Cmweber

Thanks in advance for the help. I'm new to Porsche (and certainly the 996), but I
have been looking for a sports car and was amazed with my test drive on an 01
996 last week. I no longer have the desire for a Corvette (which was my first
choice before last week).
Here's the problem:
This is an 01 996, and the IMS bearing has not been replaced. It has 91,500
miles on it. It also has upgraded 19" porsche wheels/tires. The current owner
just had the clutch replaced last year (at 88,000 miles), and he did not have the
IMS bearing upgraded. He said that his mechanic said that was not necessary
unless the car is raced... He is the 2nd owner and used it as a DD on a short
highway commute.
The car is beautifully kept (as far as I can tell), but I'm reading that the IMS
problem seems random. With a new clutch, my next chance to combine
maintenance will be at over 150,000 miles.
On a side note, the car cranks a little slowly. It starts every time, but it has
somewhat of a slow sounding crank. He said it has done this the entire time he
has owned it (4 years), and his mechanic said some porsches sound that way
because of the high engine compression.
1. Would that scare you away from the car?
2. What else should I check for?
3. Is 18,000 a good price?

aviography

$18K is a certainly not a bad price at all if everything checkes out, the important part is what does YOUR mechanic say after a thorough PPI, find a well known and trustworthy shop that knows well about these cars and get it checked out first.

flyingpenguin

If the IMS scares you, peace of mind can be found in the "other" LN Engineering solution, that is the IMS Guardian.

KBB puts you right around $18K for a good to excellent example. There is plenty of car buying advice out there. As a minimum have a specialist do a pre-purchase inspection and use any work that needs to be done as bargaining chips on the final price.

dennis hiip

I purchased my 03 last year. It also just had the clutch replaced without IMS. I installed the IMS Guardian.
18K sounds like a good price to me. Oddly, mine also cranked slowly. PPI at dealer said it was low battery, but turned out to be the starter. That should not be a deal killer IMO.

SSST

Get a PPI. If everything checks out it sounds like a pretty good deal. Get the Guardian if the IMS makes you nervous.

Cmweber

What is the typical cost to have a guardian installed?

flyingpenguin

The cost of the kit is around $400. I did the install myself and the hardest part is getting the cable routed from the passenger compartment to the engine compartment. I used the grommet underneath the passenger side rear seat to get access. All in all a good 3-4 hours work.

Flat6 Innovations

We charge two hours for the install, most shops charge 4 hours. I developed it and we do it faster than anyone due to that.

C4CRNA

My indy http://epe.com charged 3 hours.
Well worth the piece of mind.
I enjoy my car so much more now that I am not afraid to drive it
waiting for the can of marbles noise.

targa996

18k is not a bad price .. If u sleep better at night budget the 1200 or so to do the ims ..you don't need to wait for clutch ..and take picture of old one so everyone here can tell you .. See , nothing wrong ! While u r there you might also consider aos and water pump if that wasn't done yet ...

Cmweber

How many miles can I realistically expect to get out of a 996? Let's assume that I would spend the money to get the IMS replaced right off the bat... If this car already has 91K miles on it, how much more can I expect before a major engine rebuild is required?

Of course, assuming it has been well maintained.

Exotic_Car_Guy

I bought my 1999 996 C4 Cab with 93,000 miles, and promptly replaced/upgraded the IMS bearing and rear main seal while I had the 90,000 service done. Best peace of mind. The car runs great, and properly maintained, I see no reason why this car couldn't do 200,000+ miles.

Gil

Hurdigurdiman

I would spend money on IMS upgrade along with water pump and AOS unit OR buy an extended warranty. Theres a high chance theres nothing much wrong with the IMS at that milage but who really knows. Get things covered one way or another for your own peace of mind. Sounds like a fair price BTW.

jasper

Back to the slow crank - most if not all of them do that.

I've heard it's because one of the cables running to the starter is close to a heat source. Moving it or shielding it solves the "problem".

Can't remember the specifics...it's in a thread here somewhere.

targa996

Mine used to slow crank but once I started using it every other day the problem went away ... clean battery terminals and perhaps clean ground strap under engine .. if that is corodded it could contribute to the problem ....