[southernstar]

Skootnasty, I was hoping that the hysteria concerning the failure rate of IMS bearings could finally die down now that we have some numbers from Porsche. We now know that all engines are not ticking time bombs and that only a small proportion of the bearings will fail.

In the case of the dual-row bearing, a failure rate of "much less that 1%" puts the lie to your comment that 'any original dual-row bearing is failing'. It is unhelpful as it grossly overstates the case.

I agree that (and in a previous thread commented that) the value of the 986 Boxster as a collectible will never reach the levels of their more rare 356 and 911cousins. Lets face it, the laws of supply and demand will always determine price.

However, while the supply of 986's is quite large, the supply of good ones is now diminishing. This is partly due to age and mileage. It is also partly due to the high cost of maintenance which means that many who have purchased at the recent bargain-basement prices will be unwilling/unable to maintain them. In the medium and long-term, that will tend to drive up the price of good examples.

The orignal 986 Boxster was for many a seminal moment in automotive history. It was a wonderful mix of vintage styling cues with completely state of the art engineering. Much like the 1965-1966 Mustang, it spoke to a generation of people. As a result, and also like the original Mustang, I suspect that demand will continue to be high and that eventually it will become a sought-after collectible At that point, the fact that it was sold in large numbers will actually become an advantage for people of relatively modest means: there will be a large supply of used parts and there will be a greater likelihood of companies producing reproduction parts.

In the short-term, I disagree with those who suggest that the IMS bearing failure hysteria has not effected the price. Many prospective purchasers check out reliability/problem areas of a used car prior to purchase and in the case of the Boxster, what will they find? How many prospective purchasers, faced with the risk of total engine failure and uncertainty about the number of cars so afflicted, will look elsewhere to spend their hard-earned dollars? Uncertainty fueled by comments by owners like Skootnasty who suggest that ALL DUAL ROW BEARINGS ARE FAILING.

Does a new clutch/upgraded IMS bearing improve the value of the car? For any reasonably knowledgeable prospective purchaser - especially of a single-row bearing car, it will. Indeed, for many it will make the difference between buying a used Boxster, or not buying one. The supply of cars with an upgraded IMS is much lower than the overall supply, and the demand will be higher (as it will include all persons interested in buying one, as well as ones who would buy one only with an upgraded IMS bearing).

In any event, I believe that the resale value of the 986 Boxster can only be helped by the elimination of the uncertainly (and yes, hysteria) that originally accompanied such discussions. And that is good for all of us!

Cheers!