Quote:
Originally Posted by gsy4771
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4. I'm pretty sure we have ruled out a 1999 but what does it mean that the blocks were porous? There is a 1999 w/ 67k miles that looks very appealing but I do not understand the block issue. I also know this has the 2.5 engine, I think we would be ok because we are thinking this is a 'gateway' car, planning to upgrade after a few years. ...
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I've had four '99s that I drove fairly frequently. Two that I sold are at about 180k miles and 150k miles, still fine with the original engine and IMSB. The two that I have are about 140k (replaced IMSB and RMS about 130k miles) and 86k miles (original IMSB, but will change with next clutch). The one with 140k miles had the suspension fully refreshed at about 125k miles. My daughter uses it now as a reliable, fun daily driver. I think that the porous block and slipped sleeve issues were mostly in the '97s and early '98s and those failures should have run their course by now.
The 2000 S I bought had a failed engine with intermix prior to my purchase, probably a cracked head. Cracked heads on the early 3.2Ls concern me more than any issues with the '97 - '99 engines.
The 2001 2.7L I have had a failed engine from a broken rod bolt prior to my purchase. It's strong and reliable on another '01 engine now. I replaced the IMS bearing when I did the engine swap. Removed a good, but grease-less dual row bearing and used the PelicanParts kit (single row). There's no way to know what you have without removing the transmission.
My 2004 S is still a bit of a recovery project from being in a flood, but runs and drives great. I can easily tell the difference in power and acceleration from higher speeds when compared to my '99s, but is it
more fun to drive? Not really. They are all great cars.
If you are going to always worry about an IMS problem, get a car that has the "LN IMS Solution", or have it installed after purchase.