Should I be nervous buying 2001 Base with just 31K miles?

[southernstar]

If the 2000 was an early production one with the dual row IMS bearing, there is a huge advantage: figures released by Porsche in the course of the class-action suit indicate that the failure rate for the dual row bearings was substantially less than 1%, while the single row bearing was 8 - 10%! While it is possible that the 2001 has a dual row bearing, one cannot be confident without removing the bearing (and the transmission and clutch). If the engine serial number of the 2000 is prior to M651 12851, when the single row bearing was first introduced, it has the dual row bearing.

Otherwise, the only differences between the 2000 and 2001 base models was:
1. interior lining on the top.
2. a three, rather than four spoke steering wheel.
3. In 2001 the HVAC controls were moved to an inconvenient location behind the shifter (where there had previously been a storage compartment) in order to allow the installation of virtually useless cupholders ( useful for only small cups, have a very low lip, and allow spilled liquids to drip/run down over the stereo and electronic HVAC controls)!
4, Inexplicably, in 2001 the digital speedometer was made smaller and moved from the bottom of the tachometer (allowing the driver to see both RPM's and speed at one glance) to the bottom of the analogue speedometer.
5. The mechanical frunk (front trunk release) was replaced with an electric one, creating problems getting at a dead battery.

Really, with confirmation of the vastly superior reliability of the dual row bearings over the later single row, one could argue that the early 2000 base 2.7 and 3.2 S are best of the 986 Boxsters? Why? They still have the double row bearings, but get the larger engines with more horsepower and torque (and much more flexibility), better gear ratios, longer rear arms for less bump-steer, improved ergonomics (lighted vanity mirrors, rear parcel shelf with sliding doors, rear seat map pockets, aluminum/leather shift knobs, aluminum door handles etc.), while maintaining the low weight of the original. While the later 2003 did get a glass rear window and a glove box, the weight was up - and in the case of the top, the weight of the window and the additioinal top bow put the increased weight up high, where it is decidedly unwanted.

Anyway, I would check the serial number of the 2000 and if it was manufactured prior to the introduction of the single row bearing, consider that a massive plus.

Brad