Yay or Nay?

"Shane Moore" (snakesm13)
05/05/2020 at 19:38 • Filed to: None

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DISCUSSION (20)

ItalianJobR53 - now with added 'MERICA and unreliability > Shane Moore
05/05/2020 at 19:53

Bi g Nay, that needs to be closer to 10k

SBA Thanks You For All The Fish > Shane Moore
05/05/2020 at 20:12

The obvious question is—- IS THE IMS Bearing done? With the LN Engineering “gold standard” fix?

With the low miles, a fixed IMS and the six speed... I’m a buyer all day long. These will be beloved once the market gets over the A/C fixation.

— A guy that owns almost a dozen 911s and 912s

Shane Moore > SBA Thanks You For All The Fish
05/05/2020 at 20:30

No record of IMS but 99 means single row so slight bit of comfort there. I know low mileage is sometimes the IMS enemy so torn on that .

Shane Moore > ItalianJobR53 - now with added 'MERICA and unreliability
05/05/2020 at 20:31

Even with mileage and condition?

Rusty Vandura - www.tinyurl.com/keepoppo > SBA Thanks You For All The Fish
05/05/2020 at 20:35

I was going to make a pithy reply about the engine-out tune-up being due in 100 miles and while I have no idea about IMS bearing, it sounds like I might not be too far from the truth.

A dozen 911s...? Assuming you have the capability to keep them all in running order, I might envy you, although if I had a dozen cars that I liked, it would be a wider variety.

RacinBob > Shane Moore
05/05/2020 at 20:42

I would defer to the forum experts on the IMS but I say nice price. That is assuming you are not mortgaging your house to pay for it.....

Shane Moore > RacinBob
05/05/2020 at 20:49

Hmmm... that only leaves drugs and prostitution then.

Discerning > Shane Moore
05/05/2020 at 21:11

As much as I like the 996 - there are just so many things that can go wrong with that engine. Not just the IMS either. There’s the thin cylinder wall that is prone to breaking off and is described as a D chunk failure. The case itself can be prone to leaking oil and/or coolant. The stock sump is really lacking when it comes to track use. There’ s more but thats enough for me.

I don’t think I’d own an M96. I’d 100% own a 996 with any other engine (swap) though. And honestly, the 996 chassis isn't great. You need to spend a pretty penny on decent control arms front and back to tighten things up, have decent adjustability, and bring things up to modern standards.

BoxerFanatic, troublesome iconoclast. > Shane Moore
05/05/2020 at 21:33

Good looking, good shape, if IMS is done... nice choice of wheels for a 996 actually. A bit les massive looking that the usual 996 wheels, including the turbo-twist, or even my other favorite... the TechArt Formula wheels.

I have a real affinity for a clean narrow-body 996 or 997. simultaneously modern but becoming a bit timeless... and looks like it slips through the air without drag, or even leaving much of a wake.

The only down sides: black paint... looks great, but difficult to keep clean, disguises the lines of the car, hot in the sun, and second only to silver in terms of being commonly found. But some people do prefer black cars.

Grey interior... similar to the black paint... a bit “usual”. some people do prefer grey interior.

Price. Not bad... but 15 grand would be better. 12 grand would be really good... when rougher, higher mile examples of the convertible are going for as little as $ 6K. BringATrailer shows recent auctions from $ 14-2 6,000 for early 996 Carreras... so 18 isn’t a bad place to start... but hopefully negotiable.

Lapis or Ocean Blue, Orient or Carmon Red, or Rainforest Green... if it has to be silver, at least Meridian.... tan, brown, boxster red, or maybe metropol blue interior... something interesting elevates 996 Carrera to a more special car, where black/gray or silver/black examples are just as good technically, but seem a bit more mass-market.

Eury - AFRICA TWIN!!!!!!! > Shane Moore
05/05/2020 at 21:38

Nice car. Price is a bit high, I’d put it at $16k or so. Any maintenance records? Of the 996s I’ve looked at, there were a few that had no record of the IMS being done, but inspecting the car found a sticker on it.

As for whether you actually need to worry about the IMS, it’s debatable. I did mine (2001 C4) when I got the car because it already had a leaking RMS and the original clutch at 102k miles. When those are done the IMS is right there and adds so much to the value of the car that it’s foolish not to do it. The one that came out looked and felt like new.

I’d get a good PPI done, talk them down a thousand or 2 and buy it if you like it. I really enjoy driving my 996. It’s simple the way newer cars aren’t, sounds great (with the PSE), has good power and good handling. It’s also really easy to work on and well built.

Is it good on a track? Dunno, couldn’t care less. I’m not, and 99.9999% of the rest of the people driving today aren ’t either, a race car driver. It’s a great car to drive. I also have a 2007 997 4S in the garage with 65k less miles , and other than the difference in power they drive identically, the 996 is more raw and doesn’t have the screens that the 997 has. Wish it had a glove compartmentand a place for a cup of coffee though. Stupid how the 996 didn’t get either until 2002.

Roadkilled > Shane Moore
05/05/2020 at 21:40

In my area, you can find a Cayman for about the same price, but 10 years newer and still well under 100K miles.

RacinBob > Shane Moore
05/05/2020 at 23:38

Ohhh. Covid Plan B

Discerning > BoxerFanatic, troublesome iconoclast.
05/06/2020 at 00:41

This explains your responses to my comment. Hope you find your 996 some day.

SBA Thanks You For All The Fish > Shane Moore
05/06/2020 at 01:49

Not to be “that guy”, but I’m in the camp that thinks the single-row versus two-row thing is a red herring. The core problem is that Porsche bought whatever the bearing salesman was “selling” about that dry bearing being a “lifetime” unit... which is the same as ZF claiming the transmission fluid in all those AUDI and BMW 5HP24's is, likewise, “lifetime”. Neither is true for a car that should last a half million miles.

For the longest time I thought the LN Engineering bearing fix was a kludge, with an external oil line and non-traditional bearing assembly. HOWEVER, I’ve come to appreciate that it really makes that bearing area a non-issue for the life of the motor. It’s basically an oil-fed-lubricated main crank style bearing with the cleanest oil the system has to offer. It’s a lifetime fix.

As I say, I believe an “IMS fixed” 996 with 6MT becomes a very desirable car over time... I’ll end up picking one up at some point, along with a 996 Turbo, which is a remarkable machine.

SBA Thanks You For All The Fish > Rusty Vandura - www.tinyurl.com/keepoppo
05/06/2020 at 01:56

I just was in position to start “collecting” about 20 years ago (looks at his feet) and would bottom-fish the less desirable 911s and 912s that came up in my region. I didn’t mind going oddball places like Alpine UT or Livingston MT to look at them. I just really liked the “feel” of my first one, liked the way they sounded, liked the way they drove... and we had a sales office in Stuttgart, which fed the interest. Candidly, though, I didn’t pay over $8K for any of those first cars... until I bought the 993 Turbo. That car was a lot more than $8K. Honestly, the most satisfying car to drive is still a 1977 I paid under $6K for— only because it’s so back-to-basics. It fits the “slow car driven fast” mentality, plus it was lowered years ago to Euro ride height. It’s like a like 190HP go-kart.

BoxerFanatic, troublesome iconoclast. > Discerning
05/06/2020 at 02:11

Did my screen name not give it away first?

Rusty Vandura - www.tinyurl.com/keepoppo > SBA Thanks You For All The Fish
05/06/2020 at 07:36

I’d buy modestly as well, even if I had the dough. (It’s easy to philosophize about money one doesn’t have...) I don’t question your taste, though.

Discerning > BoxerFanatic, troublesome iconoclast.
05/06/2020 at 07:56

I assumed you were a fan of the GOOD boxer engines

ZHP Sparky, the 5th > Shane Moore
05/06/2020 at 10:15

Not the most exciting color combination, but looks like a nice clean car with low miles and a nice price. These are becoming so tempting!

JeffCronin > Shane Moore
05/06/2020 at 16:16

Love mine... same wheels and interior. I would buy again.