michaelalex3

I'm currently in the market for a 987 Boxster S, but I've really only been considering a 987.2 due to concerns over bore scoring (and IMS to an extent). Manual 987.2s seem rather rare, and I don't want to spend much more than $30k, so finding one might take quite a while.

I'm wondering if an 05 987 BS with the 3.2 and the smaller IMS bearing might be a sweet spot for avoiding the typical catastrophic failures? While it does have the weaker IMS, it is upgradeable without a rebuild, so that reliability concern can be knocked out for ~$2k. The 3.2 also doesn't appear to have the bore scoring issues that the 3.4s have, so the other major issue is avoided. Does that sound reasonable/correct? Any input is greatly appreciated!

kisik

Same goes to early 997 05's as to the only 997s with serviceable IMS. You will be paying a heavy >$10k "engine quality insurance" for .2 cars while having the same driving experience if manual of cause.

RobT987

I own 2005 Boxster S and recently upgraded the IMS bearing at 93,000 miles. The old bearing looked to be in good condition.
Given the low failure rate of the larger bearing in the 2006 and later 987.1, I think the 06 Boxster S would be in the sweet spot as well.

Charles Navarro

Yes, 3.2 Boxster S engines hardly ever score. Cast KS piston with a different iron coating on the pistons that is much more durable than the coating used on forged Mahle pistons used in 3.4, 3.6, and 3.8 engines. Different running clearances and expansion rates for the pistons are also contributing factors.

However, I wouldn't disqualify a 3.2 with the larger 06-08 bearing. As long as you have the grease seal removed and use a better oil with shorter drain intervals, the larger 06-08 bearing has been proven to be very reliable.

michaelalex3

Thanks for the replies everyone! I think I'm going to add an 05-06 Boxster S to my search as well, it'd be nice to save ~$10k. I suppose I'm giving up like ~40hp with like-for-like mods, but a boxster isn't about straight line speed anyways.

On a related note, I would've sworn I read somewhere that the 3.2 Boxster S has a shorter final drive than the 3.4. Unfortunately, I can't find where I read that. Does anyone know if this is true?

solo118

Is the '05 2.7 a bit lower on the failure rate spectrum?

I am looking at one, but worried that the March 2005 build date might be part of the weaker (but serviceable) IMS Bearing. However I have not read too much about 2.7 engines having IMS issues, it was mostly on the 3.2's

Charles Navarro

2.7's are the least likely to fail from cylinder issues, however the likelihood of failure from IMS is exactly the same.

solo118

Thank you. Not worried about bore scoring on the 2.7, but yes worried about IMS on the '05. Will need to check which engine it has before buying, but every kind of VIN decoder I found does not display that info.

Charles Navarro

I wouldn't lose too much sleep over which year and model to get. Get the nicest example you can afford and just budget to do the IMS along with a water pump and everything else that we recommend to try to minimize the likelihood of any problems down the road. If the IMS is the non-serviceable type, then just have them pull the grease seal while they are in there.

RobT987

The 05 2.7 has the same IMS bearing as the 3.2. There is no way to tell for certain if the late 05 builds have the small or large bearing without removing the transmission and directly inspecting the IMS bearing flange. I think the experts at LN Engineering have seen fewer incidents of bore scoring in the later 987.1 base engines.

Dave in Chicago

Shhhhh.... this was supposed to be our little secret, guys!

Early '05 Boxster S + LN IMS + low-temp thermostat + fresh Porsche water pump = sweet spot for me. Very happy with mine, super pleased with my choice.

Good luck!

RobT987

I followed Charles' advice with my 05 S and not only am I sleeping better at night but I'm racking up many more smiles per mile. 😃

Dion_Dunn

This thread is too funny. Ive been narrowing down what my next daily driver will be, and I have been all over the map yet slowly narrowing down the choices to avoid all'of the known issues yet buy the newest model. I also landed on the early 05 S models as my target. iMs Solution, no bore scoring, and a fun ride.

Fresh.Sizzle

Go for the 2007 or 2008 987.1 instead, with the stronger IMS, and the VarioCam plus.

Charles Navarro

If one is concerned about bore scoring, the 3.4 M97.21 and M97.22 engines used in late Boxster S and Cayman S models do suffer from bore scoring.

The 3.2 rarely has issues and I've never seen a 2.7 score ever.