New purchase and a PPI
 

No I am not going to sell my baby, but I have been thinking about this for some time. As far as the dreaded IMS issue with our engines how can a PPI really do any good ?

I mean to really tell you would either need paperwork from a reputable shop or tear the existing one out and then you might as well install a new one........along with a clutch etc.....etc...

I too think the IMS is way overblown but this has been on my mind for a while now.

PS the wife and I were watching American Dad last night where Stan bought a sailboat and then realized the upkeep. An old sailor docked next to him said owning a sailboat was like standing in a cold shower while tearing up hundred dollar bills......we had to laugh because sometimes owning a Porsche is much the same......instead you stand in front of a shop fan and tear up hundred dollar bills......but I have loved every minute of it and have no plans on changing.

Dwight

A PPI is intended to provide the buyer with an independent evaluation of the general condition of the car. Many specifics can't be evaluated without invasive procedures which sellers wouldn't allow. Thus, a PPI is, by definition, imperfect but its much better than knowing nothing.

As you note, the condition of the IMSB falls into this category. The only way to know what is really going on is to tear it down and check. Alternatively, the seller needs to provide paperwork proving the replacement. Otherwise, there isn't any way to know the condition for sure.

In regards to cost of ownership, nothing has changed in the 30 years that I have owned old sports cars. Its always been like this... :)

http://i1114.photobucket.com/albums/...psfipxqrtw.gif

I think a good PPI can catch a lot of potential issues, and obvious problems most people would never notice. It won't do much good with regards to catching IMS failure, but if someone claims the car they are selling has an upgraded IMS a PPI can identify certain types of upgrades. Service documents in my opinion are as important as a good PPI. If you know what to look for you can learn a lot about a car. The flaw with just documents is that something could be missing, like the repair bill from a fender bender.

I just bought a (small) sailboat, can confirm, tearing up hundred dollar bills. :cheers:

A PPI that includes a check with an enhanced scan tool or specialized scan tool (durametric/PIWIS etc) to check live camshaft deviation can tell you if the IMS is good or bad.

A PPI will also tell you the overall mechanical shape of the car, which is as important as the IMS!

You can also call all the shop where the car have been and ask them if they did perform an upgrade on the particular car you're looking at!

A friend in France has traced his Boxster all the way back to jacksonville Brumos Prosche and ask them directly about it :)

As a shop that provides PPI service, I can tell you from experience that it quite often matters. While it cannot verify if an IMS retrofit has been done, or more importantly what kit was used, it can find many other short comings or blatant attempts to slide something by the prospective buyer. Usually, these issues become either bargaining chips in the process, or complete deal breakers in many cases.

As far as the IMS goes, if the owner claims to have had it done, he should have records that can easily be verified. To quote an often used legal rule of thumb, "What isn't in writing, isn't."

My bad to early too post