[gtoger]

To clarify the symptom: push the top button in either direction and you get about a half-second's worth of groaning noise and then nothing. No action in either direction. The clamshell is locked shut.

The dealer says the pushrods are shot and both transmissions are "loose" and likely need to be replaced. The independent shop said the same thing (without being informed of the dealer's diagnosis) and that the transmissions may or may not be salvageable.

The owner of the independent shop is an enthusiast and road-racer himself, and had his personal (very street, very nice) 986 at the shop.

At the end of the day, it's in his hands now and I'll trust him to treat me well. The parts are Porsche parts, so that's an "is what it is" situation. Best I can hope for is that he's not going to be brutal with the labor and sell me only the parts I really need.

Something that kind of made me wary of the dealer is they also informed me the car would need a $2500 clutch replacement because it's loose. Funny, I've been driving it all around and it doesn't seem that way to me. Maybe my frame of reference is off, but I'm not spending that for a clutch.