Also, Addiction,
I don't mean to sound callous in some of my posts on the subject. I am just a realist when it comes to purchases such as a used Porsche. For the many earlier Porsches I have owned, it was only because I could do the work myself (twisted wrenches at a couple of Porsche dealers, years ago). Even then, parts were so rediculously expensive, it was, at times, difficult. Many times the DD was driven while the Porsche sat waiting for parts money to accumulate and I NEVER had a Porsche as my only car.
I waited, and listened to my old buddy still in the Porsche repair business, and sat it out until I could afford a newer car with a long term factory warranty.
But when you're older than dirt, a couple of years is a small thing :D :D

Matt,
That SUCKS. Sorry to hear that< i was wondering what the outcome was of that noise. I met you at the autocross;99 black boxster(with the painted calipers).I feel for you.

Jim

Sorry to hear about your situation. I know exactly what you are going through. I'm about your age (28) and just got my first Porsche last December. Five months later I had the slipped sleeve issue develop. I just got it back last week with a factory re-manned engine at a cost of over $12,000. The dealer helped me out a little, but nothing from PCNA. I'll never buy another Porsche again, new or used. Mine had a perfect history and was even bought from a Porsche dealer (alothough it wasn't a CPO), and it only had 61,000 miles on it. PCNA was really pleasant on the phone and opened a claim for me saying they'd get back to me within a week, then nothing. Subsequent calls just got me the run around. I never got a call back, not even a denial. What a way to do business huh? Well, best of luck resolving your situation. Hopefully you'll have better luck.

Sorry to hear the problems! I would be curious to get a readout from the computer to see if it ever had been over-revved. Call Musante Motorsports and see what they could do for you.

These Boxsters made it from all over the US (self included) to Charlotte last week. I still think they are great cars.

Chris

Jim,
Thanks for the kind words. It was nice to meet you and the other guys at the PCA event. I'll probably be back this Sunday, but in my old Jetta. I sold the car to the mechanic whose shop it's at and may take a break from cars for a little while - definitely a long break from Porsches. Good luck with yours - I hope you have a warranty! Let me know if you're interested in a set of wheels with Kumho 710 race tires - it would be nice to sell to a local and not have to deal with shipping them out. I also have a bra for sale if you don't have one already.

-Matt

Man, you guys are scaring me. Sorry to hear. I thought the slipped sleeve issue was fixed after 1998 model runs. Yours is a 2001 I assume?

Yes, mine is an 01. Slipped sleeve is what they said it most likely was, but as far as I can tell, they can really only go so far in diagnosing it without totally ripping the engine apart. They did enough tests to determine it was a problem deep within the engine that could not be repaired (or at least that they wouldn't repair) that was causing coolant to mix with the oil.

Well, I give up. I had someone at the shop get the engine number for me and it doesn't have an "X" at the end, so I guess it's not a re-manufactured motor, and confirms that the '99 is not immune to the IMS failure. If anyone can pull any additional info from the number it's M96/2065W14750

hope you were able to get some of your money back by selling the car.

Hey all - what is a roller?

I sort of understand this defintion from context but can you define it more clearly?

'99 are not immune to IMS, but it is very rare on that year. I would still be interested to know how you confirmed the cause was IMS. I don't think you ever mentioned that. But do I hope you can recover some of your money.

A roller is car with all the parts, but the engine is dead. So it's a rolling working car in every way except the engine, or other part that makes unable to be driven.

I believe the only way to confirm the failure 100% is to tear down the motor and inspect, but no one does that because it's very uncommon to rebuild these. The way that my mechanic came to the conculsion that it's IMS is:

1) The sound. It's a unique and terrible sound that I won't soon forget and
2) The car had been in for the 60k service 1200 miles before, where it got a new oil filter and Mobil 1, which both now have chrome - type metal shards in them. According the the mechanic (and I'm taking his word here) the IMS bearing is the only part inside the motor made of that type of metal, as the guides and such are brass.


Unless something else comes up in the next 24 hours or so it'll be sold for $6500 to my mechanic. The deal is arranged and just has to be executed. If anyone has an offer or better alternative, let me know.

My neighbor still talks about the sound when she recalls her 04 dying by way of the IMS.

Must sound pretty bad.

Kind of like when you try to start an engine that is running?

:)

More like a marble or nut meandering throughout your motor, bashing whatever it feels like bashing. It'll quiet down for a few seconds, maybe even a minute or two at a time, and then the destruction continues. I've been telling people that the motor ate itself and is now an $11,000 boat anchor. Now if I only had a boat....

I'm also going to take this opportunity to vent about something I've read on this board - the issue of "abuse." IMHO abuse includes over-revving, missing shifts, botching downshifts, and failure to maintain, especially failure to change the oil. Abuse does NOT include hard driving on the street or autocross course, or even some track use without over-revving the motor. The reason I and many others buy Porsches is to DRIVE them HARD . Other posts on this and other sites recommend driving at high RPMs to "clear out the carbon" and such. These things were (supposedly) designed to be tough sports cars that should be driven viciously for the entire duration of a tank of gas. (Something to that effect was presented in a 993 promotional video circa 1995). A true sports car should certainly be good from some track and autocross use and some regular street beatings. I have a 142k mile Jetta that has been beaten, abused, romped on, red-lined, and generally violated for the last 75k miles including track events, 80 or so autocrosses, and plenty of street thrashing. It takes it like a champ and asks for more. I don't think I was asking too much of the Boxster if I only wanted it to be as tough as my trusty old Jetta. Okay - I feel a little better - my rant is over - for now. :troll:

All things considered from above, would you be "understanding" if that poor jetta said POP?

Oh yeah - That poor thing has done her time. She just doesn't quit though! The difference in the cost to own VWs and Porsches is that the VW will slowly break many small parts that will nickle and dime you to death but will continue to run and can almost always be put back together for under $1000. Porsches go POP! and then you're screwed - time for a second mortgage (I'm kidding - don't take out a second mortgage). I think I'll go back to my roots.

Totally agreed, Addiction. I'm not trying to be the proverbial butthead here, it's just that when you buy an expensive, fairly high stressed car, it's not going to be beatable like the lower stressed VW and it's gonna take a big ole bite outa your wallet if it fails.
My only problem with Porsche on the Boxster (and I don't know, is it the same with 996/997?) is this stupid "no rebuild" policy. What does it accomplish? Sell parts at 5000% mark up, like you do for every other car and make the damn thing rebuildable. There's nothing that can't be replaced or remanufactured in a box motor, it's just they keep the parts supply locked up and it's too small a market for aftermarket companies to get into.
It looks to me like quite a business opportunity to make a kit to install...I'll shut up up now.

Now you're on to something, Kurt. I can honestly say that including 911s the Boxster was my favorite car to drive. The feel is superior to anything I've experienced (driving a car :rolleyes: ). I spoke with the owner of a certain shop in the West who is very interested in engineering a kit to fit a Chevy 350 in the Boxster. He wants the first one to be quite a beast, built in their shop, for someone with the money to pay for the beast. I have the car and the interest, but don't have the money to throw at it. If the kit existed at this point in time for a reasonable amount though, I'd be ordering a small block Chevy to reliably power my incredible handling roadster.

I'm talking right now to my old indy Porsche mechaninc for us to do a kit to put in something a little more along the lines of the original motor. I designed and CNC machined all the stuff to put the first Hinda engine in Formula Atlantic Swift DB4. It had to be worse than what I'm thinking about. I had to machine sections of useless crap off the sides of the engine block to not destroy the ground-effects tunnels of the chassis, and the starter operated with a twin u-jointed shaft from it's mount point on the FRONT of the engine! I no longer own the machine shop, but my ex-partner and I have remained close friends.

I wonder if the Subaru 3 lite six would fit. I think this makes about 240 HP or more stock?

This is sucks, that converted a 959 into an electric car. I'm sorry (this is kinda hijacking the thread), but thats like drawing over a picasso with glow in the dark pen saying, "hey look, this is just better!" (in a Jeremy Clarkson manner of course)

Might as well go with one of the 2.5 turbo motors. Easy hp, huge aftermarket. I bet Renegade could be of some assistance.

I just got back from signing over the title. I'm back to being a VW guy, the difference bing that I used to be a VW guy with aspirations of being a Porsche guy, and now I'm just a VW guy.
Best of luck to you all - I hope your cars treat you better than mine did. Thanks for your input.
Time for a new hobby - I'm going mountain bike shopping.

Damn. Really sorry to hear it had to end that way man. Hope your next car treats you better.

Exactly what we are talking about. 3.0 boxer 6, 2.5 turbo boxer 4 AND Subaru is now geting ready to come out with a boxer 6 DIESEL. How about that with a turbo and maybe some help from Banks????????? Can you say mega torque turbo-diesel 6 spd? Can you say Boxster R-10? :D