Toejam

I've heard a '77 928 mentioned a few times on other websites and was wondering if they actually produced 928's that year? I have a '78 and was just wondering if it was really the first year they were built.

Also, what are some good 928 video pages? I'm looking for more 928 vids to add to my collection (The Blueridge videos were nice )

BTW: Has anyone seen this site? http://www.f-a-s-tonline.com/ They sell superchargers and have a neat video of a 928 burnout http://www.f-a-s-tonline.com/CAM2SC2.MPG

Mitch Johnson

My sources say that there were somewhere in the 400 neighborhood produced in '77.

I'm sure Nicole would be an invaluable source of information here.

Nicole

I don't have any detailed information on this, but I was under the impression that 928 production started in the summer of '77 as a '78 model year.

However, I found out that the 928 was introduced to the press in February or March of 77. The cars shown in the first news articles do not have all the same features as the '78 production models, so they could be pre-production cars.

Sorry, but I don't have more specific information on this.

Dennis Wilson

An article in the July 1997 Panorama indicates that 175 1977 928's were produced and 15 were sold in the USA.

Dennis

SharkFan

Here ya go.

!977 928 on E-bay---Number 6

V-Fib

4.3L? Pretty cool, collector car only to a Rabid Shark Fan probably though.
It will be interesting to see what it goes for.
Any guesses on the reserve price?



Anthony Tate
79/928 Silver Metallic

Steve J.

Wow! Hand built probably. I'll bet that car may sell for as little as $5K. My '78 is 9288100975. Anybody know how I can tell from the VIN what number car it is?

DoubleNutz

The 928 was first presented to international journalist near Nice at the end of February 1977. Shortly after in March 1977 was its official debut at the Geneva Automobile Salon, 10 June 1977 it was the pace car which opened the 24 hours of LeMans at the Circuit de la Sarthe. It began rolling off the production line as a 1978 model in August of 1977. 13 were presold in the US and 175 worldwide during 1977

I also have a copy of the first 1977 brochure. It refers to the 928 as the "1978 Porsche 928". As far as I know there was no brochure produced by Porsche for the 928 before this (In fact it was printed by Fricke+Co, Stuttgart for Porsche+AudiDivision, Volkswagen of America, Inc.)

The first cars arrived on US shores in mid November 1977 and began to clear customs for US delivery in December 1977 and January 1978 (Road and Track had its first test drive of the 928 almost one year to the date of its debut and published its results in the April 1978 issue of R&T).

DoubleNutz

9288100975

The VIN numbering convention for the 1977 model year and 1978 are identical. 1584 were sold in the US durng 1978. that number includes the 13 "1977" models.

Dennis Wilson

9288100016 Vin of 77 on Ebay

928= Obvious
8= model year 1978
10= ROW version
0016= Sequence number (16th production or earlier car built) Porsche was known to skip numbers.

Considering my 78 5 speed has vin 9288200349 with a build date of Jan 78, the EBay car was probably built in 77 but is a 78 model.

BTW I have heard that the 78 and 79 MY's were team built rather than production line. Anyone have any information on this?

Dennis

DoubleNutz

Hmmm, not certain how to tackle this question Dennis except to say that through today (as far as I know) all Porsches are team assembled on a production line and to as much as necessary to keep production briskly flowing. However, Porsche then would not be hurried, and this remains true even today, despite the increased production of 996 and Boxsters. Every 8th team station is still a Quality Control check and every 15 cars has an 11000+ point Quality Control check during manufacturing. Yes, automation has become a growing part of building Porsches but they are still largley "HAND/TEAM BUILT" bodies and engines and more so during all years of 928 production.

As we all know Porsche has always had high quality standards and its culture foundation for this quality has always been in its hand/team built assembly. Did you know that throught the 1950's the 356 was 100% hand built and engine parts were of each engine were marked to keep them together within the engine team. Through the 1960's and early part of the 70's when the 928 began its "white board" development under Ernst Fhurman <sp?> Porsche's were still primarily hand built and automation advances did not really make their biggest debut with Porsche until the mid 80's.

Sorry for the long winded answer- boiled down what I am saying is- "yes" Porsche's were team and hand built then and to a large degree today are still team and hand built for quality control purposes.



PS- I may stand corrected on parts of my content above as I have learned that the later versions of Porsche like the fenders on my 996 may have been built by BMW. I will need to confirm if that is in fact true. Not unusual for Porsche to contract out for work if the contractor has a reputation for quality (i.e Reuter Tool- which Porsche ultimately purchased,The Kharmann Firm made 911 and 912 bodies and, Mercs made 928 Auto trannies, etc).

Steve J.

I wonder how many miles were on a typical new 928 when delivered from the factory? Were they all test driven on a track? The title on Charlie Sheen's 928 showed 78 miles new.

Thom1

That's news... early models were 4.3Ls, first 3 928s were "crash test dummies" What ever happened to that group? Their first 2 cds were pretty good.

Anyone have more info. on 4.3L 1977 models? Were all 175 produced (13 to USA) 1997s 4.3L?

Dennis Wilson

It appears the 4.3 L designation is incorrect. From reading the 4/77 release by Porsche on the 928 (in Up-Fixin V) the first 928's were 4.5 L. Actually a larger ci version of the engine was tested in Audi 100's. The engine size was downgraded to increase fuel economy.

Dennis

DoubleNutz

And that's the fact's JACK!

1972- The first chassis and transaxle testing was completed in a Mercs 350SL (Code named- V1) Later V1 was also fitted with 928 Carburated Engine

1972-74 "V2" was an Opel Admiral that the front suspension of the 928 was developed and tested in. At one time it even had a steering wheel mounted in the back to turn the rear wheeels.

Then came "Munga"- a bare chassis structure with roll up tarp doors used for engine testing.

In September 1973 "V3"- the altered (added fender flares only) Audi 100 coupe which tested the transaxle and engine

"V4"- Was the Audi 100 with its entire body widened by almost 4 and a half inches and held the first 928 engine.

First handmade prototype was called "K1"

First drivable prototype with steel bodywork was called "W1"

Third drivable protoype was called "W3" in the fall of 1974 and had the weissach axle installed.

Pre-Construction prototypes were started in June 1976 the first was completed on July 7th 1976 and called "W6" and on the 8th of July the first test runs of W6 were done and ultimately this was the deisgn that would debut as the 1978 design we know today.

BTW, as for the crash test cars yes there were three that we know of-

2 rear crash- numbers 16-928-1-75 and 17-928-2-76

and one front number 6-928-1-76

However, I don't believe that Porsche only crashed 3 cars, I beleive it had to be a total of 23 (per the number car identification). I believe it took 17 crashes to get the rear the way Helmuth Bott desired (without a fuel tank rupture) and 6 for the front (an undamaged passenger compartment and doors that would not fly open). All crash test were done at 30 miles per hour.