Today’s Nice Price or No Dice 928 is claimed by its seller to have a “laser straight body.” That’s somewhat comical, considering there’s hardly a single straight line on Porsche’s bubble-butt coupe. Let’s see how straight the seller is being about the price.
The big selling point of the 2019 Volkswagen Golf SEL Alltrack we looked at yesterday was its rare-so-we-ll-care manual transmission. At $29,800, the seller seems to be asking about an eight-grand premium for that factor, along with the car’s appreciably low miles. Sadly for them, most of you would be willing to forgo arm day and low use for a lower price. That was evident in the comments and the 89 percent No Dice vote.
Fortunately, the 1982 Porsche 928 we’re considering today has both that lower price tag and a few more miles under its belt. The seller of this Guards Red over black leather grand touring coupe claims the car to be “very sharp looking” in the ad. Aside from a few minor quibbles, the pictures bear that out.
Overall, the car has a timeless aesthetic that recalls the lardastic curves of the AMC Pacer while still standing out on its own. That shape is a teardrop caught in time and laid on its side. Accessorizing that is the face of a flatworm with pop-up headlights that, when retracted, stare balefully skyward. Behind those is an ascending fenderline that flows seamlessly into a Kardashian-esqe rear that’s perhaps even more iconic than the car’s face.
On the outside, the car’s paint and plastic endcaps look to be in excellent condition. Less of a success are the wheels and the window trim. The phone dial wheels appear in good shape, but the chrome plating with which they are afflicted is not a good look on these cars (or any, IMHO). Someone has also chosen to rub off all of the black paint from the rear window surrounds, revealing the bright metal underneath in gaudy fashion. Lastly, the nose appears to be missing the center section of its bolt-on air dam.
One other oddity is the knob under the side marker on the driver’s side fender. That’s most probably the switch lock for an aftermarket alarm. None of these aesthetic faux pas should prove a deal killer, however.
Behind the pointy prow sits Porsche’s 4.5-liter M28 V8, which, from the factory, made 219 horsepower and 245 lb-ft of torque. Age has probably diminished the herd in this car’s corral, but it still looks impressively clean in there.
Behind that V8—way behind, as this is a transaxle design—sits a Mercedes-sourced three-speed automatic, making this a cruiser rather than a bruiser. The set-it-and-forget-it gearbox is operated via a stubby T handle shifter in the center console. That, and the remainder of the cabin, looks to be in as nice of shape as the outside. On the downside, it appears that holes have been cut in the door cards for aftermarket speakers, an unfortunate choice by the perpetrator.
According to the present owner and seller, the car has 105,000 miles on the clock and suffers from no mechanical issues. Based on the undercarriage photos, it may have had a mild restoration a few years back. Everything looks freshly painted and free of drips or drops under there. The title is clean, and the asking price is $9,995.
That’s about as cheap as you are likely to find for an entry into the Porsche Club with a car in which you wouldn’t be embarrassed to turn up at one of the gatherings. Is it, however, a deal?
What do you think? Is $9,995 a fair asking for this 928 as it sits? Or would that money be better spent on something later and more modern?
You decide!
Seattle, Washington, Craigslist, or go here if the ad disappears.
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