[onewhippedpuppy]

I think I had four 986 and five 996 back in the day, all with the original IMS. The dual row IMS in the early cars was dramatically more reliable, though they can in theory fail. I believe you can check cam deviation with Durametric (great tool btw) to identify an IMS that’s on the way out.

My favorite mod on the 9X6 cars is a new shifter and knob. All of the OEM knobs are rubber centered and they break down over time, leading to vague and mushy shifting. Making things worse, the OEM shifter is all plastic and prone to getting sloppy. I like the Rennline aluminum knobs with a Numeric Racing shifter. You’ll need a new boot too, I always bought them from Redline Goods but it looks like Rennline is selling them now too. You can also replace the shift cables if the couplers start getting play in them, multiple options for those as well.