All right, I wanted to throw this out to the community to see what y'all think. Pretty sure where I am going with this, but input won't hurt.

Bought a 2002 911 with 140k miles for $14k. Car has an absolutely flawless exterior (9/10 to be sure). Interior is a good 7/10, easily to a 9/10 if I have the driver's seat redone. No rips or tears, just wear from, ya know, 140k miles. Got clearance from the wife to add a 3rd German option to the garage for my 41st birthday. No leaks, no BS, bought from a 100% meticulous owner. Weekend, sunny day car. Will never see the track. I like paying to use other people's cars for that and since I am from 15 miles from COTA, that is pretty damn easy (looking at you R8).

Here is where it gets fun. Car has not had IMS, RMS done. Looking at around $3 or $4k to get all the stuff done that keeps me up at night (besides what they recommend that I can't see or have not read a million posts about). That is the common sense stuff. Fine doing that, but......

I will literally keep this car forever. I do not give a shi$ if I eventually wind up in a 911R or a GT3. (GT3 is likely when child support is over in 7 years or so....all you young cats, don't wife that girl unless she is that GD good). I can see passing this thing down to my son when he is old enough to not be a moron in it. First 911 in, last 911 to leave. I party like that.

I am a month out to taking it to a very reputable Indy in Austin. Happy to do that and going to do that no matter. But, here is my dilemma. My brain says "Get the IMS done before it grenades!".

There is this other, more fatalistic, F it side of me that says...."Drive the heck out of it for as many miles as you can get, screw the IMS.....this thing drives like a monster......let it grenade at 150k miles or 190k miles or 240k miles...who cares?"

When it dies, it dies. Take it to Flat 6 and have them drop a 3.8 in the thing and explain to the wife that the $20k new motor was/is worth it. 1st world problems, I know. What do y'all think?

 

Since it is a 2002, and if it has the original engine, there is a very high probability it had the small singe row bearing. It will eventually fail and ruin the engine. Since you plan on keeping it for a long time, install the IMS solution. Enjoy the car.

 

More than 20K for a Flat 6 3.8 upgrade and a year or more wait. You could also buy a good used motor for 8 to 10K and have it installed. Much cheaper and faster. That's what I did.

 

Thanks guys...I appreciate it. Good friend said. Get the IMS done and I asked 'what next?'

"drive it"

 

 

Put your deposit down on the LN Engineering 3.8 or 4.0, go drive the car and in a year or two when your turn comes, if the car is still running, get the engine built.

 

IMS Solution and drive it till the end...

 

Wait. You have a second wife that you will have to explain a new engine for your 911 to? Didn't you learn your lesson the first time?

Second vote for IMS Solution, or at the very least a spin on oil filter adapter.

 

I bought at 71k miles a few years ago and installed a Solution at certified shop. It's pricey, but my personal goal is to hit 150k in this car before a rebuild or sale. If the cost of install is not a big deal for you financially, go for it. If the money is something you'd regret if a rebuild is needed early, then get a nice retrofit with a pre-inspection. Those are incredibly reliable procedures, so it cuts much of the risk the Solution addresses (at least for several years).

 

I say leave it alone and get a FSI motor when it's toast. There are other things that'll kill your engine. If you read this forum enough, those things will keep you up too. If it really bothers you, maybe wait until your next clutch?

 

you have less than a 1 in 10 cance of them going in the life of the car thats 1 in 150 chance per annum
also the higher milage cars ie over 100k have less chance of it going. Too many scare stories on here, a lot by garages drumming up business. I've had a couple of 911 and never bothered, also it seems ims failure is as likely if not more with reto fit.

 

Love this topic. I'd be in your same shoes if I got that car.

Given 1) the mileage and 2) your intended use I wouldn't do it.
But of course it's easy to be gay with someone else's ***.

 

I am torn on this dilemma too....But here is my story....I put in LN IMS at 47K miles....last summer the car grenaded at 54K miles because of oil starvation on the crank/piston bearing. Putting in a 997S engine now (with factory IMS) so in the end I could have saved the IMS cost. At 140K miles my view is drive until it dies...even with a new MS something else can go. Though it will be expensive, there are so many options for another engine.

 

My plan as of now is to drive my 99 until it grenades. I'm slowly starting to shop for engine cases and will buy the parts for the 3.8 engine build. I drove a 2000 model with a 3.8L in it and was stunned by the torque and power. This is the route I plan to go SLOWLY over the next two years.