97-02 base tiptronics need better cooling
 

Sorry to add another thing to the list of things to worry about with these boxsters. This is my opinion by what I see from the salvage side of the business. 1997-02 tiptronic base boxsters came with the small coolant tubes and no third radiator. 2003 and 2004 came with the same larger diameter that the S and 996 use. I can't keep 97-02 used transmissions on the shelves. Even crappy high mileage non-tested transmissions sell quickly. But on the flip side, I rarely have anyone asking for 2000-04 S and 03/04 base tiptronics. The S has the third radiator and that helps. I think the real difference is in the larger coolant tubes though as the 03/04 base and 99-04 996 manual does not come with a third radiator.

Another thing I see from the salvage side. Three chain motors have been dropping like flies since the beginning of the year. I could have sold ten of them if I had them. I'm not sure why they are failing but they're dying a horrible death from what I've seen. If your 3.2 dies, be prepared to spend a lot as those are hard to come by

What vintages and displacement are the three chain motors you reference? And to be precise what is the failure mode?

97-02 986 and 99-01 996 motors are five chain. Anything newer will be a three chain motor. It seems to be mostly the 2003 and 2004 motors that have had the most request lately. Not so much on the 2005.5 and up. I don't know what actually is failing on them as I don't get to take them apart. If I had to guess the causality rate for 03-05.5 is because of the small ims bearing added to "extra stress?" of the three chain system. I'm just hypothesizing as I'm no Jake Raby.

Well as the owner of a 2003 986S in which I just this past year had an IMS failure and laid out the cash and aggravation to source a used 3.2, I want to thank you for causing me to lose sleep again. Is it my chains that I hear grumbling when I start the car after it sits for a day or two? Or is that normal? The replacement engine (40k miles) did get the IMS replaced.

I don't have a lot of exposure to three chain motors. I've had three come through here and two I sold the motor without even getting it to run. The third had the most amount of sludge I've ever seen in a motor. I chock that up to a car that might have never had it's oil changed. That being said, most of the motors I deal with don't have clatter when they first start up after sitting a day or two. I have had some that the lifters stick a little at first after the car has been sitting for months. Mind you, these cars will sit for a minimum of two months after getting wrecked before the paperwork clears and they go to the insurance auction bidding block. Sorry if I'm giving you more reasons to worry but you may want to investigate more into the clatter you're hearing. It could be something as simple as switching to a different brand/weight of oil.