Leaving a car at a shop isn’t as hard as you might think. Whether it’s due to losing interest in a project, running out of money, or forgetting it even exists, plenty of shops seem overly comfortable letting a car reside on its premises for years at a time. This 1988 Porsche 928 S4 has been abandoned on shop property after the owner asked them to begin reviving it, starting with dropping the tank and cleaning out the fuel system. Apparently, he disappeared shortly after that, and now it’s offered here on eBay with no title for $2,950.
I wonder if this 928’s interior was in decent shape, or if it’s perished after years of sun exposure. Most shops that end up with a car on their property that they eventually sell off without the owner’s involvement have had it for a few years, so this 928 was likely sitting outside for several years. As an automatic transmission-equipped model, this 928 automatically has less collector desirability than a manual car. However, the 928 suffers less of a price penalty owing to its usefulness as a grand touring model. Still, buying a rough 928 doesn’t make much sense given how many examples are listed for sale at a given time.
The fuel tank being dropped suggests that this 928 was already a bit of a project when it showed up at this shop facility. Typically, the gas tank and the fuel tree being pulled means that there’s rust in the tank and other contaminants in the system that mean it’s easier just to rebuild the whole thing after the tank gets cleaned. Whatever was happening when this 928 got dropped off indicates the owner had a plan with the shop and then apparently ghosted them when the first invoice for this restoration work came due.
The 1988 S4 was actually a pretty compelling specimen when it was introduced. Revised aerodynamic styling made it look significantly more modern, while a bump to 320 horsepower from the 5.0L V8 meant it could now accelerate faster and reach a top speed of almost 170 miles per hour. The 4-speed automatic was also improved, making it less of a penalty box than the prior years’ slushbox. All told, this 928 may have had a chance if the title was present, but with a bill of sale only and the fuel system removed, it’s likely destined to become someone’s parts car.
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