Chumlee

So here I am really enjoying my new Cayman GTS and have the luxury that I also own both a Fiesta ST and a Mazda MX5 when along comes an opportunity to pick up an 05 Carrera S, GT silver, black, 91K sticker with 21K miles. I daily drive the Fiesta which if you dont know is a terrific car and the MX5 is obviously a great car also that the wife typically drives. I was offered the car at 39K as a starting point(Salesman is a great friend, will move on the price). Any thoughts on the pros and cons of picking this car up? Have owned several 911s of various years and would be thrilled if i could swing this. How do you determine IMS??? Obviously, i realize the maintenance of a traditional 911, tires etc. Just wondering what the 997 forum views would be. Much appreciated.......Chumlee

onewhippedpuppy

That's a pretty good price for only 21k. Being an S it should have the bigger non-replaceable IMS, which seems to have a much lower failure rate than the bearing on the 996 and early 997 non-S. If the car is clean, up to date on maintenance, and has no major issues - go for it!

BTW, Fiesta ST is a fantastic little car. I drove both the Focus and Fiesta ST last year when considering a new daily driver, lots of fun.

street rod

Agree with onewhippedpuppy that if PPI etc. check out the price is fair. I did not realize with all 2005 S cars that you will always have the larger non-replaceable IMS weather early or late build but that is good info to know. However if you are curious the only way to confirm this would be to take a look. Many people do this when installing a new clutch because there would be no extra labor cost to do so. They can tell which bearing it has by the size of the center nut. Good luck and post pics if you buy it.

Hunt3R

Not true. This has been confirmed in multiple other threads by members with a 2005 C2S who have replaced their IMS bearing. With any 2005 model the only way to find out which it has for sure is to drop the tranny and inspect it visually.

Hella-Buggin'

So are you planning on trading in the Cayman GTS or keeping it?

I think there is a thread that has the lawsuit settlement info which contains the list of affected cars by VIN#. If the car's VIN shows up then you have the problematic bearing.

Some info found here.
https://rennlist.com/forums/997-foru...ss-action.html

onewhippedpuppy

That's true, the early build 2005s. To the OP, any idea when it was built?

Wayne Smith

Often times Porsche introduces model variations over time. According to my research, both the standard and the S model 997s were introduced together in October 2004 so checking the VIN is the way to go. There are a lot of threads on this Forum that discuss this.

myw

the vin number will give you a good idea which bearing it is as you can punch it right into the ims settlement website. sounds like a really nice 05

Chumlee

I'm definitely keeping the Cayman, very special car and the first that I ever ordered.

Chumlee

I will have the S inspected then will sort of go from there. Yes, the Fiesta has been a terrific daily driver, with still an analog feel to it. Engine, gearbox, and chassis will put a real smile on your face, believe me. The thought of my next car being around 40K has me wondering/pondering a Carrera S like the one i'm considering, a Golf R, or possibly the new Focus RS. I begin to think that the Porsche would be considered a bargain based on what your getting. And the fact that it is after all a PORSCHE really has me leaning this way. I know its a 10 year old car, but i have to believe the depreciation is done so to speak. Any thoughts??

SpeedyD

Depreciation overall won't be done, but will be driven by mileage. Age-driven depreciation is probably going to be pretty flat with older 997 s cars that have IMS sorted (manual, i presume?)

PVKPorsche

Yes, just call the Porsche dealer, give them the VIN and they can tell you if its an IMS candidate replaceable via removing transmission or if its the lesser impacted IMS. 21k miles on an S, great, price at $39k still too high. Get him down to $37 and now you have a deal.

rickdogg82

Smokin deal at 39k.

Bepe

That's a very good deal if it checks out. I have an 05 C2S and love it! My mechanic recommends pulling the oil filter apart to look for shavings as an early sign of ims issues. He's the leading indie in Westchester NY and is emphatic that he's never seen a 997 with an IMS issue. He replaces them with the clutch all the time and says they always look fine. When I bought the car I was focused in the IMS. No I worry more about paint chips.

sandwedge

Gotta love price threads