1991 GT Story

I had decided to replace my aging Explorer with something nice. I had my eyes on a new Acura TL for $30k. It had been redesigned for 2000, and I had checked it out thoroughly. It was a really nice car and I was ready to buy it, when I rethought the decision that I was about to make.

My Explorer was refusing to die. It was fully paid for, was in great shape and had been very cheap to operate and maintain. If I kept it as a daily driver/beater, I could get something with a bit more character in which the novelty of driving/owning wouldn't fade after the first month....and it wouldn't have to be a daily driver, or be subject to the nasty salty winters around here. I had a sense that although the Acura was a nice car, the fun-to-drive factor and the novelty of a new car would quickly fade with the Acura. Looking at what little emotion a 7 year old Acura TL stirs today, I was right.

So what could fit the fun-to-drive category and keep that standing over the years, and also be reliable enough to be a daily driver temporarily or permanently if my Explorer let me down?

The search was on.

I have always liked the look of a Ferrari 308gtb. What a timeless design. An immediate classic. Also pricey, with prohibitive repair costs and an engine not for DIY like myself. I gathered that although the fun-to-drive factor and the look of this car will never fade, it's not a candidate for a daily driver, a long trip, or a DIY owner. Also, 30k would likely not get me a documented pristine example with up to date maintenance; so for those reasons the Ferrari was out.

Another car with a timeless design. This car's design was so ahead of it's time. The lines of the early Pantera are so clean, and so Italian. What made me consider a Pantera as a possibility is that the engine is a Ford V8. Hell, you blow that engine, and you get it rebuilt and blueprinted for 1/2 of that of the Ferrari, or any other exotic. The idea of a big V8 growling right behind your head would certainly lend itself to the perpetual fun-to-drive factor. The comparitively inexpensive engine was another plus.

But the transmission....Another story. It's a one-off, unique to the Pantera, and replacements are as common as chicken's teeth, apparently. Also pricey.

The Pantera is a raw beast. The interior is all business with few creature comforts. The seats are basic vinyl, that remind me of the 240Z seats. Not a long range touring mobile by any means.

The final ruling-out factor was that I'd alway thought that the Pantera had a fiberglass body. Not the case. Steel. And early 70's Italian steel at that. In my opinion, that defines a car that has to be a garage queen, and has to live the rest of its life as a garage queen - or in Arizona or California, unless you want to see it crumble away into an expensive pile of Italian rust.

Not a candidate for what I was looking for. But to this day, I really like the early Panteras.

Since there aren't many 928s on the roads these days, I had forgotten about the 928, and what a unique car it was. I had also forgotten about that sound. I heard and saw the first 928 30 years ago when a buddy of mine drove to my house with a brand new red auto that his dad had just bought for his mom. He was incredibly tight fisted with those keys (he was 16 - I was 17) so I was never able to drive it. I remember saying to a buddy when I first checked it out, "An automatic in a Porsche. What a waste." But when this car pulled away "I didn't know those things had V8s!"

The whole intrigue of this car had been rectified after hearing that V8.

928s were out of sight, out of mind until one day I saw a white car in the left lane on I-495. It was noticeably wide and low, even from 1/2 mile away. Clearly it was an uncommon exotic, but I couldn't tell what it was from that distance. I managed to get closer to this mystery car when we approached a backup. I realized that it was an early 928S. It seemed pretty unmodified, but I really liked how aggressive this car looked - while looking refined at the same time. I decided to look into 928s.

After searching the Washington Post for 928s for sale, I came across a black '89 5 speed for $11k, negotiable. That sounded good to me and I checked it out. First of all, this car was in very average cosmetic condition, with neglected paint and some noticeable dings. The interior had some issues too, like miscellaneous wiring, a crappy head unit, worn out floor mats, etc.

I figured what the hell, $11k was a pretty good price. The doctor who was selling it hadn't gotten home yet, and asked his wife to show me the car and let me take it for a spin. I was really hooked. My first drive in a 928 was a 5 speeed that felt great.

When I got back, the seller had gotten home. He started to tell me about the car, and when we popped the hood, he started to tell me about the 'issues' that he'd had with it. He said that he had to 'rebuild the motor'. I wondered why a car with only 69k would need an engine rebuild. I also wondered why he called it a 'motor' and not an 'engine'.

I came to learn that this guy didn't know jack about cars. Because he then admitted that the mechanic hadn't rebuilt the original engine. He had kept the 'bad motor' and put in a motor from another car. Likely not a rebuild.

To make matters worse, the seller informed me that "....it wasn't the right 'motor' for the car...that it only had 6 cylinders. [His] car originally had 8."

I looked at the engine and it clearly had 8 cylinders, but I was starting to get the willies about this car and its history.

I walked without giving the guy an offer. On my way to the car, he said that he was negotiable, and that he'd take $9k....or less. I said that I'd think about it.

When I got home, I did a little research on what the correct engine for this car was. Turns out that the seller's mechanic had swapped the 'bad motor' which of course was a 32v. for a 16v. engine. I've never seen that done, but I'm so glad that I didn't let emotion take over my buying decision, and let common sense and a sixth sense dictate my walking.

The guy called me the next day and when I said that I wasn't interested, he followed up with an email totally trashing 928s, and listing all kinds of reasons that nobody should ever buy one.

This guy was stung with a problematic car, likely let the belt snap, and got taken by a crook of a mechanic. Enough to make anybody sour over the car.

I however was educated by this experience, and realized how close I was to letting emotion take over common sense. I figured that getting some unbiased, experienced advice would help me avoid a mistake.

I came across Brian Buxton's name, and high praise for his business ethics on Phil Tong's old site. At the time, Brian would serve as a buyer's broker, and would do the legwork in locating, inspecting and negotiating a deal for the right car. His commission and satisfaction guarantee seemed well worth the insurance and peace of mind. His service would remove any emotion from my buying decision, and opened up possibilities throughout the country.

I thought that I'd found all the listings in the country. I'd found most, but Brian came across one that I hadn't seen. I think that a Porsche dealer buddy of his turned him on to this car. A low mileage GT that was everything that I was looking for, and more. It was more than I wanted to spend, but Brian convinced me of the value of a GT over an S4, or a pre-'87 5 speed. It had gotten high praise from the PPI at the Porsche dealership and I had built enough failth in Brian's integrity by this point, so I opted to buy the car, sight unseen.

I decided to go with Brian's recommendation of covered transport, and his recommendation of Concours Transport.

Very reasonable, thorough, documented, and on time. No complaints whatsoever.

The day that I was to meet the driver to see my new car for the first time, I remember the anticipation.

Since my car one one of the first cars loaded, it was at the front, and on the bottom. I was wondering if a 'vintage' british car might be on top with an ample oil leak. Fortunately, a brand-spanking new convertible Mercedes was on top. What's more, was that it was Vanessa Williams' new car. So I can't think of better circumstances to be on the bottom.

After unloading the other cars in the trailer, I remember the driver pulling my car out of the carrier, and feasting my ears on that engine. I had goose bumps for sure.

Getting in the car, starting it up, listening to that wonderful V8, and getting out on the highway kept those goosebumps alive.

I've been lucky with this 928. It has been rock solid, with no haunting electrical gremlins, mysterious clunks, etc. (knock on wood). What 15+ year-old car of this caliber is so trouble free, and relatively inexpensive to keep?

If I needed or wanted to hop in this car and haul my ass across the country, I feel pretty confident that the trip would be incident-free. But that's my gut.

Anyway, regarding buying, maintaining and keeping this car forever....

No regrets.

Living in an area rich with exotics, my car doesn't stand out amongst the 'status crowd' whatsoever. That's fine with me. I like this car for what it is, not what it stands for. If this car were made by Volvo, I'd like it just as much.

I'm so partial to its looks as well....particularly after the new RAL's!

And the sound of this V8! I wouldn't change it in any way. There are few cars out there that sound as good as a 32v 928 with an RMB. One comes to mind, and that's a Carrera GT.

I respect the sound of a Ferrari, a Lambo, but it's more of a whine than a subtle roar, IMO. I'll never tire of this sound. Ever.

I'll never tire of this car. Ever.