Ims replacement life

[DWBOX2000]

Thanks guys. All very helpful. I am having mine done next week. Wish me luck. I am paying someone else.

I think the conclusion is the 6 year is more a random warranty number than anything else. 75k will take me 20 years. Good stuff.

[Tcar]

Originally Posted by DWBOX2000

Thanks guys. All very helpful. I am having mine done next week. Wish me luck. I am paying someone else.

That's a good move.

Make sure you get the paperwork, warranty and the serial number of the bearing. (Check this before it is done. Also make sure you're not their first bearing.)
There is a 'sticker' with the LN serial number on it that can be placed on the driver's door jamb next to the VIN/Date sticker.

Will automatically add $2k + to the market value of your car.


I almost bought an '01 S from a guy that did his own IMS in his garage. Was a very, very nice car and the price reflected having the LN bearing.
But, he had no paperwork or even pictures of the process. Plus it was the only one he'd ever done.
So, I passed, as the only way I could be sure would be to pull the trans.
Nope.

[JayG]

Originally Posted by Tcar

That's a good move.

Will automatically add $2k + to the market value of your car.

you have any empirical data to back that up?

[Smallblock454]

Originally Posted by Tcar

Will automatically add $2k + to the market value of your car.

Very interesting. Well the kit i posted above is around 600 euros without installation tool kit and 800 euros (approx 900 usd) including installation tools. Pretty shure i get a rebate if i buy 10.

So, i should buy some 986 cars and do some ISMB changes. Could be a nice profit.

Or does maybe the new clutch, clutchplate, 2-mass flywheel and the IMSB update generate the 2.000 USD? Than this would be not that profitable.

Regards, Markus

[DWBOX2000]

I am doing for peace of mind. I didn't know about the serial # sticker. Thanks.

[thstone]

Originally Posted by Tcar

Will automatically add $2k + to the market value of your car.

Hmmm. From what I can discern, prices for 986's are nearly identical for cars with or without an IMS fix. Mileage, documented service history, and condition are the key factors that influence price and overwhelm whatever small contribution that an IMS fix might have on pricing.

And with over 200,000 Boxster's built and only 10,000 retrofit kits sold, there is still only about a 5% chance that a car has been updated - 95% still have the original IMS bearing.

[boxxster]

I have to say, with all the time I've spent on various car forums I've never seen a topic as contentious as the debate on what IMS bearing is best. I was doing a bit of research on what kit I should buy when I get around to doing the IMS and 95% of the information I came across was either uneducated opinion, conjecture, or just straight up bs. It was like wading through a steaming pile of crap to find that one piece of what I thought was reliable information. Interestingly enough, I went to a PCA approved shop in my area that has done many of these retrofits to see what the owner thought. I was ready to tell him to retrofit my car right then and there but instead he told me to change my oil frequently (5000km max) in the meantime and just do the IMS when it came time to do my clutch. He told me he's had several single row boxsters that have done over 200000km with no issues. The general impression I got from him was that the whole issue is overblown.

[JFP in PA]

Originally Posted by thstone

Hmmm. From what I can discern, prices for 986's are nearly identical for cars with or without an IMS fix. Mileage, documented service history, and condition are the key factors that influence price and overwhelm whatever small contribution that an IMS fix might have on pricing.

And with over 200,000 Boxster's built and only 10,000 retrofit kits sold, there is still only about a 5% chance that a car has been updated - 95% still have the original IMS bearing.

The actual number of LN retrofits (all types) is closer to 20,000.

[JFP in PA]

Originally Posted by thstone

Hmmm. From what I can discern, prices for 986's are nearly identical for cars with or without an IMS fix. Mileage, documented service history, and condition are the key factors that influence price and overwhelm whatever small contribution that an IMS fix might have on pricing.

And with over 200,000 Boxster's built and only 10,000 retrofit kits sold, there is still only about a 5% chance that a car has been updated - 95% still have the original IMS bearing.

The actual number of LN retrofits (all types) is closer to 20,000.

In the same sense that a car with a low mileage clutch and new tires may fetch more than an exactly similar car with a 80K clutch and nearly dead tires, buyers that recognize the cost to do a retrofit also recognize its value in a car already done. That said, there needs to be supporting documentation from the shop that did it, or you need to be able to see the oil line of the IMS Solution with the car on a lift before it hits home.

[Tcar]

Originally Posted by DWBOX2000

Thanks guys. All very helpful. I am having mine done next week. Wish me luck. I am paying someone else.

I think the conclusion is the 6 year is more a random warranty number than anything else. 75k will take me 20 years. Good stuff.

Make sure they give you the warranty sheet.
That the work order has the serial number of the bearing on it.

And that you get the driver's door jamb serial number sticker - most people put it by the VIN sticker.