Tim_944

i'm actually living in richmond right now (next to the vancouver airport) and work in Surrey.

Tim_944

yeah that's what i'm worried about also. If i decide to sell it later on it may be tough finding a buyer.

Tim_944

i have not looked at the car yet. The seller told me that the car is at his mother's house and she is not home so he will get back to me.


what is the timing belt interval for the S4. The seller told me it has been changed along with the water pump a few years ago. i know the S4 also has cam chains and tensioners and not sure if that has been ever touched.

ashmason

I got mine in 2010 with 180k on it. There were some big things such as steering rack, new shocks, engine mounts top end refresh and recover the front seats, and I went into that with open eyes. What really added up that I didn't factor in was the multitude of little things that the previous owners had neglected that all needed taking care of. So my advice would be to acknowledge any big ticket items, but also look for attention to detail.

rlich8

I'd rather have a car that has more miles and has clear lineage/provenance and maintenance documentation than a low mile with nothing at all. Of course this all exists within reason but as with all things automotive - history and documentation is more important than mileage.

MainePorsche

This should be considered as fact with a 928. I speak from experience in a good way. Also if the car was owned (at some point) by someone here, you can research all posts related to issues with the vehicle.

Tim_944

That's true. Not sure how long 928 engines last without having to do a rebuild. My 944 has over 300k kms on it and is very reliable but the engine will need a rebuild in the future or at least new piston rings and head rebuild bc it has low compression in one cylinder and is running rough when cold.

rlich8

They're very durable engines. Read a post yesterday, believe it was either Greg Brown, maybe Roger, one of the oracles around here... said they built a race motor and put it together with good used bearing shells.

All things metal need a rebuild eventually but they are super durable when maintained. I wouldn't hesitate buying a clean, well-sorted 150000 mile 928 at all.

Tim_944

ok that's good to know. When i did rod bearings on my 944, they looked new at around 300k kms but I have a bad piston ring / a bad intake valve now that needs to be replaced. On my 944 it's fairly easy to pull the head or even replace a piston ring with the engine in the car.

rlich8

Buy the best car you can afford with the most maintenance history and provenance that you can find. Period. I cannot stress to you how important this is. If at any point you are skeptical - walk. Remember, you do not need this - you want this.

Also, ask yourself what you want. Are you interested in a car to drive and maintain? Buy that. Are you interested in the actual *process* of a restoration? Buy a car that needs to be restored. Do not deviate.

Have a list of a few things you like whether it be early vs. late, auto vs. manual, color, sunroof vs. slicktop, etc... and be willing to bend on a few of them, but DON'T bend on all of them. You have to get what you want to an extent but they ARE used cars with the newest ones being 20 years old you have to be willing to bend at least a little.

When I bought the 928 I used to own, I bought a car with absolutely no history - first mistake. I paid too much ($5500 when it really was about a $1500-1600 car) - second mistake. Got a hard on because of a childhood memory and should've waited for a better car. My car wasn't bad, but I couldn't dedicate the time required. I needed a turnkey car. I will never let myself live this mistake down and I will give this advice to anyone interested in any of these cars.

I'm currently on the search again as of about a month or two ago. I have yet to view even just one potential candidate. This will take time, patience. I wouldn't be surprised if I hunt for a year or more.

The factory timing belt change interval is 60000 miles. Personally I'd feel comfortable with a 30,000-40,000 interval, especially on an S4. Crashing the valves on an S4 means a catastrophic failure and you will probably be spending $10000 to **properly** get it back on the road again. Who knows whether heads and other engine parts are available new or not (I haven't checked in a while...).

928 Intl, one of the reccomended vendors here, suggests 40k intervals: http://www.928intl.com/repair/T-belt1.pdf

Now I'm rambling. They are reliable motors with maintenance.

Good luck.
Royal

Tim_944

Thanks for the info. I would definitely prefer a manual car and they are super rare here. All 928s are pretty rare in Canada. I only see a couple for sale in a year and pretty much all are auto. There was a manual GTS for sale in the summer and I think it was going for $60k. I'm not looking to spend that much. I'd still enjoy a nice automatic. I also like the look of the S4 over the early cars, but i'm not ruling out early cars.

also to make it clear i'm not specifically looking for a 928 although i've always wanted one. I'm also interested in a nice 968 (which is also really hard to find here).

scottw383

Regarding high mileage: I bought an '87 S4 with 199K miles on it about six months ago -- with the intention that it will be a daily driver -- and I have no regrets at all. In fact, of the three 928s I looked at, the one I bought had the most miles on it. (It does only have ~90K on the engine and trans though.) In it's favor, it was purchased from the original owner, it came with most if not all service history, and there was proof that the big-ticket maintenance items were up to date. Also, even though it is mostly a daily driver it is not my sole means of transportation...that makes a big difference if and when things need attention.


If the car you are considering has been diligently maintained (with proof), I would not shy away from it just because it is a high-mileage car. I actually kind of like that the car I bought has quite a few miles on it. It shows that the original owner actually liked the car enough to go out and drive it regularly, rather than letting it sit and whither in the garage. Keep in mind that inactivity is not necessarily a good thing for cars either, so very low-mileage examples may have their own issues since they inevitably spent most of their lives not being exercised periodically (or going on only short trips).


I have bought several well-maintained higher-mileage vehicles over the years, and I have not regretted it yet. High mileage generally does scare off many potential buyers, so it makes negotiating a low purchase price easier. Of course the downside to that is that when it comes to selling you will have fewer potential buyers so you have to be patient and wait for someone that is NOT scared off by the mileage and can appreciate the car for the condition that it is in. And if you can't afford to be patient when selling you will probably have to accept a lower selling price.


That's my two cents anyway. Good luck!

jcb928

I have not looked at the 928 you are talking about but I did talk with a guy who did look at it. (I am selling my 928 so he looked at the cheap one first)

He said the trans is still not shifting right and needs a rebuild or a used transmission. The owner works at Dueck so maybe he had a couple of Chevy mechanics do the work?

I would get Colin to take a look at it before buying but it needs work.

Tim_944

Ok thanks for the info. I think i'll skip looking at it if it has a bad transmission. Im not looking for a car that needs major repairs.

jcb928

What year is your 944? This could be worth checking out,

http://vancouver.craigslist.ca/van/cto/5378130848.html