"OMG! This thing is frieaken fast!"

What is the first thing a new Shark owner says? Alex! /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smirk.gif

Well I finally took the plunge today after about four months of lurking on Porsche 928 forums & sites, I finally found an early 928 to my liking. Made an offer & the seller took it and even lowered the price a couple hundred below our agreed to price. She’s black on black 78 vintage (#630) and is virtually unmolested & bone stock. She isn’t the niceness looking specimen I’ve looked at but she's far from the worst. Some where nice but where priced way too high and/or where total basket cases for the asking price, while others where nice but in various stages of questionable of mechanical soundness.

My Shark has some flaws – paint isn’t perfect and shows her age. Swirl marks and blemishes but no rust. There are also some minor (depending on your point of view) electrical gremlins. The A/C works (cold in fact) but the slide selector takes a little playing with to get it to work correctly. Also the dash dimmer switch is none-functional and will (according to the seller) need to be replaced.

But the good news is the previous owner was a car & motorcycle nut just like me. So even with it’s minor issues I’m pretty happy as the mechanicals are in pretty good shape. The clock is showing just over 110K but the maintenance records date back to the mid-80’s & seems pretty complete. Regular checkups & servicing and had even had the commonly neglected items such as the timing belt & the clutch replaced recently.

After doing the paperwork thing the seller was kind enough to drive my shark home form me & followed me to my place and I gave him a lift home. Driving down the freeway it’s easy to see why so many folks love these things. While it isn’t that great in town she loves to stretch her legs on the open road. In fact it can be a little freighting at times when you let the horses run free.

Already had my first white knuckle moment as I was returing home cruising down the freeway effortlessly in the fast lane at about 75MPH when this gal crawls up on my backside & starts tailgating. At first I kind of ignored her figuring she obviously didn’t recognize what I was driving and/or would just go around when the lanes to the right cleared. Well she didn’t & just kept on pressing. Starting to get mad at this gal – I just smiled to myself & down shifted into third a floored it! Felt the rear-end drop down as the wheels grabbed & was thrown back into the seat like I haven’t been in ages. Before I knew it my attention “quickly” shifted from what was behind me to what was in front of me. Not to worry nobody got hurt – but dang this thing is freaking fast! /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/cool.gif

All I can say is I am happy! /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/thumbsup.gif

Everybody watch out - Bret's got a new toy!

Congratulations. I can see the smile on your face from here! /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/thumbsup.gif /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/thumbsup.gif

Mickey

Ahh.
Every Good Boy Deserves Favour....sounds like you've found your's! Good luck with it.

You'll have to keep an eye on Mark Anderson...the guy who races an old 928 in Speed World Challenge. He's kind of the odd-man-out in World Challenge, but Derick Daly keeps mentioning him on TV. Info here:

https://www.928intl.com/race/index.htm

Congrats, sounds like your gunna have alot of fun....Just don't forget about the B /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/wink.gif

/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/thumbsup.gif

Isn't that acceleration fun! You now own an example of a world class GT car. Even the early models can still more than hold their own on todays roads. Enjoy. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/thumbsup.gif

Congratulations! You are going to enjoy this car. Problem is, the 'B' will seem soooooooooooooo slow after this!

Sooooooooooooooo, you're one of those right lane hogs????????? hehehehehe...kidding - congrats! Jetz mussen Sie Deutsch learnen.

...and start collecting some 928-specific tools.

Sounds like fun, be careful, they get going far faster then our roads are designed for, or other drivers are used to seeing.

Yes, if you find any special service tools cheap, buy them, they are very expensive otherwise.

Valve adjusting is a fun task! /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/jester.gif

My calling them German Camaros is not meant to be totally disparaging: Horsepower out the butt... just better directed than GM did. When they're right a 928 is a great ride. The cost of bits and tools is the daunting part. I'd say try to find factory manuals for it, maybe one at a time. The "horses mouth" is a far better source of info than the aftermarket data. The electrical system, especially.

Hey Doc,

Yup, I knew some of that going into this. Got lots of stuff from the PO in the exchange, including a CD manual and some spare tune-up parts. I also have all the records going back years and in case I get into trouble I’ve got the name of the mechanic that knows this vehicle inside & out having worked on it for years.

One of the things I like about Sharks is that there is a surprisingly large support group & enthusiastic on-line community. Loads of new & used parts on line some pricy others not any different than those I’ve paid for other vehicles.

Granted there is an even larger support & just as passionate following for other vehicles like the Camaro/Firebird you mentioned. But while I like some of those vehicles (having owned a few) I don’t have to be too concerned about pulling up next to another Shark at a stoplight all that often.

Okay, this has not been brought up before, but it'll be interesting to see just how long it will be before Bret gets his first speeding ticket in this thing. I say six weeks! And incidentally Bret, I sincerely hope that you DON'T get one!!! /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/wink.gif

[ QUOTE ]
Okay, this has not been brought up before, but it'll be interesting to see just how long it will be before Bret gets his first speeding ticket in this thing. I say six weeks! And incidentally Bret, I sincerely hope that you DON'T get one!!! /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/wink.gif

[/ QUOTE ]

I dunno, Steve - from what I've seen on the Forum, I imagine Bret could talk his way out of it! I give him two weeks to get stopped!

Mickey

So it don't count if I can talk my way out of it? Not that it's happened but I just want to establish the ground rules for this little bet. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/wink.gif

Also.....

Funny thing about the kind of attention a Shark draws. This morning while I was driving down the road a late 90’s something or other model Toyota Station wagon was acting all weird around me. At first slowing down to get a look at me as I passed (doing the posted speed limit BTW) and then he flew by me as if he was challenging me. Well as we approached an intersection the light turned red and we pulled along side one another. Never looked my way but he kept revving his engine and lurching as if he wanted to race. But when I glanced over he kept on playing this stupid game jaw jacking with his buddy in the passenger seat.

But the time the light turned green I’d had enough – as I popped the clutch I gave it about 1/2 to 3/4 throttle. Breaking loose - I eased up on the throttle a bit for traction and squirted through the intersection like a scaled cat. I wasn’t really giving it 100% but by the time I was thinking about braking for the next intersection the guy’d barely left the intersection. But about the time the next light turned green he pulled off avoiding what was probably a bit embarrassing.

Of course an old battle horse like my 928 going up against a station wagon seemed akin to hunting humming birds with a 10gage shotgun. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/wink.gif

I sold a new one to a fellow who ordered the pedal extensions 'cause he was a bit "vertically challenged". He had it about two months before he got his first moving violation... He tried to blame it on the pedal extentions!!! Cop was a friend of mine (PA State Trooper). We had a good laugh over that. IIRC the fellow was timed at well over the "C" on the PA T'pike. oops.

/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif

Gonna need to upgrade the B next, cause it just ain't farst enuf.

hmmmm... is that Moss Supercharger kit CARB certified? /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/devilgrin.gif

I know where there are a couple more you can buy - you always need parts cars!