97-99? need your input.

[hrscrk]

gents,

been porsche-less for two years and have the bug again....wishing in'd kept the 86 carrera and 964...

can't afford air cooled

want to avoid IMS issues

so wondering about veracity of a 97-99 as a daily driver.

boxster is too small for the LW and golf clubs; really liked the 968 but, you know, it's just not a nine one one

so your thoughts of whether a car of the vintage makes sense. fits the budget at around $20 k.

will greatly appreciate your feedback.

and, Happy New Year.

[Rodsrsr]

97 - 99 are the very years to avoid in regards to IMS issues.

[jferrante]

97 and 98 are 993's and 99 would be an IMS prone 996...

[Rodsrsr]

My bad...saw the 20k price point and assumed it was a fried egg model. Didnt know a 993 could be had for 20K.

[Cook&Dunning]

The IMS on the 996 should be looked at as a maintenance item - meaning you need to replace it when you get the car, and then each time you change the clutch. If the PO can't prove it has been replaced, use it as a bargaining tool. It could be a DIY project, if you are up for that, or I think the going rate is ~$2000 to have someone do it.

In the case of the 997 - 2005-2008, you need to drop the engine and split the case as well to get at replacing IMS. Much more expensive proposition.

[exploserous]

I had a 2000 996 for a couple of years before blowing a rod bearing (at 150k+ miles on the odo) through turn four at Sonoma Raceway.

I now have a 997.2 and a 911SC and still miss the heck out of my 996. Honestly it's a brilliant car and you really can't go wrong with one. Lots of folks will hate on the looks, but if you tune them out, I think you'll find the car pretty handsome—especially with the OEM aerokit (something like this).

They have to be pretty close to the bottom of their depreciation curve. Get a good PPI to avoid any surprise headaches, take care of the major maintenance items (IMS, RMS, AOS), and drive it.

[hrscrk]

thanks, guys!

[Matt Monson]

Change the ims at every clutch job? That’s funny.

[tirwin]

The pricea on 996s are falling. There is a shop in Cleveland, GA that has a patented IMS fix. It’s around $700 IIRC. With the way prices are it may make 996 a viable option. A friend of mine just bought a 996 Turbo (Metzger motor — no IMS issue) for $30k.

[88911coupe]

I think the 996 Turbos have had their prices dragged down by the non Metzger motor models IMS problems. The 996 Turbo is the best deal out there. Jake Raby does have very well thought out solution to the 996 IMS problem, actually I think he has a couple of options.

[tirwin]

My bad. It is LN Engineering that has the IMS fix. IMS Retrofit – LN Engineering Genuine IMS Bearing Upgrade Kits for Porsche ® Engines

They list several preferred installers — maybe there is one near year. Price is $1700ish in parts + labor.

You might be able to pick up a nicely depreciated car and save enough to do the IMS fix for peace of mind. I’ve always heard people say the cars that sit and aren’t driven are the one to be concerned about. No idea if that’s true or urban legend.

[yelcab1]

I have a 996 ... GT3. ITs looks is to die for, fried eggs or not.

I work on many 996/7 Porsche and except for the IMS, they are very good cars. If you get one, don't chance it. Drop the motor the next day, put in that LN Engr stuff and then forget about it for 100K miles.

I prefer the wide body but if the skinny chick is your thing, go for it.

[tonythetarga]

Originally Posted by hrscrk

gents,

been porsche-less for two years and have the bug again....wishing in'd kept the 86 carrera and 964...

can't afford air cooled

want to avoid IMS issues

so wondering about veracity of a 97-99 as a daily driver.

boxster is too small for the LW and golf clubs; really liked the 968 but, you know, it's just not a nine one one

so your thoughts of whether a car of the vintage makes sense. fits the budget at around $20 k.

will greatly appreciate your feedback.

and, Happy New Year.

These 3.4 engines ('99 to '01) have a double row IMS bearing, which did fail, however, the double row is better than the single row next gen which had the high rate of failure. (reference the class action lawsuit for the M96 engine failures on Boxster and 996). Having said that, the 99-01's are now old and likely to have enough miles on them to have washed out any remaining grease in the bearing and, therefore, it should be replaced.
The bigger issue with the M96 3.4 motors was coolant and oil intermix from cracked heads and cylinder D chunking. They were extremely temperature sensitive and overheating could lead to an engine failure.
The 996's are decent daily drivers with issues addressed, like the bearing, replacing the coolant tank which is prone to cracking, a low-temp thermostat and possibly adding a center rad. It is important to clean the build up of crud between the a/c condenser in front of the rad and the rad. You can't see it until you take the bumper cover off, move the condenser and expose the rad. Backwash the rad to remove the sand and other debris. Make sure both fans work as well.

Actually, the 99 and some of the 2000's had the double row bearing and are the LEAST likely to fail.The later part of 2000 and newer had single row.

To the OP - 97 and 98 are 993's and cost $40 - $60K. $20K gets you a 99 - 01 996 in nice shape. The cheapest 996 turbo is $30K and prolly needs a lot of repairs. IMS problems affect 5 - 10% of NA cars. There are other points of failure with the M96 engine but the IMS is the one you hear about most. I bought my 99 4 years ago with 48K miles and for peace of mind had the IMS, clutch, water pump, and AOS replaced at cost of $4K. It is by far the best performance car for the money I've ever had. It does everything well and is a beautiful car. Mine:







Watch the attached videos featuring Jake Raby for the real low down on the M96.