Today's post is written by Mike Frye. Mike is a Porsche 928 owner and a friend from Rennlist. As one of the first people to answer my post requesting guest bloggers for 993C4S.com, Mike has served up a great article on the Porsche 928. If you want to get in-touch with Mike you can do so by commenting on this article or using the contact form and I will forward to him.
3 Common misunderstandings about the Porsche 928
- The Porsche 928 is prone to engine fire
- The Porsche 928 is expensive to maintain
- The Porsche 928 is fat and slow
About 18 months ago I found myself in a position to purchase a 1985 928. Over the years I had heard some of these “myths” about the 928, but I couldn’t pass up the opportunity to buy a car that I had coveted since I was a teenager (when it was the premier Super Car on the planet). Well I’m here to tell you that each one of these myths (like most rumors and stereotypes) has a kernel of truth to them but can easily be avoided with a little preventative maintenance or are not based on complete facts. The following is information I’ve gathered from personal experience or from others I’ve met through the 928 tech forum on Rennlist.com.
So let’s take each one in order and examine where the stereotypes came from and just how true it is.
- Porsche 928s are prone to engine/exhaust fires. Many of us have heard stories or even seen pictures or videos of 928s with an engine fire or the whole car simply burning. Here’s a disturbing Youtube video that was recently circulated showing one:
I chose this myth first and in fact I chose the topic of this article for one reason. A person I know from Rennlist recently had his 928 burn up (within the past month). This person was someone who had recently had a small fire underneath his car and had attempted to fix the problem, but was unsuccessful. The car in question had not had any of its many rubber and flexible lines replaced and was over 20 years old.
The Porsche 928 has hard lines and rubber lines for fuel injection (under pressure), transmission fluid cooling (from the transaxle in the rear, all the way up to the radiator and back) and power steering lines (not only under pressure, but the 928 uses ATF which is flammable, instead of power steering fluid). The fact that there are flammable fluids under pressure in the engine compartment and along the bottom of the car is not the problem, in fact this configuration is common to quite a few cars. The fact that they use rubber or soft lines isn’t the problem; this is also common. The fact that these lines were not replaced in over 20 years and were expected to work indefinitely is the problem.
Items high on the preventive maintenance list for the Porsche 928 are replacement of the fuel injection lines, power steering lines, and for automatics, the transmission fluid cooling lines. If these are replaced every 20 years or so, there is no more likelihood of a 928 bursting into flames than any other car. I think the fact that the body, suspension and engine last so long and run so well in these cars leads to people just driving them until they stop. Most 20+ year old cars would be badly rusted out in the body and show signs of corrosion everywhere else, so the rubber lines would be the last thing to go. In these cars after 20+ years, the lines start to go and it’s sometimes the first indication of aging and sadly, it can be the last.
- Porsche 928s are expensive to maintain. This is a very interesting observation. I think it stems from people who buy a former Super Car for $10,000 or under (when the original retail was anywhere from $50k to over $100k, at a time when a home could be bought for $75k) and then are surprised when a routine tune-up can cost over $1,000 in parts and labor. The car is a Porsche. There are two components that contribute to cost: parts and labor. Parts are not cheap and in fact are going up in value as they become more rare and some are actually no longer available at all.
The majority of Porsche 928s on the road today are over 20 years old and will require some deferred maintenance (maintenance that a former owner neglected to do or put off). This deferred maintenance is usually the part that people complain about and which is most costly. Once the 20+ year old parts have been gone over and the fuel lines, electrical systems, ignition system, suspension and drivetrain have been sorted out, the actual operating costs are no more than any other car of the same caliber.
- Porsche 928s are Fat and Slow. 928s are not slow at all. The original design called for a 5.0L engine, but because of the economy at the time they were introduced (1977) the engine was reduced to a 4.5L that was unfortunately not quite enough to provide the neck-snapping acceleration that later models would have. For this reason, the initial offering, though quick, was not ‘FAST’. The 928 never seems to have been able to shake this reputation. Even the later models were not designed for 0-60 or 0-100 acceleration though. It’s not a muscle car. The 928 was designed as a Grand Touring (GT) car, for touring Europe and driving on the Autobahn at speeds in excess of 120mph in style and comfort with enough luggage to last a weekend. For this it was perfectly equipped originally and it only got better over time.
The Porsche 928 is a 'fringe' Model
Its many unique traits have been discussed ad nauseam elsewhere, but having these myths floating around doesn’t help its case. If you’re considering buying a Porsche 928, consider it based on factual first hand experience rather than rumors, stereotypes and hype.
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928 Slow? I don’t think so. I own a Boxster, 911, 914/6 with a 3.0L, 914/4, 944 racecar and 3 928′s a 78 and 81 as well as a 86 1/2 S model. I love to take my bone stock 81-928 with the factory competition package to Porsche Parade. In Colorado I ran as fast or faster than a lot of the improved and modified cars. I won the class by over 10 seconds. These cars are not slow you just have to know how to drive them. In a straight line I can beat the new cameros and Mustang GT’s. The automatic version starts in second unless you really put your foot into it therefore most people who drive them think they are slow. My 81 is actually faster than the 86 1/2 with the bigger engine. I constantly beat the GT’s and GTS’s on the autocross. Why? People are afraid to push these cars to their limits. These are a tough car and can take being pushed. I love my 911 and other Porsche’s but for pure excitement and fun I drive the 928 with over 100K and push it to the limits, No Problems. Don’t be afraid of these cars but enjoy them. If you can not afford to maintain one properly then you should go buy something else.
@Jeff,
Very well said, especially the part about maintenance. The cost of deferred maintenance is huge (on any Porsche)!!!
Mike,
Loved this article. The problem as I see it is people buy these wonderful cars because they were not as popular as a 911 and were a Porsche. Being not as popular they can be picked up relativly cheap in a lot of cases but are in need of work. Most people do not realize the automatic versions start out in second gear unless you put your foot in it therefore feeling slow on the start. I own a 78, 81 with factory compitition package and an 86 1/2 S. The 81 is the fastest of the 3 and I love to autocross it and track it. Bone stck just add racing tires. I have been instructing DE’s for years but last year tok the national certification course and used my 928. The intructor who tested me used my car and after 30 minutes on the track he told me that was the most fantastic car he had ever driven. He could not believe the power the car had in all the gears and how well it handled. He has a 944 racecar and a supercharged Boxster and said he enjoyed driving the 928 more. The car was on a set of Khumo Victro Racers with a race alignment on it. The 2 biggest problems with the 928 are simple. First off people do not know how to drive them or are afraid of them because of the power and torque and secondly the biggest problem I have had is second gear syncronizers. Every 928 I have know with a 5 speed has had a second gear syncro problem. I just learn to drive it with the problem and go on. last year for Parade I was Honeymooning at Keystone. My wife and I packed the 928 up and drove from Chattanooga to Keystone with every thing we needed for the 2 weeks we were gone including 4 autocross tires in the back of the car. 25 mpg average for the trip and many times crossong Kansas with speeds well in excess of 100 and at one point we buried the speedo racing a newer GT3. He was impressed with the car. The 2 most common comments on the car, Thats the Risky Business car or “That’s a Porsche”.
928′s forever.
well this articleand reactions just helped me further
i am going to buy me a 928.
i also heard lot of rumours,
i also could not understand the low prices for some 928s
i think some people just cant afford the maintenance ; lett all small problems come together , getting a car out of shape, and want to get rid of it.
i drive my american luxe muscle car overhere in europe,,a 71 buick riviera for over 8 years now (as a weekendcar) and even in those american car scene most people just drive and drive without having a deasant spark at there sparkplugs,,using the same oil year after year (the think that if they dont drive often that the oil is good for ever) and the same coolingwater in an old radiator clugged up. they dont have a clue wat is going on in the engine, they dont have a simple tempgauge and oilpressuregauge.they never change the brakefluid!!!!just a fill up. all they can is do a burnout and smoke tires.
when i drive my 39 year old car i know everything works like it should be.
i hope i can become the same with my porsche. i hope to find me a good maintained one soon and keep it in shape and safe and on the road for many years to come. .
.
I have a 78 928 and it has 64,000 miles on it. I bought 6 months ago and it is in very good condition. It is a 5 speed and there is nothing slow about it and it is a dream to drive. If you know how to work on them yourself you can find the parts on ebay at a good price and maintain them very resonablely . I injoy my 928 very much!
I have and 89 928s4 and an 05 996 c2. I prefer teh power of the 928. It is faster than the 911. You just have to know how to drive it.
I bought a 1986 1/2 928 (5 speed) in 1995 for $14,500. I sold it in 2002 for $14,000. Sure I spent around $12,000 in maintenance, but compare the total cost of ownership to a brand new Honda Accord, with depreciation. I drove a world class super car for less. Still one of the most luxurious and comfortable cockpits of any car, of any era.
Slow? Top speed was around 155. Pretty fast in 1986.
Hey, Rusty,
What are you driving these days? Welcome to our site and thanks for taking the time to comment!