[MikenOH]

Tim:
As the other member mentioned there is a ton of info available here on that subject.
Since you're new to the car, a few general observations:

-The condition can affect all engines--save the turbo/GT3 motors--used in all 986/987/996/997 model cars my 1997-2008.

-The reported frequency of IMS failure seems to vary by model year, depending on which bearing assy. is in the car. The early cars 1997-2000 and the 2005-2008 models reportedly have low rates of failure rates (1-2%?) while the prime years for this-- 2001-2004-- had significantly higher rates of failure (5-10%?) reportedly due to the switch to a single row bearing in those years. My own experience with a '99' and 06-- driven each about 45K miles and used extensively at auto-x and DEs--was problem free.

-Having said all that, there are members on various forums that have driven cars well over 100k with he original bearing. Frequent oil changes along with driving the car regularly--as opposed to rarely--seem to enhance longer bearing life.

-If I were in your shoes, I'd get the car to an indy that is very familiar with this motor and do a camshaft deviation check via a computer hook up. This will give you a clue as to how stable this assy is. Likewise opening up the filter and doing an oil analysis will provide additional info.

From this and other boards, it seems that a lot of people have treated pulling this bearing and doing the replacement as preventative maintenance. I think this makes sense, given the big price tag if the bearing goes.

Best of luck with what ever you decide.