is astonishing. Yes, there are a few pr**ks but most of the members are good people. The dealers... I haven't found a RAY. Good luck and remember, most likely a radar reading of over 150 will probably put the Porsche in impound and the Marauder in the garage for a long spell. oh, and 150 in the 928 feels like 45 in the Marauder, only smoother. Dennis:beer:

[Hotrauder]

New one?:confused:

Brad, I think the newest one is 10 years old now, but if you have one squirelled away it is worth a lot of money! Dennis:beer:

[Hotrauder]

Those are nice. Find one that does not have an 85 MPH top end speedomter.

Funny!! Better yet find one you can drive at less the 85 MPH anywhere. Dennis:beer:

[Leadfoot281]

I KNEW you folks would have some great info for me! I suppose buying one would be like buying a used Mustang. They seem to come in two grades; beat, or sweet.

There was a beat 1985 928 w/111k and automatic for sale locally for $4000. It's condition scared me off. Dented quarter panel, cracked leather, under-caridge soaked in oil, crusty looking wheels, etc.

It is the least "Porsche like" of the them all. It really doesn't remind anyone of a Porsche either. I've got a feeling that many people wouldn't even know it's a Porsche. Risky Business was good. The car chase scene could have been 20 minutes longer IMO. Seeing Rebecca Demornays t!T$ would have been nice too.:D

Getting a feel for the prices on these rides is my next step. Thanks again!

[Eric91Z]

I like your choices. I would love to have a 928 GT or GTS someday, but the wife thinks they are ugly (complete opposite of what I feel). My next choice would be a 993 C4S or Turbo (if I won the lottery).

I agree with what others have said. Buy the newest, best maintained example you can find. They are not cheap to repair if they have not been maintained. There is a huge following for these cars. I would check out the forums over at www.rennlist.com if you have not yet. Good group of people with lots of information. They also had a nice thread recently comparing the S4 vs. GT vs. GTS. If I had the money, I would get a GTS to drive and keep stock (fairly rare care) and a GT to have some fun with: motor, supercharger, suspension, brakes, etc.

Go for it if that is what you want!!!

[RoyLPita]

Any updates? I know of a cheap project in my neck of the woods.

[Eric91Z]

Any updates? I know of a cheap project in my neck of the woods.


I don't know, the words "Porsche" and "Cheap Project" just don't seem to belong in the same sentence... ;)

Again, I would say if you find the right one, for the right price, that has a good maintenance history and pass an inspection, pick it up. I would love to have a later 928 GT, but the wife really does not like the looks at all... At least she likes the 993 version of the 911 which would be my second choice - although they are still up there price wise.

[RoyLPita]

This might get me in trouble with some of you. There's a company in Vegas that sells 350 Chevy conversions for Porsches. That would be something for the project that is near me.

[klmore]

Since the Porsche guys are posting in this thread I also have a Porsche question. I'm thinking about buying a new (or used) Cayman S or maybe a Boxter S. I may sell the Marauder, but if I can have both without going into debt I may give that a shot.

Do any of you Porsche guys know of some good forums where a newbie can gain some Porsche insite? I have been thinking about this for some time ever since my buddy let me drive his Carrera 4S.

I really like the 05 Boxster S, but I think it is kind of......well girlish....for a lack of a better way of saying it. I have to admit the top down driving is attractive and I think the wife and I would enjoy it on the weekends. The other thing that I was thinking is a used Carrera would be nice so I could carry my son along in the back seat.

[Hotrauder]

Its about the driving experience!. Hard fast rule, buy the newest one you can afford. Everyone I know who has less than a 911 in the Porsche family wants a 911 of some vintage. What the heck it is the top of the line. The closer to new the better they are. The 996 and 997 are great cars in every regard. Stay away from the 99's as they were the first year of water cooling so new engines and computers and transmissions and assembly line robots. UGH>and they had real problems with EVERYTHING. Porsche stood behind all the problems with the original owners but a lot of people as second and third owners have taken gas. There is a ton of info at www.pca.org (http://www.pca.org). Check out Excellence magazine and your buddy probably get the PCA magazine. Google will lead you to a myriad of resources. Definately have a Porsche dealer or Tech do a prepurchase inspection as even minor problems are expensive. I just sold my 996 Cabriolet and it was a wonderful car. It just wasn't a TURBO. All my others had been and I missed the rush. Figures, the year after I bought it they came out with the Turbo Cab. But, of course I could not afford it anyway.:) Good luck. PM me if you want access to the PCA site and I will send you my user name and password. Good luck, Dennis:beer:

[danbike]

The 928 has a reputation for needing more expensive repairs that many Italian cars. That being said, they do go like stink.

If and when I go back into the market for a sports car, my dream is to find a 356 soft top. I know that they are not as fast as the one you have in mind, but man they look cool.

The only one I would like better is a Spyder like James Dean drove.

[Leadfoot281]

I did a lot of research on the 928, and even found a few in my price range. Thanks for the site hotrauder!

Then something weird happened. My '89 P71 Crown Vic winter beater broke down. In the middle of no-where I blew a heater hose. In 10 degree weather. All I had was a screw driver and a trunk full of old log splitter parts. 30 minutes later I was back on the road. It was then that I realised how much I miss working on cars.

The sun rise like reliability of my Marauder can be nice at times, but since it's only driven on nice summer days, that reliability isn't all that important to me. Since I'm not good enough to fix either my MM or a 928 (small stuff, brakes etc, I can handle) I may start looking for something else much more low tech. Something with at least one carb sticking thru the hood.

I've always wanted a '68 Cougar. Or a 4spd '71 Maverick with a tunnel rammed 351 Cleveland. Maybe a 2400lb Fairmont wagon with a gutted interior and a 450 hp small block and a 5000rpm stall TQ. Y'know, the sort of ride that annoys cops and girlfriends parents.

That 350 conversion kit for the 928 does sound interesting though. Seen two 350 powered 928's at the Car Craft show last summer in St Paul. One had a 6-71 blower. Nice rides. A 351C would be better IMO.

[RoyLPita]

This might get me in trouble with some of you. There's a company in Vegas that sells 350 Chevy conversions for Porsches. That would be something for the project that is near me.

Here's the site: http://www.renegadehybrids.com/

[Fastronald]

If I wanted an ugly pile of crap like a porsche..........I would have bought one.

A Marauder is still a better overall car.

I spent 14 months in Central Germany, I have no desire to own any of their crap.

[Eric91Z]

Again, if you are looking for a good site for Porsche, go to:

www.rennlist.com

They have forums, email lists, pictures, classifieds, etc. Good site and good people. Again, given the funds, I would love to park a 928 GT or GTS in the garage with a '96 or '97 993 Turbo right next to it.

As to input on the Boxster S or Caymen S, if you have the funds, I would say get the Caymen if you want a true drivers car, but in coupe form. If you about the same, but in a convertible, get the Boxster S.

Just my $0.02. I have never owned a Posrsche, but do a ton of reading on them. Definite long time passion and a car I will own one day. Just not sure which one. Just be prepared to sink some money in them, especially if you don't work on it yourself. And if you aren't going to work on it yourself, make sure you have a good Porsche mechanic around. Unfortunately for me, here in Central Iowa, we have very little Porsche support. We don't even have a Porsche dealership. Instead, we have a Pontiac/Mazda/Subaru dealership that just happens to also sell Porsches.

[Eric91Z]

OK, here are a couple 928 pictures that I enjoy:

'95 GTS (gotta love the flaired fenders):

http://www.mercurymarauder.net/showcase/files/1/1/3/5/94GTS2.jpg

Supercharged 928 motor:

http://www.mercurymarauder.net/showcase/files/1/1/3/5/cust4.jpg

928 pulled oer by CVPI:

http://www.mercurymarauder.net/showcase/files/1/1/3/5/futurecust.jpg

[Eric91Z]

Any more on the potential Porsche? I am thinking that for a daily driver/winter beater instead of getting a CVPI that I would like to find a clean, low mileage '88 944 Turbo S or '89 944 Turbo. Slightly less maintenance and more reliable than a 928, tons of parts and aftermarket upgrades (can you say Vitesse Racing Stage 3 setup...), and great reputation for ride and handling.

I am thinking that will be my first step in to Porsche ownership...

[Rider90]

Looks like Wisconsin plates?

[Eric91Z]

Looks like Wisconsin plates?


It does. I had not noticed that before.

[Hotrauder]

Any more on the potential Porsche? I am thinking that for a daily driver/winter beater instead of getting a CVPI that I would like to find a clean, low mileage '88 944 Turbo S or '89 944 Turbo. Slightly less maintenance and more reliable than a 928, tons of parts and aftermarket upgrades (can you say Vitesse Racing Stage 3 setup...), and great reputation for ride and handling.

I am thinking that will be my first step in to Porsche ownership...

That is a great place to start. I started with an 86 944 Turbo, the first 944 Turbo I saw. Your are right with the 88S or 89. They are more money but higher performance. If I were looking I would be looking for a Porsche DT (Driver Training set up for Porsche Instructor DT days. they are track ready and most run on the street. They are inspected at the track on a regular basis and performance is their forte. The price is right on these cars and they do run. Dennis:beer:PCA Mag. Panorama is a good place to look and do research as well as Excellence Mag. PCA.org also is a fabulous resourse for info and for cars for sale in the Mart. Anyone wants in PM me for user name and password. Dennis

[Eric91Z]

That is a great place to start. I started with an 86 944 Turbo, the first 944 Turbo I saw. Your are right with the 88S or 89. They are more money but higher performance. If I were looking I would be looking for a Porsche DT (Driver Training set up for Porsche Instructor DT days. they are track ready and most run on the street. They are inspected at the track on a regular basis and performance is their forte. The price is right on these cars and they do run. Dennis:beer:PCA Mag. Panorama is a good place to look and do research as well as Excellence Mag. PCA.org also is a fabulous resourse for info and for cars for sale in the Mart. Anyone wants in PM me for user name and password. Dennis


I have been an Excellence subsciber for the past 3 years and read it on and off before that. I am also a member over at Rennlist.com and on the 944 and 951 mailing lists. Rennlist has lots of good info, too.

I am thinking that for what I want to use it for I need to find the lowest mileage example with good maintenance records and find some place to get a PPI done. That is the biggest concern with Porsche's around here is support. The only Porsche "dealership" is actually a Pontiac/Mazda/Subaru dealership that just happens to sell Porsches. Although, I drove by today and they have 2 new Cayenne S, 1 Cayenne Turbo, and 2 Caymens sitting outside. Most I have ever seen around there. I really like the Caymen, but way out of my price range. Especially for what I want.

I would also love a nice 993 C4S as a daily driver, but they are still bringing down good money, too. So I figure the 944 Turbo is a good place to start...

[Leadfoot281]

http://i29.photobucket.com/albums/c293/leadfoot302/th_I3010014.jpg (http://i29.photobucket.com/albums/c293/leadfoot302/I3010014.jpg)


For your consideration. A 928 I spotted at the Car Craft show in St. Paul last June or July. It has a 6-71 blown 355cid Chevy. That should eliminate a few of those Porsche problems.

[Hotrauder]

That is a great place to start. I started with an 86 944 Turbo, the first 944 Turbo I saw. Your are right with the 88S or 89. They are more money but higher performance. If I were looking I would be looking for a Porsche DT (Driver Training set up for Porsche Instructor DT days. they are track ready and most run on the street. They are inspected at the track on a regular basis and performance is their forte. The price is right on these cars and they do run. Dennis:beer:PCA Mag. Panorama is a good place to look and do research as well as Excellence Mag. PCA.org also is a fabulous resourse for info and for cars for sale in the Mart. Anyone wants in PM me for user name and password. Dennis

Eric, just re-read your post. They are a great daily driver that will put and keep grins on your face but there has never been a worse car built for snow. With a half inch of snow on the ground you can let out the clutch on the level at idle and the rear tires will very nicely turn over and over and over. No movement forward at all. Wide high performance tires and snow combined with tq spells instant joie Chitwood time for the amusement of one and all. With a snow storm you ain't movin cept sideways or round n round. Dennis:beer:

[Eric91Z]

Eric, just re-read your post. They are a great daily driver that will put and keep grins on your face but there has never been a worse car built for snow. With a half inch of snow on the ground you can let out the clutch on the level at idle and the rear tires will very nicely turn over and over and over. No movement forward at all. Wide high performance tires and snow combined with tq spells instant joie Chitwood time for the amusement of one and all. With a snow storm you ain't movin cept sideways or round n round. Dennis:beer:

What about a set of stock type wheels (Fuchs or others) with dedicated snow tires like I am running on the Marauder? My Marauder doesn't go anywhere with the stock tires on snow or ice....

[Tallboy]

Anyone here who finds themselves in the situation where they have to get Porsche parts from the dealer, would do well do contact me first. I get them at cost. No joke.

[jgc61sr2002]

Anyone here who finds themselves in the situation where they have to get Porsche parts from the dealer, would do well do contact me first. I get them at cost. No joke.



Thanks.:D :up:

[blackf0rk]

I've been considering trading for a 928 Porsche. Any pro's/con's to them, known problems etc..

Con - Slower than a supercharged marauder
Known problem - Slower than a supercharged marauder
Pro - I'll get back to you...

[Hotrauder]

What about a set of stock type wheels (Fuchs or others) with dedicated snow tires like I am running on the Marauder? My Marauder doesn't go anywhere with the stock tires on snow or ice....

My experience with Maine and Upstate New York winters.... park the Porsche. High performance cars and low, no grip don't mix. You can drive the Marauder like your grandfathers GM, not so the Porsche, not any of them. IMHO. Dennis:D