Question on Factory Options 88 S4

Please keep in mind when reading this I remain at the low end of the 928 learning curve but making progress.

This is a Black/Black 88 S4 With 16" Chrome Slotted wheels?

1. Were chrome wheels with matching center caps an option in 88 or is it possible that they were sent off and Chromed?

2. In 88 was a person still able to factory order a car to spec? "Reason" These wheels and the fact that my car is also a rear A/C delete.

3. Is there any way to determine the number of cars that were produced in 88 without rear A/C. And is there some advantage to not having rear air?

I am sure one our 928 Purists may be able to help with these Newbie Questions.

Thank You in Advance."As always the OC has been great to me"

Robert

Hi Robert. From my limited point of view, with fewer cars with Rear AC than without, I would suggest that the Rear AC was an add on option rather than something standard to "delete."

You might look in the option list for your car and see if it says Rear AC Delete or something like that. I doubt it.

Robert,

You can get a "birth certificate" for your car from PCNA by sending them something like $100 and a copy of your title. They will tell you what all your car had on it when shipped.

I differ in opinion from Jerry and personally believe from S4 forward more US cars were shipped WITH the rear A/C "Option" than with out it. If your front A/C is working properly and your car does not sit out in the southern heat of summer you really don't even need the rear A/C. If on the other hand your all black car heat soaks outside all day long having two full functional A/C units is a good thing. The problem is it is TWICE the problems too! Twice the seals, twice the evaporators and twice the possibility of leaks! YUCK!

Chrome wheels were done by dealers, but NOT by Porsche Cars AG! Lots of mid '80's slotted dish wheels were chromed! Weakens the wheel and the chrome is difficult to keep from corroding which is why PCAG didn't offer it. Dealers thought it looked cool and charged much for it I suspect.

Yes, you could custom order your 928 ANY WAY YOU WANTED IT in virtually any year it was built...especially starting in the mid '80's.

The "basic" US cars by the late '80's were pretty well optioned up with sun roof and rear A/C which is why you hardly ever see one without a sunroof and only slightly more often see them without rear A/C. YMMV!

Virtually every car sold (not just the 928) is custom ordered. BUT - most of them are ordered for floor stock by the dealer, not by the eventual purchaser. Not too many purchasers are interesting in waiting for their specific car to be built, so most cars (of all types, not just the 928) are built with the options that the dealer thinks will sell best.

Bottom line - Porsche would be happy to build your 928 to your specs, if you were willing to pay the cost and wait for delivery.

There would be some limits - nothing that screwed with the emissions certification or safety certification, nothing that Porsche felt would be unsafe or would reflect poorly on the marque. Porsche probably would not have chromed the wheels, as they considered it unsafe...

Well, James certainly has a better basis to suggest that the 928s were offered with rear AC as standard which must be deleted because his sample of 11 with more having rear AC certainly trumps my measly 7 which are fewer with Rear AC.

However, a broader investigation of the background, including the link on the 928 International web site to option codes, and the same search of option codes on the 928 Registry reveals that although there are several options starting with the word "without" there is none relating to the rear AC. The only option code relating the that is 570 which says "Air conditioning with improved efficiency (rear A/C). I think that means that if you want it you mush order it, as I think Wally is suggesting in his post.

Oddly, as an aside, the one option we have all seen a lot about, being the side rub strip delete, is not listed either as an option to be included or the be deleted.

I guess what that says is that although most of the cars may have the rear AC, it was not standard. Then, however, 18 cars is not a very big sample either, so who knows just how many 88 S4s have rear AC. Whatever the answer, the ones without were clearly not deleted.

Each time I post a question to the Masters of the OC I learn 10 times more than the last!!! I will be sending off for that Certificate available through the PCA. I have seen that add in Panorama I guess it's the only way I will really know.. I am not surprised to here about these wheels being a dealer added option, no doubt costing a small fortune. The rear A/C question was more for personal info than for anything else. Here in Tn it does have a tendency to get quite warm in the summer however, I am more the type to drive with the window down and air on pretending it's a cool breeze. I bought the car in early August and could not drive it do to many issues so we will see next year.. The wheels question was kinda posted because I am wanting to sell them and I wanted to know if they were a factory deal or just as I know know a dealer add. I have no room for any extra P Car wheels.

Thanks Again to the OC

Robert
88 S4 75K
76 930 38K
78 Targa 17K
E55 DD