[barkinfool]

Feel your pain! I lived in Singapore a couple of years and the company car hand me down was a Saab that had once caught on fire -- it was never right. Wondered what type of company would select to buy a car from the polar region to be deployed on the equator.... The cost of auto there is just appalling no matter what you drive....

I agree with the others that your mechanic needs to be changed out. I also think IMS is the least of issues you should worry about. Try to find out if there is an independent mechanic who is well-respected. Given the island is small, I would think that finding a reputable Porsche mechanic is not too difficult. Is there a Porsche club there? I also have done more car repair jobs on the 986 than any other car I've owned, and I am no mechanic. Given the mass transit you have there, it shouldn't be too big of a problem should you not finish something over the weekend. It is actually pretty fun to work on the car & this forum is tremendous to help support you if you get a little confused. You should buy Wayne Dempsey's 101 projects book -- you can get a sense of it by going to Pelican Parts and looking at their technical projects. But to start, I do think that you need to get some pro help to get it to a decent starting point before doing stuff yourself. Hope this is helpful.