mrj, I'd be very interested in the details later. Maybe we can all learn something.

Even at a very high-end shop it seems like you are talking about 6-7 hours of labor since you don't typically have parts beyond a filter, some oil and maybe a gasket or two consumed during a PPI. I doubt even a top and bottom boroscope could take that long.

That said, it is your money and if you are comfortable it is not my place to argue. It is best to address things up front and if you are doing the IMSB, which seems prudent on any small-single-row, then the IMSB Solution seems to be a no-brainer.

I wasn't trying to second guess you but the number of times you read on here something like: "I just bought a great 1999 C2 cab, full service history, no problems always dealer maintained..." Then in the next paragraph: "took it to my indie had the IMSB, water pump, AOS, spark plugs, coolant, brake fluid and oil/filter changed. While I was in there I had the clutch replaced. Car runs like new". It makes me insane watching guys throw 5-7k at a 20k car that needed nothing because they read all of the horror stories on here. Then six months later something breaks and he complains about how expensive they are to maintain: "spent 7k on repairs and now my coolant tank is leaking". How do you tell the poor guy that he spent 7k alright but the only part of it that was "maintenance" was the fluids, and they only provided a known baseline if it was really well maintained.

 

@Mrjonger.

How much are you buying the car roughly for?

If it's a 02 and never had a water pump, coolant tank changed, also a garage queen I think it is good a idea to have all of those changed. There is enough info on what will fail for sure on the 996/986 parts after a period of time/miles.

 

My car had an original IMSb (weak single row - 3.5k for perm fix). AOS hadn't been replaced in a while, several worn parts were replaced. Throwout bearing was showing signs of failure, so it was replaced. The engine was dropped after finding an oil leak - again, not a pristine part but a flaw in need of correction. No new clutch as existing one was fairly new. Spark plugs were checked and were near the end of useful life, so I elected to replace them after looking at them.

You spent $4k on your car after buying it, very similar to what I did.

Please explain how what you did was different than what I did, because it sounds like you're just knee-jerk lip flapping on something you did yourself.

 

Think it was right around $4200. The service manager told me he forgot to put the clutch replacement on the invoice . That was a freebie I didn't pay for

 

TTB, not a thing different, other than maybe the AOS. You replaced what was worn and replaced the IMSB that has a high failure rate.

I bought a car that had a very high probability of a small-single-row, I factored that into my offer. I knew it needed motor mounts, transmission mount, brake rotors, updated coolant cap and gas cap. I suspected it needed plugs. I spent $100 for a PPI to look for other stuff and they found torn front axle boots as well. My final offer reflected those items. Should I have replaced the AOS and water pump? Why? They aren't failing and new does not always equal better.

I did have one unplanned expense up front. When the transmission was dropped the clutch, which seemed to be working perfectly had very uneven wear patterns and I elected to replace it. The previous owner had a hip replacement and must have been having issues with the clutch. I know he sold it to get a tip car.

How many times do you read guys on here that replaced the IMSB in their 99? Dual rows have a roughly 1.5% failure rate, maybe 150 cars worldwide. I see you did not replace the water pump, according to this forum you need to replace it every three years or your car will disintegrate. Same with the AOS. You are more likely to have a failure on a brand new AOS then on one that has shown no signs of failure in 15+ years.

Old cars need maintenance items, What bothers me is the knee-jerk of "better replace..........." without any regard for the maintenance history of the car, the new owner's finances or even, dare I say "reality"?

 

Fair enough. A lot of the issues I've read about seem to stem from negligence, on the part of owners or suppliers / mechanics. A good mechanic will tell you not to replace something that's not a liability. When talking through my recent major service the mechanic steered me away from a lightweight flywheel as they break crankshafts. I got the rundown on AOS/water pump liability and we spotted and replaced a worn RMS, cooling hose, A/C o-rings and oil cooler seals.

The way I look at the initial outlays is like you say, a baseline. From there you still have the reality that a Porsche may need sequential, expensive repairs. That is the cost to enjoy these things. The big thing for me is to protect against engine failure as much as possible. If that does happen though I would not want to sell it. Even in a few short months I've done a lot of work on the interior to refresh it back to spec and suit me. It's a color and configuration that brings a smile every time it's driven (6-7 days a week).

Sounds like the OP has a very reputable shop that's actually certified to install the IMSB solution and identify anything else that is a major liability. Seems like a good chance for a positive outcome.

 

Wow $1700 for a PPI is insane! I guess if it were a 200k car but not for a 996.

For $1700 you could buy almost every wear item hard part. IMS , AOS , RMS , water pump, coolant, clutch , flywheel , then even have money left over for new brake pads and fluid.

Buy the 101 Porsche projects book and get intimate with her....

Seriously though 19k miles is nothing. Mine has 103k and I ride her hard.

 

You're still high. Typical cost for a PPI on a late model (1990s-early 2000s) Ferrari, so 100k-500k car is $500. To be sure I was right, I just double checked with someone that has several cars, mainly Ferraris, PPI'd every week for the last 40 years.

At $1.7K you are usually talking about a rare model that may have authenticity issues. That can get expensive fast.

 

@Tharbin, no offense taken and the points were very valid. The cost is actually $1500, but still very high for what it is. But I'm still willing to do it.

1. Seller is sticking firm to $31K. Which I would pay if the car had a great maintenance history, it doesn't. Seller is also indicating IMS bearings have been replaced because paperwork says IMS seal had been replaced in 2004.I need definitive proof and this item will be verified in the PPI. Its one thing to argue this with a potential 1st time Porsche owner, it's another to argue with Tony Callas. So he's a hired gun and I'm hoping he can drive down the price more than the cost of his PPI.

2. I'm going to be on the road while this is happening. With the PPI happening at Tony's shop - it's seemless. It's delivered to Tony for PPI and he reports back to me. If all's good, I buy the car while the car is still at Tony's and he begins work immediately. I'm selling my daily driver to help out with this, so I need the car as soon as possible.

I like I mentioned earlier, it's not an automatic $1500 - I'll be getting updates throughout the day.Thanks again everyone.

 

I'm lagging on the follow-up. Thanks everyone for the input. I ended up purchasing the 2002 Cab. I'll post up pics when I get a chance. After seeing the Callas PPI, the dealer dropped the cost from $31K to $28.5K. The results may have been the same with a cheaper PPI, but I figure I built a relationship with a reputable shop that's close to my work in the process.

The only thing that didn't go right was there was a couple of additional work items when Tony opened up the transmission. Flyweel was machined down and needed to be replaced (wtf) and clutch need to be replaced (@ 19K miles, unbelievable - but I saw the parts). I'm not sure this would have drove down the price further, but I sure as hell would've asked. Oh, and brakes have started squeaking recently (pads are at 8 mm, so pretty new). While Tony had it, IMS Solution was installed & the water pump was swapped. A couple of other odds and ends like a magnetic oil plug and filter magnet among other things. AOS readings were coming in fine, so we decided to leave those alone.

The price seems a bit steep, but I think I got a decent deal all things considered. She only has 19K miles, full leather interior, optional hardtop with stand, Bose system (has Alpine double din head with Nav - but is dated and tempted to change to Carplay).

My last car was a truck, so I was expecting a improvement in ride quality...I was pretty wrong on that one! I was surprised given all the literature saying how easy it is to DD these and how purists say it was too soft compared to older models. I cannot get over how quick the clutch is - I had to ride the clutch quite a bit in the truck to make it smooth. The acceleration is unbelievable, I cannot believe these are considered "momentum" cars. It's like riding a wider version of my motorcycle.

 

Thanks for the update, and congrats!

 

You sound happy and comfortable with your choices and that is really all that is important. I agree with your finding that the car is fast...these early cars are wonderful drivers with all the performance you can use on real world roads. Sadly the state of roads in lots of southern California can make even a Porsche sometimes feel like a truck. Have a wonderful time.

 

Thanks, agree on the roads. I'm going to take her up to Angeles Crest soon, I'm a bit concerned about how that's going to turn out. The drive up there isn't going to be a picnic either.

 

Congratulations!

Post some pics.

 

congrats. a SoCal GTG in San Diego might happen on 31JUL...awesome excuse for you to take the new Porsche on a road trip

https://rennlist.com/forums/996-foru...rnoon-gtg.html