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The ’80s Called: Custom Porsche 928

Although you can blame a lot of things on drugs, the ’80s were also an era of automotive excess, with a seemingly limitless supply of vendors hawking body kits, custom wheels and more, along with body shops all too happy to customize your ride any way you wanted. You didn’t need to be abusing substances to build a car like this 1979 Porsche 928, which is a desirable manual-transmission example and in desperate need of a de-spoilering and de-winging – unless you were one of those individuals that believed louder was better! Find this 5-speed 928 here on eBay with bidding to $550 and the reserve unmet. 

It’s hard to tell where the original 928 body ends and the aftermarket kit begins, but it’s safe to conclude it was blended into the body. While this may indicate a slightly better-than-average installation, it also means it’s going to be harder to shed this one-piece suit the 928 is wearing. Although I held out hope that the 928 was a Euro-spec example, the rear bumperettes are a dead giveaway that this has always been a U.S.-market model, with the heavier safety features and more restrictive emissions equipment on board.

Oh, sweet baby Jesus: let those just be seat covers. I don’t think they are, unfortunately, which truly blows my mind that someone went so far as to get custom *brown* upholstery with flames sewn in. Is there a chance the original leather was preserved? Doubtful, but if the backseat is any indication, they would have been ready for a refresh anyway. While the manual transmission may seem unusual, about 90 percent of the first-year cars showed up with a stick before the automatic began gaining in popularity with buyers.

Mileage on the 4.5L water-cooled V8 is low, at just over 60K. The seller says the 928 runs and drives well, with a strong clutch and no obvious issues. He says $2K was recently spent at a local independent Porsche specialist, which includes a fresh timing belt. The original color is white, as you can see under the hood where the aftermarket paint job didn’t extend down into the engine bay. More and more, these 80s cars sporting period tuner garb are popping up for sale and not everyone objects to the styling – they are artifacts, if you will, of a bygone era. Would you return this one to stock or wear that 80s swagger proudly?

Comments

  1. Avatar Bmac Member

    Ahhh! my eyes are burning!

    Like 6
  2. Avatar Bmac Member

    Are those trans-am side scoops? That & the seats, everyone has their own taste. I’ll never look at a 928 the same again.
    Sunglasses helped!

    Like 5
    • Avatar Whippeteer

      So does a blindfold. That yellow is ummm, “bright.” Lots of tatty in the interior south of the front seats. Along with a lot of small problems listed. Too much work to bring back to original. Go track day with it?

      Like 1
  3. Avatar Adam T45 Staff

    On the plus side, this is a car that you couldn’t easily lose in a heavy fog. I’m trying to work whether bidding is at $550 dollars with the reserve unmet, or whether the reserve is $550 and it is currently unmet.

    Plenty of people say that the 80s was the decade that taste forgot. As a teenager of the 80s, I’ve always said that there were plenty of examples of good taste from that era. This car blows that argument clear out of the water.

    Like 6
  4. Avatar newport pagnell Member

    Lil’ something for everyone. T/A ,L88, seats by Corbin. Yikes!

    Like 4
  5. Avatar AF

    I’ll bet this was ruined after the 80’s. Probably owned by someone who couldn’t pay the repair bill and then it sat around out back for years until some other person thought they could improve it. Those seats belong in a dumpster!

    Like 0
  6. Avatar Claus Graf

    Add some red flames on the hood and fenders……….ahhh the good ol 80’s!

    I would try to return it to stock, paint it silver like Tony Montana’s silver 928 (Scarface movie)……and back to the 80’s again!

    Like 4
  7. Avatar SC/RAMBLER

    I say leave it as is. I guess I have different taste in cars but I like the look

    Like 10
  8. Avatar CanuckCarGuy

    The positive: The flaming steering wheel cover compliments the flaming leather seats.
    The rest: I don’t recall ever seeing an abomination of this magnitude in Porsche clothing.

    Like 2
  9. Avatar Michael

    I am craving a big piece of cheese. Or, maybe a school bus. Can’t decide.

    Like 3
  10. Avatar Frank

    I will pay money to unfind/put this back in the place it was found. This hurts my eyes.

    Like 2
  11. Avatar Jeffro

    Man! This car has a fat a$$! I like a fat bottomed girl but good grief. The back end looks huge.

    Like 3
  12. Avatar Redwagon

    Now at $1,525 and reserve not met.

    The last 3 photos tell me this one was once sensibly white. Pity.

    Like 0
  13. Avatar Chuck 55chevy

    Funny, I recently added to my car hoard with a Euro 5 speed 1982 928, pretty rough, help me, I’m a autoholic. The Florida sun hasn’t been kind. I always wanted one, now I changed my mind LOL.

    Like 7
  14. Avatar Beatnik Bedouin

    The unfortunate result of an affair between a Checker cab and a Porsche, or proof that one can actually build an abomination out of one of the latter marque’s most unloved models.

    Like 1
  15. Avatar The Chucker

    Let me guess, the horn plays La Cucaracha.

    Like 8
  16. Avatar Joe Howell

    I’m a water cooled Porsche guy, wish I could un-see that.

    Like 0
  17. Avatar OMG

    Someone let Tom cruise in Risky Business let this one go into the water off the ramp !

    Joel send this in the water and don’t bring it back !

    Like 2
  18. Avatar milt

    I love a Porsche 928 and it looked good the way it came from the factory without all that”make up”.

    Like 0
  19. Avatar Michael thomas

    oh I liked it until I saw the seats, Now I LOVE IT> Of course I am 67 and always had a car that was a little above the crowd

    Like 5
  20. Avatar grant

    I kind of like it. The wing and the walmart steering wheel cover have to go, preferably left in the sellers driveway. Get the paint blasted off the wheels, lower it an inch and cruise it while you save up for a proper upholstery job and a carpet.

    Like 2
  21. Avatar Mike

    Wow, the builder must of had the smallest d**k in a 4 state area to go this far off the custom deep end to compensate.

    Like 5
  22. Avatar KEN TILLY Member

    The only thing I would do is to fit some loose seat covers over the flames, blast the horrible yellow paint off the wheels to make it presentable, and drive the hell out of it. I once owned a black LHD 928 manual and it was a blast, that until I saw these pics, I had forgotten about.

    Like 2
  23. Avatar EJB

    I’m no Porsche purist and I’m all for customizing your car but this = wrong.

    Like 1
  24. Avatar Roarrr Member

    WHY are blood red Ferraris and yellow Lambos OK that this Porsche Not??
    It must that its German which tend to be pretty drab, It’s another SUPER CAR that needs to have an equivalent colour they did offer the optional plow and wing tho that one is a bit big!
    There’s always the problem of PERSONNALISATION, it is what THAT person wanted. The alternative is stock– like every other which is fine for appliances like toasters and Hondas.

    Like 2
  25. Avatar AMX Brian
  26. Avatar Rick

    What, no comments on the non-functional L88 hood scoop? A car that’s trying to be everything to nobody… yikes. Poor Porsche..

    Like 0
  27. Avatar Bruce

    For those that do not know this car has the FULL LEATHER OPTION, which in the day was said to cost $14,000. Go to E-Bay and look at the photos of the dash. That option had leather head liner. About the only thing that was not leather with that option was the sun visors both front and back.

    I know because my 1984 has the exact same option but different door speaker set up. I am glad that this car is painted ARREST ME YELLOW. That arrest should be for bad taste if nothing else.

    That dash, door cards, center consul could alone be worth 4 to $6,000 and they seem to be in fine shape. I hate to see running cars broken up but this is too far gone to be put back to what it was.

    I can understand why the owner changed the color but not so much the shape. The 928 body is extremely sensitive to color. White is one of the worst colors for this car. Kind of like a giant egg on four wheels. There are a couple of browns that look like something a dog left on the carpet as well. But get the right color and good condition and the car is stunning. If you wish to see options Try this site http://www.landsharkoz.com › colors. Mine is Kiln Red.

    Like 1
  28. Avatar Clay Bryant

    Don’t plan on “highballin” in this one. The last car you ever want to own is a yellow one. Speeding, you stand out like a hooker at the PTA……………

    Like 1
  29. Avatar Wayne

    Mike! you made laugh real hard. Still have not caught my breath!
    I say toss the seats and steering wheel for something more appropriate and then turn everything that is yellow into white and drive the daylights out of it.

    Like 0
  30. Avatar Wrong Way

    Hello my only friends in the whole world! Pop’s actually really likes it as it is! The wing is a little iffy for me that would probably go!

    Like 1
  31. Avatar Jose Delgadillo

    I would just lose the yellow paint on the wheels. The interior, well I can’t see the seats when I’m sitting on them! A guy at work has a stock 928 and I give him props for keeping it on the road. This is an unappreciated model that will eventually gain a following. The manual transmission model is the one to have. But I have to admit it’s easier just to buy a nice used Boxster.

    Like 0
  32. Avatar Jeff Z.

    928’s can grow some very long teeth. Purchase the best example that you can find and avoid “bargains”. They will eat you alive.

    Like 1

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