The 24 Hours of Lemons Forums → Our Crappy Race → OK, so we bought this 928 for $250, and we're racing it
Yep, we found a 928 for $250, It looks like a theft recovery, the ignition lock is totally broken out and the interior is trashed. The timing belt was loose and had missing teeth. We put a used timing belt on it and got it started... it runs and runs well. So we're off, its got an automatic.. will it do well at TH?
Finally! Been waiting for years to see a Lemons 928.
It.... will not do well at Thunderhill.
But so what? Those 4.3 laps it completes will be the most hi-tech, luxurious laps in Lemons history!
And that's what counts!
And for those 4.3 laps, it will sound great!
Oh, come on. That slushbox should be good for at least 8 laps!
I can't help but wonder who has used 928 timing belts just lying around. 
Hmmm...
At 82½ inches long, the Porsche 928 timing-belt is one of the longest ever used in a production automobile. Its purpose is to turn the camshafts, thus driving the valve train in relation to the crankshaft. In all but the very early 928's a snap of the belt allows the valves and pistons to crash resulting in catastrophic engine (and financial) damage. Clearly the function of the timing-belt and its related components is absolutely critical.
So, it only had a timing belt issue and it is one of those very early 928s?
Hmmm...
At 82½ inches long, the Porsche 928 timing-belt is one of the longest ever used in a production automobile. Its purpose is to turn the camshafts, thus driving the valve train in relation to the crankshaft. In all but the very early 928's a snap of the belt allows the valves and pistons to crash resulting in catastrophic engine (and financial) damage. Clearly the function of the timing-belt and its related components is absolutely critical.
So, it only had a timing belt issue and it is one of those very early 928s?
Chain conversion?
Hmmm...
At 82½ inches long, the Porsche 928 timing-belt is one of the longest ever used in a production automobile. Its purpose is to turn the camshafts, thus driving the valve train in relation to the crankshaft. In all but the very early 928's a snap of the belt allows the valves and pistons to crash resulting in catastrophic engine (and financial) damage. Clearly the function of the timing-belt and its related components is absolutely critical.
So, it only had a timing belt issue and it is one of those very early 928s?
lower piston crowns or lower valve lift....either way your reliability goes up...
Yeah the early 16v cars weren't interference, the 32v cars are, you break or skip a belt in one of those and its adios to your motor. This car is an 84 and has the 4.7 16v motor. The timing belt was loose and and the car had low compression and barely ran... It took us a while to figure it out, but it was obvious when we pulled the timing covers.
The car had been sitting in a driveway across from one of my customer's house for years, they couldn't make it run. We kept bothering them until they sold it to us. I had the cops called on me when I was winching it up onto my trailer, some neighbor thought I was stealing it and called 911, whoo, what fun!!! The ignition lock was broken out of it, the wiring is all screwed up. We emptied the varnish out of the gas tank. After about 12 hours of tracing and repairing wiring and installing a Miata Ignition switch, we got it to crank, after a few hours of work we got it to fire but not run, then we checked the timing belt..... Viola! Uh, no. The computer wasn't getting any power, so it was just running on the start pulse from the cold start injector, we repaired that and now it runs....
We take care of a 928 for a customer, and we recently replaced his timing belt, so we had a used one laying around, new ones are $40 and we didn't want to wait the 3 days to get it..
So, now we are stripping everything out of it and putting in a cage. I think we'll get it built for around $400... Our 928 customer is supplying the seat and harness out of his car (bolt in, easy!!) so we will be ready to test it at the Volvo club day on the 5th....
We're not doing anything to the suspension other than cutting the front springs and dialing in some negative camber. There is no way to buy even one bushing or shock for the thing and stay under $500... Porsche parts are brutal! I think just standing near 'em is expensive.
None of the gauges work, the tail lamps are missing and we aren't yet sure that the tranny works... we do know that it sprays oil out of the cooler lines, so at least it has line pressure!
It'll make more than 4.3 laps, I think we'll get into the high teens....
-John
,
Sweet!! I love 928's sounds like you guys have a load of work ahead of you. I'm pullin for ya I wanna see that 928 go out in a blaze of glory!!
Sounds like a good car to me. Cool!
KT
Why would you bother putting the cage in until after you know whether or not the transmission is any good?! If you know a shock or bushing puts you over $500, where does a trans put you?
Granted, I wouldn't expect the car to be very reliable on track, and I sure as hell wouldn't want to have to try & fix it trackside, so more power to ya... 
Why would you bother putting the cage in until after you know whether or not the transmission is any good?! If you know a shock or bushing puts you over $500, where does a trans put you?
Granted, I wouldn't expect the car to be very reliable on track, and I sure as hell wouldn't want to have to try & fix it trackside, so more power to ya...
It goes into first gear, that's enough for us... In with the cage!
We think the trans is good, just haven't been able to get it over 10 mph until we deal with the cooler leaks! These are very robust trannys, it is a Mercedes sourced 4 speed, very reliable...
Fix is trackside, ha! we have hammers, big ones, we can fix anything
How are you drive testing, Evil?
How are you drive testing, Evil?
On the dyno.. And sometimes in the empty weekend streets around the industrial area where my shop is, and on the track, track days are fantastic for shaking the bugs out of a Lemons car
I just heard from the team that they got it into all gears and that the exhaust is nearly totally plugged. (I'm up at Thunderhill at a SCCA regional right now) So, they are cutting off the cat and the crappy piping aft of that and installing new pipe and a Fart-can that someone had... WOO-hoo a fanboy 928! I hope its one of those shiny 5" ones...sweet.
...should dominate.
KT
It.... will not do well at Thunderhill.
But so what? Those 4.3 laps it completes will be the most hi-tech, luxurious laps in Lemons history!
Oh no... I can assure you that the honor of the most hi-tech and luxurious laps at Lemons TH will belong to another car this time... and said car will probably go about as far at the 928 before returning to the inevitable "limp mode".
Awesome! We had almost fielded a $300 1979 Porsche 928 that has been in a field for at least 5 years but decided the CIS would kill us so we went with a lincoln Mark VIII. Very fast but we blew one or both head gaskets at the end of saturday.
Great fun and good luck!
John! I am so sad that you did the 928 thing before me! I had my eye on a couple of those in recent months but have decided the Gnome is good to go for another season instead. We found a new engine that fit our budget so the Gnome is up and running. I may be in the minority but I am willing to bet your 928 will do very well at T-hill. Congrats.
I'd be stunned if it finishes the race......
Oh no... I can assure you that the honor of the most hi-tech and luxurious laps at Lemons TH will belong to another car this time... and said car will probably go about as far at the 928 before returning to the inevitable "limp mode".
"Limp Mode" = BMW 750.
Limp mode around here is when you swing the hammer to fix something and miss.. the teammate you hit goes into 'limp Mode'
I don't think the 928 has a limp mode, it does, however, have a 'leak mode'......
Limp mode around here is when you swing the hammer to fix something and miss.. the teammate you hit goes into 'limp Mode'
I don't think the 928 has a limp mode, it does, however, have a 'leak mode'......
how is that different from the 'smoke mode?'
The 24 Hours of Lemons Forums → Our Crappy Race → OK, so we bought this 928 for $250, and we're racing it