1985 Porsche 928S Euro
This car actually sounds like THIS! when starting up (285K .WAV file).
This car was bought as project/toy. It's a rare car - not easy to find! It is a Euro car, meaning it was imported to the US from Germany in 1985 as a gray market car. Euro models are the fastest early 928s with the highest horsepower ratings. These are the ultimate GT cars from the 1980s. 928s are very fast, and the exhaust note is just awesome (rumble rumble)!
It had 117K miles on it at purchase, 121K at sale. 928s are 4 seaters, but the back seats are just for kids, and even then it's tight! It needed some work when we got it, which is the only reason we could afford this model. These cars are very expensive ($57,000 in 1985!) and it's difficult to find an affordable one in decent shape. This one was not mint or anything, but as you can see in the pictures, it was good for its age (these pictures taken when car was 16 years old).
928s are spectacular cars, but they are very expensive to maintain. Only buy one if you can afford to keep it nice. Many mechanics will work on it because it is a rear wheel drive V8 platform - that is a big money saver. Just make sure the mechanic knows enough about a 928 before you let it get torn apart! Parts are still expensive, as many parts required are made by Porsche only. Look for the 928 stores on the web for great pricing over the factory cost.
Some specs:
- 4.7L SOHC, fuel-injected V8, 16 valve engine
- 310 HP (rumored to be more like 330), 4 speed auto trans
- 16" slotted rims and Yokohama BSW tires
- Automatic climate control,
- Power steering, adjustable intermittent wipers, digital clock
- Rear wrap-around wing
- Tool kit
- Tachometer and rear defroster
- Black exterior with black leather interior
- Kenwood 40Wx4 CD player
- Attitude 6.5" woofers in place of stock rear speakers
- Stock optional 160W 4 channel amp
- Limo tint on all rear windows
- Porsche front window vinyl decal
- Front nose bra
- K40 front and rear radar
- K40 alarm
- Fire extinguisher in rear storage area
- Second rear wing with LED display
- Full tuneup with Bosch platinum spark plugs and Porsche filters, caps and rotors
- Castol 20W50 oil changes
- Repair 160W amp, install new rear speakers, and rewire stereo
- Re-dye interior door panels (minor fade and scratches removed)
- Disconnect octane loop (if connected, retards timing on Euro cars)
- Replace timing belt, water pump, idlers, and rebuild tensioner
- Repair several vacuum leaks
- Adjust throttle cable to spec
- Repaint lower front spoiler black
- Apply new overlay decals for switches in console from Jager Engineering
- Install vibration reduction bar from Jager Engineering
Easy! Look for a couple things:
- side marker lights in front fenders are behind wheel wells
- dashboard lights are all in German!
- fog light on back (see picture of rear of car above)
- high output 16V engine, not the 32V engine, which looks totally different
- unless removed, there is an importation decal in the driver's door jamb
- Timing belt. Every 30-45K in this car. High compression engine! If the belt goes, so do the valves. This does not apply to the 1978 to 1979 928s.
- Motor mounts. They seem to last about 100K miles, on average.
- Power steering racks. Again, about 100K miles before they leak and require replacement.
- Interior leather is not cracked on dash or seats.
- Torque tube and torque converter bearings usually last about 100K miles (and are very costly to replace).
- Fuel pumps are common problems (including fuel filter and fuel relays).
- On early models, AC, vacuum, and 5 speed transmissions had a lot of problems.