amdavid wrote: ↑Fri Sep 25, 2020 11:51 am
I'm traditional guy, like 3 pedals in my car/s. However, given the right price, I'd consider a auto to get familiar with the Pshark.
Since you are in the 5-speed camp, but not ruling out an auto, you need to know that the character of a 5-speed 928 and an auto 928 are totally different; almost as if they weren't basically the same car.
Attempt to find local 928 owners and ask if they'll let you test drive. You need to drive both a 5-speed and an auto before you make a decision.
Your $20k+10k budget puts you 'right at' the 120k-mile 90S4 auto that is quietly for sale. Most of the 'expensive stuff' has been done (by me) in the last 10 years and ~10k miles including head gaskets, fuel lines, shocks, LH ECU rebuild, etc. Torque tube was done by the previous owner. Crank end-play is 'as new' and has the 'extra' flex-plate clamp. Timing belt is 2 years old and fluids have been changed on schedule since 2008. All it needs is a full A/C service (unless you, like the current owner, likes it hot.)
The 5-speed that is quietly for sale is non-trivially out of your budget. It's a low-mileage almost-collector car (likely one-of-one in the US) but has been treated (by me again) to all of the service listed above, except the torque tube, in the last 10 years plus lots of 'restoration' in terms of re-plated cadmium and ceramic-coated parts. And the A/C works. It basically needs nothing for many more years except scheduled fluids.
Hanlon’s Razor: Never attribute to malice that which is adequately explained by stupidity.
Heinlein’s Corollary: Never underestimate the power of human stupidity.
Worf’s Razor: Never attribute to stupidity that which is adequately explained by laziness.
Worf's Corollary: Once you've mitigated risk from stupidity and laziness in your endeavors, failure is usually the result of insufficient imagination.
My 928 Inspection Guide