For many people, the main issue with the Porsche 928 was that, from some angles, it looked like an AMC Pacer. Today’s custom edition addresses that by looking like a convertible Pacer. Let’s see if that’s worth whipping out the checkbook.

We are, without a doubt, on the cusp of a revolution in personal transportation. The electric car, which has been around since the dawn of the automotive age, but always at the periphery, is now moving to the main stage. This ascension has been a long time coming, and along the way, many ingenious individuals have sought other alternatives to the auto industry’s addiction to fossil fuels.

One such attempt was the conversion of existing diesel-powered cars to a system that could run on waste vegetable oils - like the stuff in the fryers at KFC. We looked at one of these yesterday, a . That Benz still looked pretty good, and probably smelled even better. And, at just a $3,500 asking, it was apparently a bargain too. That price earned the Vegi-Benz a solid 76 percent Nice Price win.

Look, I know we’ve had a slew of German cars this week, with Mercedes representing fully twice! Still, I hope you will indulge me and will not tsk at my attempt to squeeze one more in before we adjourn for the weekend. The reason I ask for this indulgence is that today’s is just such a doozy.

Porsche once considered the 928 as the 911’s successor. As we all know, that plan proved eminently fallible. Not only did the fabled 911 outlive the 928 by several generations, but the big V8 coupe also became something of a pariah amongst traditional Porsche fans for its role in the attempted overthrow.

Perhaps one element of the 928's downfall was Porsche’s decision to offer it solely as a coupe. The company had previously made the same error with the 911, designing it first in coupe-only format only to later quell the clamor of open-top fans with first the Targa and then (much) later the full cabriolet. The 928 never had a chance, offering just a coupe body across its entire 18-year model run. Today’s custom car shows what we might have been missing.

This ’81 928 sports a complete overhaul of the rear section, replacing the car’s original bulbous badonkadonk rear end with a sculpted boot lid and flat-topped fenders. The revision keeps the flexible bumper cap that makes up the 928’s baboon-styled butt and looks almost factory in its execution.

The convertible top offers a wide, albeit plastic rear window and seems to allow enough space for the Porsche’s rear seats to remain. The door glass may be custom since it doesn’t appear to follow the same shape as the original factory window.

The top wasn’t the only iconic element on this 928 to get the heave-ho either. The other is the 928’s unique upward-facing pop-up headlamps which from some angles gave the car the look of a flatworm. Those have been replaced here with a more traditional slantnose setup that looks ok but is kind of a disappointment when you know how cool the factory setup looks.

The dealer offering the car doesn’t seem to know much about its origins other than to say it was converted to convertible status in Rancho Santa Fe, California and that it sports a canvas top. The seller obviously doesn’t know that much about 928s either since the interior is described as a“checkered flag pattern” rather than the proper “Pasha.”

The ad also says that the 4.5 liter V8 under the hood has a “5-speed manual transmission on the back” although we all know the 928 is a transaxle car with a torque tube separating the two drivetrain components. Maybe I’m splitting hairs on that last point, but I’m still a bit miffed about the whole Pasha thing.

The ad is otherwise fairly thorough and does note what it describes as some “wrinkling” of the added structural elements under the uni-body frame as well as a hole in the muffler. Other than those seemingly minor issues, the car looks to be in solid shape. The paint appears to pop in the pics and the lovely factory alloys each have their Porsche crest on the center cap. The modified headlamps don’t seem to fit all that well, but perhaps that’s a problem that could be corrected with a simple adjustment.

Both the under-hood area and interior look to be in excellent condition. The engine bay is clean and shows no evidence of monkey business. The ad makes absolutely no mention of maintenance history, but with 68,000 miles on the clock, the timing belts and water pump will need to be inspected if not immediately replaced. The interior shows no sign of cracking in the dash but does exhibit the wonky glovebox fit for which 928s are known. The Pasha upholstery looks fabulous but might be an issue for anyone with a seizure disorder since it is a bit jarring.

As I noted, the 928 has long been the red-headed stepchild of the Porsche clan, and values have, for many years, reflected that. Only recently have the cars been recognized for their unique place in the Porsche pantheon and now, like all cars to wear the venerable family crest, are inching up in value. This custom convertible may not have the 928’s traditional styling elements, but it’s unique enough in its own way, and like the model line as a whole, it should be judged on its own merit. Let’s do that right now.

The car comes with a clean title and a $40,000 asking price. In the seller’s for the car that just closed yesterday, they weren’t able to get anywhere near that amount, with bidding topping out in the low teens and the reserve not even having been met. Perhaps eBay wasn’t the proper venue for the car? It’s also advertised on Hemmings and that’s the ad that we will be using for our contemplation.

What’s your take on this custom 928 and that $40,000 asking? Does that feel like a fair deal to put all that Pasha on display? Or, does all the custom work detract from the value?

You decide!

out of Morgantown, Pennsylvania, or go if the ad disappears.

H/T to RevUnlimiter for the hookup!

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