Buying a used Porsche 928

I have had many questions from visitors about purchasing a used 928. The intent of this page is to provide an updated repository of experience and hints in this noble endeavor.

Please see Phil Tong's advice on http://www.928s4vr.com/ on purchasing and the cost of owning a Porsche 928 (a.k.a. Shark Hunters). His is an excellent resource. I would add to that fine compendium of knowledge some things to look out for on used 928s:

Timing belt service: It bears repeating. The 32-valve Porsche heads employ an interference design such that if the belt breaks, the engine could be $everely damaged. Porsche recommends the T-belt be changed every 60K miles. Most mechanics recommend 45K intervals. As it is rather expensive (upwards of $1,500) make sure the car you are considering has had it done recently.
Faulty climate control systems: Symptoms include poor A/C performance and intense heat when the temperature selector is moved even slightly off full-cold. This can become expensive quickly.
Leaks: Vacuum lines (see faulty climate control above), coolant hoses and oil seals all leak horribly on a car that has not been driven in a while. This is particularly common on the exceedingly complex 928.
Alignment: Aligning a 928 is not a trivial matter and special consideration should be taken by one knowledgable. Most notably, poorly aligned 928s will have too much negative camber (great for road racing, bad for street driving) and completely wear out the inside treads before the outsides even begin to show wear. The problem is that the springs do not settle after the car has been lifted. It needs to be driven about ten miles to settle down again.