Then you've been lucky, although the IMS you said was $4000 and the suspension would run you about $2500-ish if you had to pay labour so there's $6500 right there. Like PL said - yes, cheaper to do your own labour, but first, cost of proper tools is quite high and then you have to have the time. I'd rather drive my car when I have free time, so I let an expert keep her running so she's in the shop when I'm at work and when I'm not at work she's ready to roll.

To take this back to the OPs original question - one of the best 'options' you should look for when buying a used Porsche is a really good and reliable mechanic! You may not need him, but they are awesome when you do.

That's still nowhere near $15k.

IMS Retrofit is blown out of proportion, there was a list, surprised Perfectlap has not seen it, that showed the IMSB failure rate was around 2% or lower. Keep an eye on your oil filter, do your own oil changes. I can probably find 5 stories on here that the person just had their oil changed when the IMSB failed. I think that's another reason LN came up with the screw on type oil filter adapter. You have to make sure the Porsche oil filter went on correctly.

To the OP, be your own mechanic. Fall in love with the machine and give it your attention when needed. The reward of knowing the job was done right is worth more then paying some fool to screw up your car and they do, all the time, they are not there to baby your baby, they are there to get it done and out the door as fast as possible.

For me, not so much. I prefer the look and lines of the 986. However, I do agree the 2009 engine is more robust and would like to have that!

I ordered my car new in 2001 and hand picked the options. There is not one option I wish I had gotten. The sports seats would have been nice, but they weren't available with the Comfort Package.

For me the must have options are;

S Model
PSM
Heated Seats
Sports Touring Package (Wind Stop, Sound System, Cruise Control, Alarm System, CD Radio, On-Board Computer)
Xenon Lights

If I was buying new I would look for the best optioned 986 for your taste. You can add on certain options like an '03 or '04 top, Aluminum pieces, Xenon lights and so forth. Others would be cost prohibitive like PSM.

My factory ordered options;

Comfort Package $2,090
Seats with electrical height, length and backrest adjustment, left and right; driver’s side memory function and adjustable lumbar support, left and right.

Self-Dimming Mirrors and Rain Sensor $690

Heated Front Seats Package $400

Sports Touring Package $2870
Wind Stop, Sound System, Cruise Control, Alarm System, CD Radio, On-Board Computer

Headlight Washers $225

Wheel Caps with Colored Crest $170

Porsche Stability Management $1215

Xenon Headlights $1070

Black Floor Mats $92

Porsche Crest in Headrest $210

When I was looking these were my requirements:

- 1> Glass rear window. I wanted clear, no yellow or cracking worries. This dictated that I buy a 2003 or higher. And i've since learned that dropping the top with a plastic windows requires getting out and doing a karate chop thing on the window to help it fold into place... no thanks...

- 2> S. I absolutely wanted the extra ponies. Whoever says less is more can do less with less all day long. I'll take more. I drove a 2005 base, was NOT impressed. Bought the 2003S and feel it could outrun the 05 base any day of the week...

- 3> Manual trans - simply can't take electronics and or valves figuring out when I want to change things up - and automatics just can't shift that fast (not without mods - and now with PDK, that's a different story too)

- 4> Fairly low milage. Figured with low miles it was stored a lot during winters (only matters where there's snow/salt)

- 5> The right price.

- 6> No accidents (as best as one can determine)

- 7> A successful test ride, good handling, no weird noises, smooth power, etc...


After nearly 5 years of ownership i've learned a ton and would absolutely NOT be worried about buying the car even with questionable IMS bearing history. Having a PPI is required especially if you're new to Porsche. Knowing what I know now I would absolutely require cam deviation angle inspection and can actually do this myself now after having bought into a Durametric. Is it well within +/-6 AND most importantly, not deviating all over the place as RPM rises and falls? If solid and within spec, i think it's a good bet that the IMS is in good shape.

Also since buying, other things I've found that are and or would be nice are:
- Litrnonics - i have them and have experienced the others. Lit's are much brighter, really nice.
- Sport exhaust (can be added at roughly $4K if bought new)
- Wind stop (can be added after the fact if desired - keeps the cockpit a bit quieter)
- Cruise (can be added after the fact with new stalk, some wiring and a Durametric to turn it on)
- OBC (can also be added after the fact with a new stalk, some wiring and a Durametric)
- Extra set of wheels might be nice
- Power seats would be cool for resetting to my settings after someone else drives it.

Heated seats, stereo/CD were not important to me and while it would have been nice to have cruise, OBC and some of the other things i mentioned, i could do without them and did until buying the stalk and wiring it all up.

For the most part these are really easy to work on and maintain. Keeping good eye on maintenance and listening to the cars warning signs will get you a long happy way in one of these Boxsters. And if you're technically and mechanically inclined, all the better as you'll save a bunch doing mods and maintenance. These boosters are a beautiful thing! And as someone else posted, get the newest and best example you can afford.

Good luck on your search!

Yes!

Definitely got all of these from my grandparents when I was 16.

HEATED SEATS!!!!!!

After owning several boxsters and other convertibles, esp now being stuck in a car without them...

HEATED SEATS!!!!!!

Nothing better than a drive with the top down, and heated seats on a beautiful chilly day.

Is there an option for heated steering wheel? My BMW had that, and I thought it was the most useless option...

until I used it. WOW!

...ignorance is bliss...;)
You haven't even learned that using used parts means you'll be doing it again soon.

To the OP, Checking your own oil is NOT a deterrent to the IMSB issue. If you see metal in the filter (cracked pepper corn size or larger)...it is already too late to do the IMSB swap and you face very costly decisions -- engine rebuild or straight up engine replacement. As has been stated infinite number of times by the actual experts on this forum, the time to do the IMS swap is when the only thing in the oil filter is oil. Checking the oil filter only tells you that you are procrastinating while playing the odds at the same time.

KRAM36, as I stated before the IMS failure rate has never been determined. That 2% figure you've been citing is about as useful to most as Ben & Jerry's ice cream in their oil pan.
There are polls in the 996 and Boxster forums on other Porsche websites where owners report failures in the 10-13% range. Also as useful as ice cream in the oil pan. It is impossible to nail down the % of failures because the rate is not static, nor is it tracked and the fleet is still relatively young since most never drove these cars every day. What we do know for certain is that oil starvation and contamination over time will compromise this bearing. How does a second-hand owner know if their car was managed properly against oil starvation and contamination by the previous owners? Most don't even ask.

The figures I think you are alluding to "from a list", are from the class action litigation.
This list is incomplete. It only contained the cars that Porsche NA was made aware of from their in-house mitigation and engine replacement program. It did NOT include all the cars where the owners sorted out the issue on their own (or just ate the total loss), since most of these cars were well past the warranty period. And to my knowledge, no post litigation settlement report of the number of known failures either through Porsche or independent shops was ever calculated and released to the public, which would run contrary to the idea of a confidential settlement. The failure rate, at any one point in time, is one huge guess... all for a KNOWN problem that can be easily addressed in one day your local Porsche shop.

p.s.
You've had a high mileage, out-of-warranty, German sports car requiring expensive parts, driven in cold winters and hot summers, year round, for only two years? then you're only just scratching the surface of parts that are reaching their sell by date. If you were in Souther California different story.
Porsche did not engineer the 986 as a daily driven 100K mile car for kinds of conditions you and I drive. They engineered it to be a once a week car, that saw little use during winter and would be nowhere near 100K miles during its warranty period... because that's what the typical buyer did with it. Exactly as their quality control experts predicted to cut costs to the bone since they were in a precarious financial state when they engineered this car.

Porsche crest on headrests! Mostly kidding although it was a real thrill when I first bought the car. I really missed not having the sport seat option as I was always sliding around when really pushing it.
PSM- my car didn't have it and I preferred it that way since I prefer 'analogue' cars and their honesty. It can be a useful tool as Jake pointed out.

Got the 4 Stalk installed today, you can see the mileage and tomorrow the coils go in.

http://i58.tinypic.com/23h606h.jpg


Since it took 11 years for those parts to need replacement, I don't think I'll be doing it again for a very long time, plus the money I saved, maybe you should look in the mirror about your "ignorance is bliss" comment. ;)

Heck my car is running perfectly fine with these coils in them.

http://i62.tinypic.com/kak9as.jpg

Only reason I found out their condition is because I was changing the spark plugs.

Both the 4 Stalk and coils I bought are in perfect condition. If you're still around if and when they need to be replaced again, I'll let you know. :)

Yes....

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v2...ps923ef5d4.jpg