I only have high praise being a former 944S2 owner. If I got that platform again I'd go for a 968. Pretty uncommon to see, sexy and the most developed.

I have also always drooled over the 928, especially the later models.

Same here on the later models, the 1987 rear refresh made a big difference IMO.

Always thought they were very unique and cool cars. I have a 30 year old poster of one somewhere. Al Pacino bought one in Scarface and then of course the infamous Risky Business cars. Didn't they use 3-4 (all different years/trim) to make that movie? Yeah, they have their issues, like many have said. I'm currently looking to buy a R230 (SL500) and have been hanging on those forums. They make the 928s look damn reasonable to own. I'm wanting to add another toy to the mix. Maybe the 928 is an option. I'm next to a military base and I see them around. I'll have to post in another thread...'please someone talk me out of a R230'.... Coreseller, I say do what YOU want and if you feel comfortable enough with one, get it!

I hear you Sean. Like I said before, these 928's are freakin beautiful and sound right (flat 6's sound cool but IMO have nothing on a V-8), they call me like The Sirens of Titan but cooling off and common sense have to ultimately prevail, at least for me. I've been considering the 928 for about a year now, the more serious I became the more I researched them and lurked in the respective forums. That was my downfall lol, the variety of issues they have front to back and top to bottom scare the crap out of me, all of them age related which no low mile pristine condition car could avoid without a stack of receipts literally 2 inches tall. I am going to chill for a couple of months while I considering other options.

Regarding your MB comment:

<iframe width="640" height="360" src="//www.youtube.com/embed/f-Yg3aeh138?feature=player_detailpage" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>

I honestly know a handful of guys who've been burned by some of the cars noted.

Thanks..decision process just went another step. It's the ABC active body control system that's scaring me off of the R230s. As much as a 4-5k repair!

Dude.....Are you anything like me and consider an LS conversion a remedy for anything exotic? I'm just waiting on the next Bill Achtung to break the code to talk to an LS variant.

How about selling your 993 and buying a
993TT and keep it forever.:D

Trimer, For me i'd stay away from the base 944 and go with a 944 S2 and my preference would be a 1991 model or a 968. Reason I like the 1991 model is it has the updated 968 hatch and again they are limited in numbers that came to the US. You can't go wrong with either of these cars. A lot of S2 owners prefer this as a DD or track.

S2 has 208 HP and 968 about 236. Both weight around 3000 lbs. The 968 is basically an updated 944 S2 with a little more HP.

If you really want a base 944 find a nice 1989 model. These will demand more $$$ than earlier models. At that price range I'd go for an S2. Base 89's had ~160 HP

For the 944 turbo you have to decide what you want first. If you're going to heavily modify than look for an 86, 87 or early 88. They will be cheaper. Reason for this is if you're going to modify for more HP you're going to eliminate the goodies that comes standard with the 88 turbo S or 89 turbo. The 86 would be my preference. No air bag, lighter etc. Wheel off set is different from the rest which could be a downside. If you want HP it's a question of how much HP you want. I have friends with over 500 hp

I like mine fairly stock other than chip, exhaust, and MAF. This is why I like the turbo S and it's a limited edition model.
Go to Rennlist and the guys there will tell you all you want to know.
944 Turbo and Turbo-S Forum - Rennlist Discussion Forums

There are a handful of vendors that supports the turbo for performance. A chip and shimmed wastegate will net you 40-50+ HP with this car. This is just the first step. Imagine a car that will handle like a Boxster, 50-50 weight distribution, have over 300 hp and weighs similar to a Boxster S.

What I don't like about the turbo is turbo lag is noticeable specially during stop and go. However once you're above 2800 rpm this car is fast.

Hey Jeremy,
I'll post some pics but I hope I don't bore the 986 communnity.


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Check out this video recently posted. Shows some good views of a 944 turbo. A nice one too,
1986 Porsche 944 turbo [951] - YouTube

944 turbo on a track with various BMW M3's and 911's. This shows it's track capability.
TN Sleeper Fast 944 Turbo - YouTube

the 944's engine is basically half or one bank of the 928's engine. Most of the 928 guys call the 944 the baby brother.

The biggest maint areas for the 944's:
Timing and balance shaft belts and rollers: DIY about about $250 in parts or around $1200 in parts and labor for an indy shop. Fairly easy to do.

You may want to include the water pump while you're there. I have not and changed timiong belts multiple times without changing the water pump.

Clucth job is where it get expensive. About $2500

Hope I'm not boring the rest of the 986 crowd.

Cheers.

cas951- Glad to hear your Turbo S isn't going anywhere. I almost bought a Silver Rose 951S back when I was shopping fo my first Porsche. I think the Boxster was the right call for an entry level Porsche experience, but I still regret passing up that garage queen 951.

woodsman & coreseller - If you wanted to go the 993TT route, my mechanics are selling one. All black. $90k with ~80k miles. I'd be happy to test drive it for ya. ;) They're a very honest shop. PM me for details.

I've been looking at a 928 in Queensland that's been advertised online for over a year now. Five litres with a manual gearbox, and not too many k's on the clock. Plus it's purple inside AND out. I may just do something stupid if it's still available in another year.

I'm on my third one. I think they are exceptional cars, and the reputation as being expensive to maintain is way overblown. I am very active on the rennlist 928 forum, and you should remember that these forums represent only a small percentage of actual owners, and ussually are the guys (and girls) who like to do their own stuff. As such, it may seem like there are lots of issues, but there really aren't. They are much easier to work on than the Boxster - you can actually see the engine! Also, for the entire run, the 928 was the flagship Porsche - the fastest (except for the limited offering of the 930), the most expensive and the most luxurious. This means that they were more complicated than the contemporary 911s (altho the modern Boxster is more complicated than the early and mid-model 928s). They were way ahead of their time, and still look current. They handle beautifully - it is a different drive from the Boxster.
Lastly, don't forget that 928s are older cars now. And like any older car, things need to be replaced and maintained. Because the prices are cheap, maintanance tends to get deferred. Always look for the best one you can afford, with a good service history. This goes for any car of this caliber.
If you want to see a good write up the last month's issue of Hemmings Sports and Exotics features a 928 in the Buyer's Guide section, and it goes through a lot of good information. Oh yeah , btw, the featured car is my current 928 (shameless plug :D).
I am new to this model and I am smitten. I love my Boxster. I bought a good one just a few months ago, but I did a couple of things already - it was overdue for a plug change and air filter. I did the oil and added the LN spin filter adapter, I had to replace a headlight bulb, and now one of the microswithes in the driver's window is faulty and I need to replace the lock mechanism. I say these things not as a knock against the Boxster, but as an example of the fact that any car that is getting older will need things. The Boxster parts are no chaeper than the 928 parts. The forums are what make the difference to me - between this forum and Pedros garage, I have a wealth of knowledge to tackle whatever the Box throws at me (ther bird - Pelican - is pretty good too; Rennlist, which is where I spend the bulk of my forum time, is horrible for the Boxster).
Anyway, my $.02.

I have been under the impression for a while now that these cars do have a bunch of gremlins. But its not how hard it is to fix its the ease of getting new parts that is the problem? I am under the impression that they do not make a ton of replacement parts for these cars and that most replacement parts have to come second hand which is why they are so expensive. People with the parts are charging a major premium to sell those parts. Is this correct??

Parts are very easy to obtain and we have excellent specific 928 vendors. Most parts re Porsche parts direct from Germany. We have 928 International (CA), 928 Specialists (NC), 928s-R-Us (TX), 928 motorsports, and a slew of other sources. Pelican is also a good supplier, but I (and most other 928 guys I know) stick to the primary 928 vendors because service is fast and they always know if the part is the correct part for the application. I have had very few instances over 10 year plus of having trouble sourcing parts. New parts are still not a problem, but I suppose may become more so in the future. I never order (or service) through a dealer. They know the least about these cars, and charge the most. The regular 928 specific vendor prices are not bad at all, and no premiums are charged. And there are plenty of used parts, with warranties, from some of these vendors too.

Great info! Thanks!

It never ceases to amaze me the technical expertese and helpfulnes of this Forum - from 928's, to Shakespear type sonnets, to nubile wench photography, to Quebec adopting BC.....
Do these expert opinions ever end ???

PS - we havn't heard any Christmas poetry yet - perhaps our Bards are waiting for Christmas Eve.

I've owned my 1990 928 S4 and used it as a daily driver (unless there is snow or ice on the ground) since I bought it in 2009. I have taken a number of 1000 mile round trips and one 3000 mile trip from home to central Montana and back. It has performed well and not left me stranded ever. I bought mine for $7,800 with 172,000 miles and just turned 203,000 a few weeks ago. It did have a fair amount of deferred maintenance to catch up but I have done everything myself and it has been pretty straight forward. The drive train is no more difficult or costly (in Porsche relative terms) to maintain than any other car I've owned and is way more reliable if water pump and cam belt maintenance is kept up with. The electrically driven ancillary systems can be a challenge to troubleshoot but there is a wealth of information and expertise freely shared on the major forums (Rennlist, Pelican, etc.) As far as oiling issues go, the issue of oil ingestion via the stock crankcase breathing system typically only rears it's head on the track when engine RPM's are above 5500 during or on exit from long left hand turns. If you intend to track the car much then installing one of the aftermarket breather solutions is a good idea. The only other "killer" issue is thrust bearing failure in later automatic transmission cars. This is easy to check during a PPI and easy to avoid with a quick bit of preventive maintenance if no damage has occurred.

As someone said earlier, buy the best maintained, documented example you can afford and keep the maintenance up and it will reward you with more torque-induced smiles than you'll know what to do with.

Mike