Maukahale

Howdy folks, been on Rennlist for years, this is my first post. Thinking of taking my 89 928S4 from Santa Fe to Hawaii. Who’s got an opinion?

toma nova

Post this over on the 928 forum, might be good to see if there are other owners already there.

ammonman

There is a thriving (albeit small) PCA region on the Big Island with I believe one or two 928's. If you get a free minute, take a drive over to Kawaihae Harbor and stop in at Harbor Gallery. The owner is an all around great guy and passionate Porsche owner. I knew it was going to be an interesting day when we pulled up and the sign in the window said "Porsche spoken here."

NoVector

I've shipped my 928s to England and Germany and wouldn't give it a second thought. That said, I can think of a lot of reasons why it's not a great car for Hawaii: salt air leads to rust and corrosion, roads are slick as hell when it rains on rear-drive car, higher parts shipping, traffic,brutal sun and often rain, and service if you don't do it yourself. On the positive, it's fun, unique, and could no doubt sell it if things don't pan out.

I shipped a 63 chevy to Guam so I understand your dilemma.Horrible to drive while I was there (rear-wheel drive), but one of a kind, fun, and made a huge profit when I sold it.

Speedtoys

Salt bad.

Proper car care solves this.

Take it.

Mrmerlin

if you have a pristine S4 I would look into buying an early model and ship it over,
put new 16 inch tires on it for max traction in the wet 225 50 16
keep your nicer car in the stable,
After the third week the fun factor will wear off,
then its just gonna be wear and tear on whatever you bring, this is then a liability
For as much driving you can do/ go I dont think its worth it.
The 928 is a GT machine and thats what it does best,
local roads that are not very long will diminish the enjoyment factor of a GT machine.

NOTE your Desert kept S4 sounds like its in VG condition.
BUT if its just a beater S4 then take it over and let it get salty

Shawn Stanford

Considering the driving, I'd leave it at home. The 928 is a GT car, there's nowhere in Hawaii that you're going to get any proper use out of it.

Buy a Boxster and enjoy the top-down weather.

Bigfoot928

wrong answer. I lived in Hawaii for a few years. It's very common to see 3-5 year old cars with rust holes in them. right thru the fender or door. Taking a 928 to Hawaii is like taking a hooker to Sunday school. It just does not belong. There is no where to drive the 928 like it was meant to be driven, and good luck finding a place where they know 928's. Insurance is going to by sky high, most expensive fuel in the country. Parking a nice car anywhere is a challenge.... not to mention the diminished value after a few years.

Speedtoys

" like it was meant to be driven"

What an ancient weird way to define an automobile...it's meant to be enjoyed. Not beat on...Ive never understood what the heck "how its meant to be driven" means.

Yes, there are a lot of cars on the market with cheap materials and base prep, that will rust out very quickly.

Bigfoot928

If you see that as an ancient way to describe a car, then you are probably ancient. The 928 was designed to go long distances at high speeds. There are neither in Hawaii.

ALKada

I’d have to agree with Bigfoot and Shawn here. I’ve been blessed to have traveled to all the islands and found not one of them worth taking a GT car. I would rather buy a Boxter as mentioned by Shawn and sell it there before I left. Most definatly more fun there sightseeing and just traveling with a convertible with the exception during the rainy season, I’d have a Jeep Rubicon there as my second choice.

karl ruiter

I think I own the majority of the 928s in the islands. There is no service available here*, so it will be 100% up to you. Also, although 928s get some appreciation, there is no market*. Interestingly, while corrosion in general is a big problem on Oahu, I have had little problem with my 928s. My 944 has fared worse. Although, much of that depends on which side of the island you live on and how close to the shore. As others have stated, the driving here is not very well suited. Personally, I like driving 928s anywhere, but you will have work to do to: 1) get your low speed power steering effort lower then stock, and 2) get your AC working better than stock.

* I got my '91 for under a song after it had been towed back and forth several times between the only local 911 shop and the dealer, both refusing to work on in and the owner finally walking away, saying "Just keep it then" to the 911 shop.
**I got my '88 for $3K after it had been sitting on a lot forever with no interest. I wont even say what I got my GTS for out of respect for the new owner.