Franko History Lesson

Franko

Meet Franko, a model year 1986.5 Porsche 928s with a 5 liter V8 and a 5 speed manual transmission. Yes, you read that first part right; model year 1986 and a half. This is what is known as an "S3" model, essentially the 1985 US spec car upgraded with brakes and some other small tidbits from the upcoming 1987 "S4" model. 1986 model years cars with VIN numbers above 1001 have these upgrades, even though that's two thirds of the production run for that year, they're still sort of desirable. To someone.

Franko, a rare manual transmission model finished in gleaming indischrot paint over a black full-leather interior, was first sold in the US state of New Jersey and spent the next five years parading around the East Coast trying to replace the Porsche 911. We have no idea on the condition of the car once sold in late 1991, but we do know that the mileage was under twenty thousand at the time of sale, a decently low amount. Franko was moved to the south of France through the port of Marseille somewhere late in 1991, where he stopped trying to replace the ageing 911 as the 964 generation 911 is, essentially, irreplaceable.

Eighteen years go by, and Franko isn't doing so great. He hasn't seen a porsche mechanic in over a decade, and the lack of enthusiasm and upkeep was showing. He gleamed a little less bright and most definitely didn't have all 8 of his cylinders running. We bought the car and brought him -again through Marseille- to Miami, again in the US. Six years of repair and maintenance go by, and Franko ends up with a whole new 32 valve motor, a new fuse panel, fully reworked electrics, and about a thousand and one other items, and ends up covered in a new coat of that absolutely sublime indischrot paint. 1980's generation 911s beware!

In June of 2015, Franko crossed the Atlantic for the fourth time (if you count transit from the production facility in Stuttgart to the dealership in New Jersey) and made his way through the Port of Rotterdam, in The Netherlands. Here he would find his way to new suspension components and full engine rework, along some slick new wheels and wider rubber in preparation for his stringent road inspection.

He passes inspection, and the crowds rejoice in glorious and uninterrupted cheering.

Franko is by far and away the most fun car we've owned, and while various Porsche 911s made their way into our fantasy garages over time, he will always be our work-in-progress and to us, at least, he is irreplaceable!

Home from Classic Porsche Centrum Amsterdam 

 And with NEW shoes!


So we drove to inspection and took some cool shots during the tests...

 Fat rubber...

Getting some fresh air because, we passed! Stopped on the way home after passing inspection to take a few victory portraits :)

Now we get to enjoy our car, completely, in Europe. Soon we will have more victory portraits of Franko taken all around Europe that will be posted here for you all to enjoy. Till then, ttyl