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Manual Project Car: 1985 Porsche 928S

It’s hard to go wrong with a Porsche 928 with a manual gearbox, as it combines the grand touring comfort that the car is known for with the ability to put the front-mount V8 engine to maximum use. The 928 is often equipped with an automatic owing to its ability to gobble up miles of highway or backroads at a time, but the stick shift option is sought after among fans of Porsche’s striking GT car. The 928 offered here isn’t perfect, but it looks like a great driver that has had some smart money spent on it. The Guards Red paint is said to be original and while the interior looks sharp, those are just seat covers over the original material. Find it here on eBay with bids to $7,500 and no reserve.

The seller notes he bought the 928 out of San Diego in 2013 as a project and subsequently had it shipped to Pennsylvania. He didn’t touch it for a spell, eventually diving into it in 2018 and servicing the 928 with a new timing belt, idler and tensioner pulleys, belts, and hoses. The car wasn’t driven that much before it was shipped down to Florida, where it currently resides. The seller claims to have receipts for this service work and that it only saw a few hundred miles added after leaving the specialist shop. The paintwork certainly looks good, and I wonder if instead of it being original, the seller means it was repainted in its original colors – as the shine looks too good for the factory finish on a non-survivor example.

The seat covers could fool you at first, leading you to believe the interior was redone at some point. I will say, those look awfully good for covers, but I’m curious how bad the original material is underneath. The gear shift boot doesn’t look quite right, either, and while the interior isn’t trashed, the fact that everything looks a bit “off” is disappointing. Still, the seller doesn’t try to spin this as anything other than a running, driving project, noting that it has a few issues that need resolving yet: the automatic locking doesn’t work; the A/C is inoperable and the blower motor doesn’t work; finally, the leather is said to be cracked while the exterior paint sports some road rash.

The engine bay looks quite clean, but I suspect I see red overspray on the intake hoses and other surfaces captured here. If I’m right, then my guess is correct that this 928 has been repainted. This is not end-of-the-world stuff, but I wouldn’t treat this car like a Concours contender; it’s a solid driver in great colors with the preferred transmission setup. The seller has spent enough money to ensure the 928 can be driven without fear of the timing belt snapping, and the tensioners are a must-do item for any car that is acquired without records indicating when that service was last done. The no reserve auction is fair for everyone, and hopefully, the next owner only finds minor sorting left to do on this driver-quality 928 S.

Comments

  1. Avatar photo alphasud Member

    Looks like a nice ten footer. These cars are expensive to make right. No mention of how the transaxle shifts or clutch feel but 2 things you need to know about before purchase. This is definitely a car you spend money for a PPI during or if agreed to after the winning bid. Interior pieces are one of the weak spots on this model. No pictures of the dash but they are leather covered and shrink really bad. Take note of all the electrical issues. What was not mentioned was not all gauges are working. Perfect car for someone who likes electrical diagnosis. I bought and fixed up a 83 euro 928. Cool cruisers for sure.

    Like 4
    • Avatar photo Bick Banter

      With these being so affordable in nice condition you have to wonder the appeal of this.

      Like 2
  2. Avatar photo tompdx

    I think the shift knob is the original type, just very, very tired. It’s integrated with the shift boot, all one piece of leather, so it would be difficult to swap out.

    Like 1
  3. Avatar photo Kurt Member

    Hard to beat the air cooled Porsches for gem like quality. I sometimes wish Porsche had stayed with the 911s and not started making wasser
    boxes

    Like 0
  4. Avatar photo Frank

    Comfortable car for long hauls but expensive to maintain.

    Like 2
  5. Avatar photo Frank

    Only Porsche mechanics need to apply!

    Like 3
  6. Avatar photo fran

    Probably going to need lots more work, $$$, than meets the eye. Timing belt doing about 3-4 years ago? Guess what, No good!
    That is like these cars with only 200 miles on them for sale, the belts are not worthy of driving much. Do you really want to gamble with this engine?

    Like 0

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