Every now and again, we like to share with our readers a find that has the potential to be a major project car score on the cheap. This 1983 Porsche 928S here on eBay is up for sale with no reserve, but the auction ends in just over a day. The car is located in New Jersey and bidding is currently just over $6,000.
Even better, this 928 features the desirable manual transmission. With only 75,150 miles, it bears relatively low mileage for the year, but the enjoyment these cars deliver is thoroughly tied up in how well they’ve been maintained. The seller is a dealer on the East Coast but they bought the car from the previous owner who resided in Nevada. The 928 has been a West Coast car all of its life, so it is in rust free condition. The black leather seats look surprisingly good for their age.
Unfortunately, no records come with the car, and all the current seller has to go on is that the previous owner recalled replacing the timing belt sometime in the last few years – but that’s not much in the way of reassurance. This is a big job on 928’s, as the belt is one of the longest found in a production automobile. As an interference motor, timing belt failure can render your 928 a paperweight in the blink of an eye. It would be wise to just do the job anyway, regardless of the previous owner’s memory.
Overall, the 928 presents nicely and silver over black is a sharp combo. The polished seven-slot alloy wheels look fantastic as well. The car is far from perfect, with a hole where the radio used to be and a leaking A/C compressor. Given the no reserve auction, I wouldn’t be surprised if there were other minor issues, so it’s a car worth checking out in person and/or paying for a PPI – but it’s also a fantastic touring car on the cheap if the bidding stays below $10,000.
928s are all wonderful machines but when shopping for one, your best bet would be an 85 model or newer due to major power upgrades with the new 32 valve V8 starting that year. It’s like night and day.
These are so cheap I think it deserves a race series. Weld in a roll cage drop in a chevy 5.3 and go racing. If the car gets smashed just go get another one.
Just the parts needed for restoration are more than the cars worth. As a spec racer the challenge is keeping it cheep, hence the chevy truck engine.
This is the car Tom Cruise slides off a dock in Risky Business into a lake. Getting it restored at a Porsche dealer before dad comes home from vacation, sitting in the dealership waiting room with his friends when the service manager comes in and asks “OK, who’s the U Boat commander”. A classic line I”ve always remembered.
Neighbour had one and offered me a ride. The closest thing to a clapped out Camaro I have ever driven.
The fact that this car is bid to only $7K after 4 days for a car that looks perfect, shows the difference between the unloved 928 and the highly desired same-year 911 SC in the Porsche world. I wonder if it will reach $10K.
Dolphin………Unloved for a good reason. Parts and repairs for a needful 928 are very expensive, and will usually exceed the value of the car. 928 owners have always had a lot of trouble selling their cars. No wonder their sell prices are never anywhere near their 911 cousins.
Sounds like you are saying 928’s are inexpensive because they are unloved and unloved because they are inexpensive?
Awesome cars… with awesome upkeep and repair bills. A timing belt replacement is an all day job and of course includes the water pump replacement, etc. That bill alone will be as much as a cheap beater work car.
No one has, as yet mentioned the transmission. While it is a manual in this car, I seem to remember it being in the rear of the car. I remember, also, that the transmission is intricate and complex. Beautiful car, but the cost of maintenance exceeds even the 911. Too bad. BTW, I also seem to remember that this car was well over 4000 lbs. An incredible car, if you can afford it.
The 928 is an amazing car, having owned 3, currently have a Euro ’84 928S 5 speed. They are so much more than the 911 could ever be (have owned several 911 variants as well). The 928 was best described as “a very expensive collection of parts). While most anyone can afford to purchase one, they absolutely can’t afford to pay somebody to do the maintenance. They break Porschely expensively, parts costs are exorbitantly expensive, and damn near no-one in this country knows how to properly work on one. They are arguably one of the more complex autos built, were designed to be driven by the elite, and that is who needs to own them now, unless you are able to do the repairs yourself.
Oh, by the way, the ’83 was not an interference engine for the US model. Euro, it was, and anything 32valve is as well.
Cheers!
Why hasn’t anybody introduced a budget supplier for Porsche parts?
Even at half price you could make money.
There have been attempts, like Pellican parts, but people soon realize the effort required to make quality parts is huge and expensive. One of the biggest impressions you take away from visiting both the Porsche and Mercedes factories is the attention to detail and multiple quality control checks given to each individual part. It is always enlightening to move from working on common cars to something like a Mercedes. The factory parts fit is incredible.
You make a good point about quality.
Anybody familiar with ISO standards knows what it takes to compete.
ISO standards were required in order for american companies to do business with German manufacturers.
it’s still frustrating for those of us who would love a Porsche.
A 930 turbo is one of my favorites of all time.
Another issue with discounting parts, especially with the 928s, is that these cars were about as close to being “bespoke” as a production car can be. Accordingly, it is VERY hard to be sure that parts will fit. I suspect even Porsche occasionally has a bit of a problem getting the right part every time. Its just one of the joys of “constant improvement”.
I truly wish I had the resources to own a 928. I have always loved them. They are sort of Porsche’s demonstration of how they would have built a 300SL. Everything but gullwings.
I’ve always liked these with their v8 muscle. It
just scares me when I open the hood, looks like a big spider about to jump out. Love the wheels, they look like the ones on a Corvette and my SVO.