Gday All,

Haven't been around here much of late but still get out on the bike a bit and have a read of whats posted on the site every now and then.

Great riding and views here and still the best bike I have ever owned.

Hope everyone is doing well and are happy.

Advising I just did something a little crazy and expensive and for some reason thought of Hub.

Couldn't get you to commit to a flat six Hub, so how about a V8?

New purchase / project!

1980 Porsche 928S Euro spec.

It has the upgraded M28/11 4.7 litre engine with 300hp rather than the 4.5 litre 245hp US models.
Hasn't run for years but stored in a secure and dry garage.
Also suspected head gasket issue.

Why did I buy an old classic that is sure to cost shit loads to restore?

1. Owned by my old boss who is moving away from Queenstown and wanted the car gone. He called me with the first option of buying it as we had discussed it many time in the past. So there is a good idea of honest history on the vehicle.
2. Amazing condition for its age, both outside and inside. These cars are 45 years old and the interiors tend to be the first thing to deteriorate with cracked leather dashes, seats and upholstery. This car has none of these issues. Most of the exterior has been resprayed so all looks pretty smart. Plus pretty much everything electrical works which is unheard of on these.
3. 80% of 928's were manufactured as automatic transmissions making the manuals very sort after. This car is a manual.
4. The vast majority of 928's came with factory sunroofs. They are small and after so many years leak like sieves. This car did not come with a sunroof from the factory.
5. Many of these cars are missing parts from the engine, interior, etc. This car is fully complete and factory original (except for the respray).
6. The price. Got it for an absolute song and will need every penny saved on purchase and much much more to get this puppy back on the road again.
7. The retro cool factor. I have always admired these 928's but never thought I'd own one. Life is funny like that. The pop up headlights are worth the price of admission alone.

So Hub, get over here, help me lift, rebuild, and re-install the engine and you'll have free accomodation here and a case of beer!

Well, at least the 911 now has a buddy.

* Last updated by: yannih on 4/10/2025 @ 2:02 AM *

Classy and Sassy! Great to hear from you yannih and grats on the new addition to the fleet!

WOW, that looks really nice, well kept, yannih. Glad you scored on the price. Only way I'd get an exotic is practically steal it.

Speaking about stealing, my buddy closed shop, gave me 5 project bikes. I've got my hands full. Trying to sell one now for cheap. Has a bend valve, parts are way too expensive as if these are collectable bikes. Going to try and get them running then sell them as is.

Bikes have no tin so what plastic race fairings and seats I have might move them. They are rolling chassis's with full engines minus carbs and engine on the 2 bikes. Old CB/CL 350 and 450, then 3 suz 750's oil cooled era's.

Thanks Rook, you are the true gentleman of the forum.

Hub, yeah, I practically stole it.
$2,500NZ.
Still going to need a ton of cash for the engine rebuild but we'll see how we go.

Nice win with the free bikes as well sir...

Hub and Rook,

You both would be very proud of me.
Compare to above complete engine pic.

Nearly at engine out stage.

Sheeze yannih you've been working haven't you! Why are you pulling the engine out? Something with more power on the list? It doesn't really matter. If you can go with bigger and better, do it but all that matters in the end is you have the car in presentable condition. IDK if my old 14 will ever run again but it will live again one way or another. Are you breathing some new life into this old Porsche? I'm all for that, you keep it going and you make it different than it was. I'm not sure there's any making it a whole lot better but if it's different, that makes it your own.

Well, I never considered pulling the engine from my 14R or doing serious work on it due to lack of knowhow and experience.

And yet here I am with a Porsche 928S engine out and on a stand ready for tear down.
Insane.
Not really sure what has possessed me.

Rook, Pulling the engine as there is coolant in cylinder #2 and was blowing vast amounts of white smoke when it last ran 16 years ago.
Therefore head gasket replace and rebuild while I'm at it.
Nothing with more power on the list.
Just breathing new life into the old girl as you say.

This car will remain 100% stock and original but if I get this done it will have a piece of me in it and I'll know everything was done properly with no corners cut like would happen if a shop did it.

Wish me luck.
I will need every bit of it!

* Last updated by: yannih on 7/6/2025 @ 9:35 PM *

Update.

From this...

To this...

dammit! That's beautiful! Thanks for sharing the pleasure of doing this. It's like brand new.

BTW, I'm now being trained at work by a guy who shares the same last name as our buddy Grn14. Dyer. I'll have to ask him if he might be related. Another note of interest, I am quite sure I know this guy from my teen years. He confirmed that he knows a number of the close friends I had at the time. I remember calling him Dyer Maker. ...you know, Led Zeppelin?

Haven't been around for a while with life getting in the way but hope all are good.

Thought I'd post that the project is done.
The 928S is now finished with all registration and roadworthy certificates sorted.
So it's legally on the road for the first time in 17 years.
It took a while with a crap load of effort and money but very satisfying over all.
The engine rebuild was especially fun for the whole family!
But I now have a rebuilt classic thats in great nick for hopefully many years to come.
She goes like a beaut though it will always be a 1980's experience.
I was told by the old school Porsche boys that the manual transmission coupled with the upgraded Euro M28/11 300hp engine would be a blast to drive.
They were not wrong. It's actually not that far off my 911 power wise.
And there is nothing like the sound of a V8 purring away.
This is one car that you just don't use the stereo.

Just as this site is a never ending source of knowledge and information from so many amazing members that helped me immensely with my 14R, so too is Rennlist for any Porsche one may be working on.

Here's a few pics of the reborn girl...

* Last updated by: yannih on 7/14/2026 @ 12:49 AM *

Beautiful... clean engine bay, interior is not worn out. Was a steal after all that was said and done.
Came back from a Laguna Seca race the other day, and kept driving past a used Porshe lot, showroom and shop heading back to the hotel. Nice old and not so current/late model 911's, convertibles, and thought about you, yannih. You'd love the place.

Never had time to stop and look, being closed by the time the day was over. Packed with cars. Maybe on consignment or owner kept buying up cars. Had no room for more. Maybe a soft market? Who knows, I never got to ask.

Have fun with your new baby. My baby sat for 20yrs and lights off like it was an FI bike.

Good to hear from you again Hub.
I hope all is going really well with you.
Yeah, I really do enjoy looking at all manner of Porsche models, especially the older ones.
I currently have a 2005 911 997 Carrera S.
But I've alway wanted a 911 997 Turbo S.
I thought Covid was my opportunity to get one due to prices coming down but they went up!
Go figure.

There was so much work done on the 928S, way too much to add here but I did take many pics of the rebuild.

You mention the engine bay.
Here's a before and after pic while the engine was out.
That in itself was a massive amount of work cleaning up 25 years of oil, grime, dirt, repainting engine bay, reconditioning engine mounts and cross member, repairing 3 x washer systems (windscreen, headlight and concentrate), changing clutch slave cylinders and clutch lines, plus tons of other stuff replaced and cleaned.
And don't even ask me what happened with the upper bellhousing and its shift ball!
Shattering but sorted with time, money and effort.

Also, here an original pic of the engine the way it originally came in the car before been rebuilt...

* Last updated by: yannih on 7/15/2026 @ 3:21 AM *

Nice work, yan! The engine didn't look terrible after forty years but you certainly got it squeaky clean and running like new, no doubt. I'm pretty sure I'll be sticking to bikes but I to am excited about looking back maybe even a bit more than going with the latest and greatest. A this point in my life, catching up on what I missed means more than the possibilities of the future.

It's very good to hear from you again. Pop in every chance you can and share your motor adventures!

LOL seeing a righthand drivers seat blows my mind! I can imagine driving in it but not on the left side of the road!

Always a pleasure to hear from you Rookster.

I hope you have healed up from when we chatted a while ago.
Also I hope you have found your way career wise.
I still reckon modelling is your game after those pics in classy outfits.

Here's one for you of me advertising my favourite beer.

Original version.

My mates AI version.

Cool cars and you stole the show in the Victoria Bitter ad campaign, too!

I hope you have healed up from when we chatted a while ago.

Oh the crash back in 2222. Yep, the scars are still visible but just barely. The ones on my right thumb knuckles will be there for life. That wore down to a tendon or at least the tendinous sheath. I have full thumb range of motion though, still feels a bit tight if I flex that knuckle all the way but at least I can do it. The fingertips grew right back like nothing ever happened.

Career-wise, that got back on track. I've been working at a company that manufactures steel buildings that house electrical controls for large complexes like factories, shopping malls, airports, etc. Some of these buildings are huge, a hundred feet. I don't know what kind of place would require that many control panels, a military base maybe. This has never been a passion of mine, I'm just an ordinary floor worker but the money is good. I started in February of 2024 and bought my 2024 ZX-14R in May of that same year. I bought a 2026 Hayabusa this summer too. There's lots of opportunities for higher positions. I've just started to think seriously about that and if it happens, I could be there many more years. I like making money! That's motivation enough for me.

I still reckon modelling is your game after those pics in classy outfits.

Rook, excellent to hear your health is good.
It was a fair old hit you took back then.

And I alway knew you'd be okay career wise.
It's just that when you are in that awful position of having nothing and not being successful for anything you apply for you can truly start to doubt yourself.
Effort = Success and I always knew you would put the effort in.

Haven't been here for a while and was looking at the dates for last posts on the opening page threads.
Seems to have quietened down a fair bit.
You and Hub should get together and approach Kawasaki to get development started on a ZX-15R!
That should liven the place up a bit again.

Finally, rather than just a bunch of text, here's a last pick of me and the rebuilt girl...

* Last updated by: yannih on 7/16/2026 @ 6:38 PM *

It's just that when you are in that awful position of having nothing and not being successful for anything you apply for you can truly start to doubt yourself.
Effort = Success and I always knew you would put the effort in.

Yep, sometimes, all the effort it takes is to strike off in another direction. This was the easiest job to be hired to I've ever had. SO far, very low drama and very low stress. If you can get up at 4 am and get yourself into work by 6, the day is a breeze.

Haven't been here for a while and was looking at the dates for last posts on the opening page threads.
Seems to have quietened down a fair bit.

It's been quiet for years. Traffic picked up a bit when summer started for those of us in the northern hemisphere but it's sure not like the old days.

You and Hub should get together and approach Kawasaki to get development started on a ZX-15R!
That should liven the place up a bit again.

If we don't, Hub and I might be the only two left! We'd drive each other crazy(er).

You look great with the car, yannih. Bring it out in the daylight and get some shots. You might just become the spokesmodel for Porsche!

wasn't going to post yet another one of these but what the heck, it's just us guys here right? ...and we're on a roll. Me and three classmates at our 40th high school reunion. Man, our class of 85 had some babes!

* Last updated by: Rook on 7/17/2026 @ 7:53 PM *

No way!
Rook, I retract my offer to Hub and yourself to come here.
Please pass onto those two girls instead!

And I don't like to be one up'ed Rook so here's pic's from girls at work...

And I better put one up with the wife incase she see's this...

* Last updated by: yannih on 7/17/2026 @ 9:10 PM *

You're all gorgeous. You got me beat, yan.. Please come by and visit every chance you get. Share some car/boat/bike pics and maybe a few glamour shots.