Long wait is over ...
 

I have been searching for my "S" for a long time and it all came together last week.


2001 S - Seal Grey with Graphite Grey interior and Black top. Nicely optioned with Design package, Sport Package, PSM, Litronic headlights, Heated Seats, Headlight washers ... and my favourite ... XRL 18"( 911 GT3) wheels!! 86,000 km (53,000 miles)

Full service records and books, original sticker of $86,182 plus luxury taxes at 12-17% would make it close to, or over $100,000 Canadian. I would have not wanted to be on the other side of the depreciation curve! :)

It breezed through the Porsche Dealer PPI ... needing a rad cap :) and front tires next year and slight weeping at plug seals. The GM at the Porsche dealer said we will buy it if you decide not too! ;)

I ran the Vancouver Audi Club for over 5 years but have always wanted a 911 all my life ... until I drove a 986!!

Looking forward to contributing and making new friends!

Cheers,

Brianhttp://986forum.com/forums/uploads01...1379211936.jpg

Congrats and welcome to the forum! NICE Boxster! Looks like you found a gem, is it a manual or Tiptronic transmission?

Great looking 986! Those wheels look great!!!

Thanks - it is a 6sp. It had to be a 6sp for me!!

The wheels were a 2001 option for the Boxster S. I recently discovered they came standard issue on the GT3. I have not seen any others in my search with that wheel.

They are a two piece wheel ... i will get two refinished as the previous owner scraped the lips.

Welcome to the club.
You have found an awesome looking example with nice options.

I see your first project.
Hint: Its orange :D

Congrats! Previously a VAG man myself. Have you considered doing the IMS upgrade?

Wow! Beautiful!

I think from here on out your response should be Do The IMS Upgrade!!!

Congratulations Brian on a great purchase. It looks like it is in great condition. Haz is right in suggesting IMS upgrade. The first thing I did on my 2001 Box base was have the IMS Guardian installed.

In my opinion one of the best colors out there.

They're 18 inch Sport Design wheels. My boxster came through with them also.

Beautiful car Brian and welcome to the group. You will find it amusing and sometimes frustrating here but J. Dangers posts will keep you smiling when you are not driving you new find. Advantage!

AKL


QUOTE=FLAT64EVER;363268]I have been searching for my "S" for a long time and it all came together last week.


2001 S - Seal Grey with Graphite Grey interior and Black top. Nicely optioned with Design package, Sport Package, PSM, Litronic headlights, Heated Seats, Headlight washers ... and my favourite ... XRL 18"( 911 GT3) wheels!! 86,000 km (53,000 miles)

Full service records and books, original sticker of $86,182 plus luxury taxes at 12-17% would make it close to, or over $100,000 Canadian. I would have not wanted to be on the other side of the depreciation curve! :)

It breezed through the Porsche Dealer PPI ... needing a rad cap :) and front tires next year and slight weeping at plug seals. The GM at the Porsche dealer said we will buy it if you decide not too! ;)

I ran the Vancouver Audi Club for over 5 years but have always wanted a 911 all my life ... until I drove a 986!!

Looking forward to contributing and making new friends!

Cheers,

Brianhttp://986forum.com/forums/uploads01...1379211936.jpg[/QUOTE]

Welcome and great looking car. I have the same wheels on my 911 - they were optional on the 996's. The look great but are a PITA to clean!

thanks everyone for your replies!

throughout my search to purchase, I was so concerned about IMS failure... none of the S's I saw had the update done, mine included.

Every tech I spoke with told me the same thing ... that they had not experienced a car with failure outside of the first few years of ownership.

I had all fluids replaced at an incredible indie Porsche shop i found and they told me the same thing. No need to replace?

I am sure I will stir up a hornets nest with that statement ... not what I am trying to do with my first post! :)

but i have heard the same from several indie shops on both side of the border. so i am undecided if I will replace in a 12+ year old engine. Didn't someone post on your engine number and percentage of failure rate?

flame suit on...

oh and ya ... PITA to clean those Sport Design Wheels!

Congrats on a very nice Boxster! Love your option list, patience pays off! I would swap those amber side markers for clear though. Simple and cheap. As far as the IMS goes, I plan to do mine soon along with the clutch. I have around 71K miles and the clutch feels good, but I figure it won't be a total waste to do it. In the mean time, I got the magnetic drain plug and just had an oil analysis which gave me a clean bill of health as far as any metal in the oil. Oh, and I keep the revs up:D I bought my 2001S after months of searching and figured the price of the IMS change into what I was willing to pay. Everyone has to come to terms with their choice when it comes to the IMS:cheers:

Hey Brian, congrats on the new (to you) 'S'...you're going to love it, welcome!

Tons of very experienced folks here, always willing to share their opinions and help.

VERY good looking Box in poss the best color IMO and knocked out wheels.Congrats!

Its not so much the age of the car but the mileage that matters. Most cars well over the 60K mile mark are less likely to have the failure. The big thing for me in swapping out the IMS bearing is the simple thought that it is not worth the risk. I replaced my IMS in the first week of ownership. If the engine blows on you the cost of motor replacement may be more expensive then the cost of the car (depending on which route you take). My overall thought is that the couple of grand it cost is well worth the piece of mind. Although the failure rate is low, it just isn't worth it to roll the dice.

EDIT: Great looking car.

Great looking car, love the color! Grey was my top choice until I stumbled into the wonderful world of Speed Yellow (it was in my price range). :)

That is their opinion, that does not mean the they are documented facts. I don´t mean to poop on your parade, I am sure the car is in great condition, but there is never ever any sign or warning before IMS decides to fail and the grenade is dropped. Then your are looking at a complete rebuild / replacement engine and with the latter option you do not know the state of that IMS bearing.
At least do an oil change, at least check your oil filter for metal particles asap and at least get a quote for an IMS upgrade. Then decide if you want to roll the dice or not. Mileage does not matter when it comes to IMS failure. I´ve heard of failures at almost 200.000 km and at 27.000 km. Good luck with your car, and again - congrats with your Porsche purchase :cheers:

Thanks Haz -

I was prepared to do the upgrade with any S i bought but have been surprised how many shops are advising against it.

All have said to do it if you are doing the clutch and want to for peace of mind then have it done. But when techs and shop owners who stand to make $$ on every one they replace are saying no need to do it...

One reputable Porsche shop Master tech in Washington State said " we do not believe in stressing an engine with a IMS bearing replacement for fear of what might happen.
only week one with the car and lots to contemplate. :)

Thanks again to all ...

Congratulations, nice lookin' machine. In fact---figuratively speaking---you bought my car (though you've got PSM, I don't)...

http://i1334.photobucket.com/albums/...psa9eb3a0c.jpg

This was not too long after I bought it in 2006. Had significantly fewer miles than yours back then, now have significantly more. Had a few things to deal with the first couple of years: alternator, one wheel bearing, water pump...nothing huge, took care of all of them myself. Still have the original clutch; when I have to replace it, I MAY do the IMSB---really have not decided yet. Anyway, following the initial projects mentioned above, it's been smooth sailing ever since. Have loved it, am to this day excited when I open the garage door and see her sittin' there! (And even more so when we go for a spin!) :D

BTW, with the seal grey, I don't think the amber side markers look bad at all. I decided to leave mine, never looked back.

I don't know much about the 986 yet or engine internals in general, but I don't understand this statement at all. Hopefully someone with more experience will address this comment

After a week of ownership, I ordered then hours later canceled the IMS Guardian. Instead I I decided to spend the extra money to have the bearing replaced. Peace of mind is worth a lot to me at this point in life.

Congratulations. It does look really nice. Ilike the color quite a bit. Hope it gives you many years of service without any issue.

As regards the IMSB, well my 99 has a double row bearing, so I don't worry about it. If it does fail, it is just an opportunity to find a 3.2 911 engine to pop in as a replacement. :) In the mean time, I just plan to replace teh IMSB during my next clutch change and every clutch change after that as a preventative measure.

That statement goes against every but of information and experience I have on the IMSB to this day. All I can imagine is that they might not have gotten many jobs in with the issue, but that does not change the fact that IMS failures are happening on a daily basis now.

Might it be that they don't actually don't perform this job? Not every Porsche Center do this and the IMS bearing is not something Porsche offers as a "loose part" for you to buy, as it is a smaller part of something bigger.
That is why LN Engeneering created it as a loose product.

I strongly recommend the upgrade. At least get a quote for the upgrade. Please.

I will never grow tired of the sound of this flat 6!!:)

agreed speed yellow was the only option and color choice for me go rare or go home one of the rarest and loudest Porsche colors in country lol :) proud owner at 24

i loved those wheels growing up they were my favorite at the time, mine came with the 18" carrera sport classic 2's the BBS 2 piece rims thin multi spoked



http://farm6.staticflickr.com/5542/10373491445_58107fcc23_o.jpg

very nice!!