Buyers guide Porsche 928 and purchase review 

Love seeing the 928's getting love.

For someone like me who is not so mechanically inclined but interested to learn, listening to you talk about all the bits and bobs is so fascinating. It's always engrossing to listen to someone talk about stuff they are proficient in. I'm eager to see how you're going to approach fixing up these beauties.

I owned a 1990 guards red 928GT 5-speed manual for 7 years and 120,000 miles. Truly a wonderful car. One time, the alternator failed and the control screen told me the battery wasn't charging. A little later it told me it was shutting off the electronic traction control to save power. A bit later it told me it was shutting off the air conditioning and temperature control to save power. It got me to a place where it could be repaired. 959 traction control; rear wheel steering, etc. Amazing technology for 29 years ago.

AWSOME!!! Thank you, Ive been wanting to buy a 928 or a 944 to work on but nobody talks about how reliable they could be so I have been a little skittish

“ the machine gun turret is extra” Said the Car salesman from Scarface

Awesome video Casey. The 928 is an amazing car, thank you for giving it its due respect. I will share this to the Rennlist group, check them out, your best resource repository for 928 diy experts.

Love what you're doing with the 928. I think a lot like the ways you do about cars, and I relate to your perspective. I appreciate that you're out here exposing people to it. Excited for the rest of this!

I always liked the 928, it’s a real grand touring car and way under appreciated by the Porsche community. I am looking forward to your series on both cars.

Loving these videos, Casey!

That bottle shaped rubber thing near the front air intakes is the manual pump to raise the headlights

It is infact non interference, the later 32 valve models were interference engines.

Stoked on the builds. Can't wait to see them both running and ripping.

Can’t wait to see a Porsche rally car on the channel

Another great one take. Hope you have a great weekend Casey you deserve it!

I always loved how the 928 looked, always wanted one.

Man, this channel is booming Casey got three projects running and a whole lot to come for genious garage

The pliers and zipper trick ! haha Casey I like it

Looks to be in great shape, considering that it sat for so long, this will be an awesome project!

This is my dream car and has been since it was first released. I love the spider plenum, even as a weaker engine than the later ones. I am so excited to see this! And Pasha seats? Be still my heart! It even has the dream "phone dials."

My room mate had a '78 928 back in the early 80s but not much money so we did quite a bit of repair work to it. The charging system was one of the things we had to address. The alternator brushes we replaced using AC delco parts. LOL Much less expensive than a replacement alternator as IIRC we couldnt get just the brushes from Porsche. The absolute ton of wiring in these cars makes troubleshooting electrical problems a real labor of love Good luck bringing this one back to its former glory.

Awesome Casey love your attitude. I too have some old Porsche's (928, 944, 911 and even 924's) Love them all and feel the same way about haters/snobs.. Great era for car lovers. Keep the videos coming

Hell yea casey! I think both cars are awesome. They were great cars in the 80s. Everyone wanted them that could afford them back then.

Yeah the 924 i mentioned before that was at my uncle's shop was interesting because it only has just over 100 miles on it. Had an odd story but most of what my uncle had to do was clean sensors and other odd things from a car that has been sitting for 30 years since new.

4.5L is non-interference , 5.0 and up is interference. And in between there was the 4.7L that might have the valves just barely kiss the pistons when your belt breaks.

It will be interesting to see this car restored. I’m planning to do one of these myself.

Big fan of the channel as well as older cars. Living in Columbus there is a huge car enthusiast scene. Keep the vlogs going!!!!!!!!!!

YES do the white black ceckboard! My only regret in my 924 is that it doesnt have it, looks great on those cars! Is funky and ''NoT eLeGaNt'' but really looks fantastic

The 911 cars from the same era were primitive by comparison. The 928 still looks like a futuristic car. Right out of a Stanley Kubrick movie. I had a clapped out 928S 5 speed that I bought in Compton. Bruised and battered but it ran like stink. I drove it like I stole it. Put a smile on my face every time.

Casey thank you for defending the Bosch K-Jetronic! It’s a great fuel injection system. I have owned several cars with it, mostly old P cars and I love it. It’s a simple and elegant system. Sure you can’t plug some fancy computer into it and have it tell you what’s wrong. But with a little simple diagnostic work it’s usually easy to track down the issues. And the best part is a lot of the parts on the system are rebuildable! No throwing away old air meters or idle are valves, you can actually take them apart, clean and repair them which I think is great. Plus with a piggyback ECU it’s a very tunable system as well. My built 944 Turbo was still on the K-Jetronic but with a piggyback and a MAF conversion and it ran great. It’s a great old system for sure.

I highly recommend a short shifter and solid bushings for all the shifter parts. I just put one in mine from 928sRus and it transformed the car. I dont want to drive my 944 anymore. haha

Im getting one of these sunday as my first buy. Never thought id be looking at something before the mid 90s and on top of that its still a porsche

No way, one of my favorite you tubers with my own car 😂

A great and informative video. I am really keen to get into one of my bedroom poster cars, either a 928 or 944!

Love the AirVenture hat!

There's one local 928 that's been sitting on the exact same spot for since I can remember, it's in perfect condition, it only really need a paint job. But I'm pretty sure that it has almost never been driven. I'm thinking about trying to get in touch with the owner but I don't know how safe it is to buy a car that's literraly been sitting at the same spot for years even during the winter it was almost never moved... But I'm pretty damn sure it's the olny 928 in my entire country.

Thanks for this video! Looking for a 928 currently

Well good looking 928 and 944 the 928 remind me of a old E type jag and it runs that a big plus in it self getting the high idle fix should be easy enough can't wait to see back up to it former glory I'm going to look at a early RX7 it been setting for years so I'm hoping that the floor boards are OK the windows been left cracked for some time I know the carpets done for maybe the seat to but as long as the floor are OK I'm may buy anyway can't wait to see the rebuild Casey

Your intro of you in the hatch like a gun nest reminded me of something I used to do. An FC RX7 can, in fact, fit a fully inflated twin air mattress. My car was gutted, which helped a little, but if you put both seats full forward and full tilt, then fill the space behind them to create a flat (I'd put the spare across one of them with beer under it, and fill the rest with another partially inflated mattress). I'd put fabric on the windows, hang a fitted sheet by the sun visors, and lay a sheet across the hatch. When you popped the hatch you had a little space to chill, and the sheet hung down to the spoiler providing privacy. I really cannot imagine that there is a smaller car on earth that you can fit a twin air mattress in, and lay out full length.

Timely video series. I bought an 87 S4 last mo from an estate. Hasn't run for several yrs. In the process of cleaning the gas tank and replacing 30 yo fuel lines in the engine compartment. Plan is to get it running / driving w/ fluid & belt replacements and then sell it on. Unless, of course, she tugs on my heart...

Some little pixy told me you are gonna build a Lykan with a bunch of geniusses....congrats! It will be great to see that develop.

classic 9 leather shop is a great option for 928 (and 944 for that matter) interior restoration and they are pretty good on price as well

Loving this. Early cars are non-interference. Great call on the pasha! I would go with silver for the phone dials.

had my 79' 18 years. This is going to be expensive.. ;)

I had a 86.5 for many years. Wonderful car.

I love the old front engine Porsches! Had a 944, a 924S, still want a 928...one day

Years ago I heard that every computer/module cost $1200 and there were several of them. A foreign car shop owner I knew told me they always have a ghost in the machine.... Still love them.

I wish I could like this video twice I'd love to own one of these.

928 is my Obtainable "Dream Car"... We have 2 kids still at home but, one day I will have a Manual 928!

Casey, if your volts are reading low from your dash gauge, it could be an alternator charging issue, but it also could be the wiring to the gauge. The harness for these is 40+ years old and it runs through the engine obviously. The heating and cooling over the years can make the wiring brittle. This increases the resistance and makes the gauge read low. Those older 928's have a manual calibration tab in the gauge. I would check it with a mm before tearing anything apart. Awesome car. I just acquired a '91 S4 in amazing condition. You'll love it!!

Can't wait to see this build. As a 928(S) owner of 2 years, my experience is that they are solid if maintained well and driven regularly. And who wouldn't want to drive them regularly!

Great video 👍 I've owned my 1985 for 10 years and do my own work.

Every 928 I have workd on and driven has always read low voltage on the dash.

The light silver phone wheels look good on that color. My neighbor had a brand new one back in the day. Came sliding in one night drunk broke all 4 wheels in pieces. He ended up putting silver lip gold webs back on it that didn't look too bad. At the time 2 of the factory Porsche wheels would've bought my mom's Oldsmobile! 🤣

Your going to have a good time with building your cars. I am working on a 86 iroc z28 with my son and a 1951 international L110 pickup truck that was my dad's. A couple years ago we built a 13 fiat 500 Abarth into a cool little autocross and daily driver but it met with an unfortunate end. Someone hit the front end hard while it was parked and left the scene.

My doctor is a Porsche guy.He now drives a 911 on the weekend and a panamera daily. Told him I was working on a 928.He said that he had 3 928s. A 79,a 84 and a 95. He had been driving Porsches for 50 years and the 928s had always been his favorite.

The ground is in the correct place. However originality it was a braided flat ribbon cable. They are known to have issues with breaking in small places and increasing the resistance. It looks like someone replaced yours with a more traditional round cable to help with that. There are a number of grounding points on these cars. Find them all, clean them all, then pull every fuse and relay (there are many) and clean. Also, many of the switches are ground side for some reason.

Casey, How is the 928 driving now after you have had it over the past year? Have you done the work on it that mentioned in the video? Would love to see a follow up video.

I got a 4.5 928 as my second car so far I would say if your getting one try to get one that is working, don't get a non runner it's a pain to figure out what is wrong.

My 92 talon had a stupid cold idle valve that would shoot the rpm to 3000 cold and rev up and down crazy. I screwed it down and eliminated it and now I have a perfect 1500 rpm cold and smooth running.

Rewiring the engine bay preemptively is cheaper and easier than people would have you think. The PVC harness insulation breaks down with heat and atmospheric oxidation causing many gremlins. Unfortunately all the wiring behind the floor pan mounted fuse and relay panel is white spaghetti, but if you can read a pin out it's not that bad. I've built two of these cars, one back to stock; The other with a MegaSquirt2 conversion and centrifugal supercharger. The later euro spec engine really turns into a different animal when converted to sequential injection, and coil near plug ignition. Such a fun vehicle if you have the knowledge and patience to make it perform reliably.

The factory states that all 16V engines are non interference. However there is some contesting this regarding the euro 1985/86 dual distributor 16V 928S2. Some have seen valve damage but have not confirmed if their engines have been previously opened. I have tested one stock 85 S2 mysekf and confirmed it was a non interference engine.

Those intake runners remind me of the face hugger from Alien.

Man, I wish I could find one like that for $4500. I dig the early cars sans spoilers with the phone dials. The Pascha interior will be perfect as well. They've started shooting up in value the last 2-3 years. I bought an '88 928 S4 with 63k miles in very very nice condition for just $8,000 back in 2008. Same car today is high teens or low twenties it seems... some far more expensive.

Casey. My 2012 Subaru Impreza (base, its a highway work car), idles at 1800 cold, drops to 600 after warm up. Ow-20 oil. Is that a problem?

The 928 design has aged really well. The 944...not so much. Looks like a Mazda. I liked it better than the 928 back in the day, but now I think the 944 just looks exactly like what it was, the Porsche for the masses. They were like Irocs or Trans Ams. A 928 still looks like a European car. And I think it's really timeless. It looks better than most new cars, yet has the same form factor. Watching Matt's One Take in one was especially revealing. You can tell that Porsche spent a lot of time trying to get the handling you expect from a Porsche. Now you could tell it wasn't quite on that level, suffering from some lean and body roll, but it did pretty good. You do some suspension upgrades and a 928 would be a great track car. And being a front engine V8 leaves a lot of room for any crazy ideas you might have involving an LS drivetrain. ;)

Bought one of these that had been sitting 11 years. Coolant had gone bad and eaten through the radiator and one of the cylinders, which made the head gasket go poof when i started it. It is a bit more difficult to get to things than most cars, most fixes start with "remove the engine" :P

Mink Oil those side bolsters. Use the spray type to start with. Work it in by hand. May need to be gone over a couple of times. Let it soak in. Then go with the paste kind if you want.

Always preferred the checkerboard upholstery. We had an 82 VW Dasher ....terrible plastic throughout. Never understood why German plastic has always been so brittle and short lived. My buddie's 924S was an interference engine. Belt broke right as he turned off ignition in driveway...he ended up replacing 4 valves.😉

No need to order stuff from Germany and pay for expensive shipping. You can get 928 interior materials and the missing hood insulation mat at classic9leathershop in Detroit. The dash can be replaced or recovered with vinyl/leather. Before you replace the shifter boot, try original German NIVEA cream to soften the leather (only the one in the blue tin jars work). For the mechanics, the best resources are Jim Doerr at 928classics and Greg Brown from Precision Motorwerks. Check the ground strap from battery to body, and consider upgrading the little sealed beams with the larger Euro H-4 headlights - they make a world of a difference! Phone dial wheels were always silver. It was the flat dish style that came in bronze tones. Best of luck!

928; the man’s Porsche.. love it

Is there anything from the 80's that wasn't prone to the dashes cracking? German brands seem to be the most prone my E23 BMW included, but a lot of american stuff did as well.

Great channel. Keep going!

My first car was a black on black one owner 1983 928s 5 speed I loved it 73k miles. That car started my passion for cars, wish I never sold it. Currently v12/6speed swapping a e30! (M73/420g getrag)

I owned an 82 Euro grey market S and an American version of a 1984 928s. Mechanically fantastic cars, but oooooh....the electrical system on the 84. I bought them in the 1990's and they were my dream car, but reality caused me to sell them and admire them from a distance.

this looks like a steal @ that price - i think you might still be able to get some new parts - that paint looks super nice for sitting outside

HEY!!! Casey!! For the leather gearstick gaiter, Use Hide Food...It will nourish the leather and make it supple again, it's fantastic stuff!!! Equestrian shop will have it tho amazon are cheaper...Maybe pay a little extra to keep the horse shop in fine stead! Greetings from London, UK.!!

my jacket broke the other day too lol

I think I saw you yesterday driving on 270 around the Easton area! It was 928 in the same color!

Hey man I don’t know if you look at these older videos but where do you buy your parts? You said from Germany and I cant find anywhere to buy the parts @Casey Putsch

You know the southern ohio rally is something that happens yearly... would love to see you and genius garage in my home town, Portsmouth Ohio

Very cool car 👍. Top Gear UK used a Porsche 928 as a camera car for a while. The camera man sat in the car similar to how you just did.

Be careful in auto Car washes in the 928. When I was a kid in the 80s I watched a 928 rear window explode when the turning brush head caught the rear window wiper pulled it off 😬!! Owner went nuts !! Cool cars and looking forward to watching. May get me a 944 as well 👍🏻

Go to 928 International ..you will be surprised how many used or after market 928 parts they have available at reasonable prices.. They also can direct you where to get them if they they are out. Porsche Auto Atlanta is another good source and they have a lot of helpful schematics. The mechanical choke valve device is almost impossible to outsource but may be available as used.

how do you diagnose an 80's 928? can you use a scan tool?

As soon as he said 'as original as possible,' I knew the Porsche MIB paid Casey a little visit.

“How am I supposed to fix a Porsche if I can't fix my jacket"- that's literally how I feel everyday!

Being a 79 it is definitely non-interference. All of the 4.5L 16V engines are this way. The 80+ year models are where it gets iffy. 4.7L Euro models can be either interference, or non-interference and all 32V US are interference. Now, you can still bend valves if the timing breaks and you have weakened springs, a lot of carbon buildup, etc. The clearances are rather small. Timing belts are pretty easy on these cars even for a novice mechanic, and there is a ton of room to work once you have the ducts and cooling system out of the way. The torque-tube system can be a pain. Removing the shaft and replacing the bearings will only benefit you. A quiter ride, less drivetrain loss and it's an easier job with the manual transmission. The only other major issue with the 928's is the grounding. If you're having issues with any gauges, a couple pencil erasers to clean contacts and a few strategic solder touch-ups on the rear of the cluster will cure most issues, and perhaps a new speedo gear. The plastic ones are brittle at this age.

I will have an eye on this channel. Kind regards from Germany, where that car was built.

Paint looks awesome

I had a '79 928 back in the day. That battery is definitely not correct. That exhaust is a replacement as well. Chances are it is an Anza exhaust muffler. I miss that car. This video makes me want to get another one.

The 928 and 944 are great looking cars.

I had a 928 and i got it cheap because it didn't run. The only problem was the ground strap from the battery and a small wire that whent to the ecm. Looks like your battery area need attention.

Alternator not charging... If you do not have a low voltage light and If you do not see the volts register on the gauge in the pod try popping the RPMs over 3k and see if jumps to life. If it does could just be as simple as a burned out charging bulb or a failed parallel resistor...

How much did the restore cost? Or estimated budget?

I have a 1978 euro spec 928. 5 speed,yes none interference motor. Mine slipped on my drive home.

Mobil 1 in the transaxle will smooth out that 2nd gear, battery should have a ground strap and not a cable. Fellow '79 owner...Cheers!

So I found one on Facebook, they want $1800 it doesn’t start and definitely needs non-mechanical, asthetic work that I don’t mind doing. It’s an auto, 130k paint is rough but almost zero rust. I don’t know much about them but I did an internship for a classic auto shop so I know some guys that are probably close to experts who would be willing to help, should I buy it?

I need to take you when I buy my next car - I get too emotionally attached during the buying process. I’d get home from buying a 928, and a friend would say “Did you notice the back half of the car is a VW Beetle?” Doh!

Love the Corvette "punisher" flag above the door...

Thanks Casey, I saw someone drop an LS3 in this and it moves!!!!! Great tack car it was said. Just saying. :D