Does brand of IMS make a difference?

[mikefocke]

So the OP wants to create the widest possible audience and the least resistance on the part of the buyer.

The best known brand name is LN. The kit cost is in the $700 range but by the time an experienced mechanic does the job, the bill often climbs to $2k.

Will the OP recover that when he sells? Probably not. But it may sell faster and for a bit more compared to a car that didn't have the replacement.

An alternative is price the car $1k below what it would sell for with the IMS replaced. Hope someone not knowledgeable buys it at that price. If someone knowledgeable comes along and wants a PPI, have them pay for the PPI and if the PPI includes a filter drop or even a pan drop, the buyer is welcome to make his choice of IMS bearings and pay for it himself/herself. The OP will have contributed to the cost of the IMS but not had the risk of doing it and then not recovering the cost.

As a buyer, I'd rather buy that way because then I'd know that the replacement was done as a preventative measure and not after the original had contaminated all the oil passages and ground down all the other bearings.

[Nedlands]

Originally Posted by mikefocke

So the OP wants to create the widest possible audience and the least resistance on the part of the buyer.

The best known brand name is LN. The kit cost is in the $700 range but by the time an experienced mechanic does the job, the bill often climbs to $2k.

Will the OP recover that when he sells? Probably not. But it may sell faster and for a bit more compared to a car that didn't have the replacement.

An alternative is price the car $1k below what it would sell for with the IMS replaced. Hope someone not knowledgeable buys it at that price. If someone knowledgeable comes along and wants a PPI, have them pay for the PPI and if the PPI includes a filter drop or even a pan drop, the buyer is welcome to make his choice of IMS bearings and pay for it himself/herself. The OP will have contributed to the cost of the IMS but not had the risk of doing it and then not recovering the cost.

As a buyer, I'd rather buy that way because then I'd know that the replacement was done as a preventative measure and not after the original had contaminated all the oil passages and ground down all the other bearings.

The issue is buyers don't want the hassle or to have to pay. They want the job done and not have to worry. Problem is that LN have cornered the market to the point that people see anything else as inferior. Personally i have a problem paying so much for a bearing.

[10/10ths]

...if your bearing blows out in West Texas, at 2am, 150 miles from the nearest town, and food and shelter, and your wife is sitting next to you, and it's raining, and coyotes are howling, and 18-Wheelers are blowing by you, and strange, scary looking people are stopping to "help" you, how much money would you pay to NOT be in that place?


Just buy the "solution" and stop worrying.

You folks are looking at these cars all wrong. If you want cheap fun, buy a Miata.

:ah:

[10/10ths]

..."Cornered the market"? Really? A low volume car that is 20 years old? Really? WHAT FREAKING MARKET?????

You think there is enough money in THAT pool for more than a couple of companies to actually engineer, test, and market and support a freaking bearing that a lot of folks don't even THINK they need?

What color is the sky in your world?

[boxxster]

Originally Posted by 10/10ths

..."Cornered the market"? Really? A low volume car that is 20 years old? Really? WHAT FREAKING MARKET?????

You think there is enough money in THAT pool for more than a couple of companies to actually engineer, test, and market and support a freaking bearing that a lot of folks don't even THINK they need?

What color is the sky in your world?

Well they made about 340,000 986/996 units combined. Granted, that includes turbos and gt3s that don't have the IMS issue but I would imagine those cars are a small part of the total. I wouldn't say its like the market for a honda civic but I certainly wouldn't call it low volume. They made a ton of these things.

OP, here is the most cost effective bearing if that's what your after. Claimed to be good for 40K. Costs $185

Pelican Parts IMS Bearing Retrofit Kit - PelicanParts.com

[particlewave]

Originally Posted by 10/10ths

Just buy the "solution" and stop worrying.

Still refusing to read, eh?

He's not worried. He's trying to expedite the sale of his car.

[10/10ths]

......if nobody buys the darn thing, if he invests in the solution, he can drive her in peace.

[Nedlands]

Originally Posted by 10/10ths

......if nobody buys the darn thing, if he invests in the solution, he can drive her in peace.

I also have a Cayenne and a 996. I have driven the Boxster less than 1k miles a year for the past two years...... even if nobody buys it it's not goiing to get driven any more than it does.... and I am certainly not remotely worried about it failing. If it does it does.....i learned that years ago with Corrado G60s....

[Nedlands]

Originally Posted by 10/10ths

...if your bearing blows out in West Texas, at 2am, 150 miles from the nearest town, and food and shelter, and your wife is sitting next to you, and it's raining, and coyotes are howling, and 18-Wheelers are blowing by you, and strange, scary looking people are stopping to "help" you, how much money would you pay to NOT be in that place?


Just buy the "solution" and stop worrying.

You folks are looking at these cars all wrong. If you want cheap fun, buy a Miata.

:ah:

Sorry. I'll just buy "The Solution". At least then you will sleep happy! Then I will take the money froom the sale of my 3rd car and invest it in the Miata you recommend.
I asked for advice really about whether it matters if I put an LN or Vertex or whatever else kind of IMS in the car. I should have known better than to expect sensible, unbiased advice.
My point about LN cornering the market - originally the retrofit was a lifetime for and forget. Then it changed. Now it is every 75k miles. I would do the same if I had invested time and more importantly $$$$ in developing a product only to see the market size become fixed and smaller after every product sold.
In reality, the bigger issue is that hype about the IMS failure has gotten to the point that people will not take a risk on a car that doesn't have it done as they prefer to not have to take care of it themselves and will pass on a car, unless it us ridiculiusly cheap and we are talking about way more than $1k off.....