[thstone]

Welcome! I also was a BMW guy for a long time before buying my Boxster so I can relate to where you're coming from.

In regards of where to find a car other than Craigslist, take a look at AutoTrader.com, Cars.com, and of course, eBay. Also check this site and a few of the other Porsche enthusiast forums.

In regards to finding a car with the IMS bearing already replaced, the odds are somewhat low but not impossible. I wouldn't consider that a deal breaker. You can always just replace the IMS bearing yourself when the clutch needs replacement. More important is to find a good car that has been well cared for (because there are a lot more components than just the IMS bearing that can go wrong and cost substantial money on a poorly maintained car).

You'll have to decide whether repair maintenance records are a dealer breaker or not. They were not for me. Many well cared for cars do not have records for many different reasons that have nothing to do with a bad history. The trick is to be able to sort the good from the bad without any records and this is where the PPI becomes so important.

In closing, I will say that driving a Boxster is 10 times as rewarding as almost any BMW. Not to kick dirt on BMW's but a Porsche sports car really is the ultimate driving machine.