996 that needs IMS - what would you pay?

Looking at a 1999 with 112k miles. Good interior/exterior condition for it's age. Looking to DIY the bearing to have a fun car for a reasonable price. (Edit: Currently 'runs great' on original bearings according to seller. Coolant tank leak, but assuming that I can DIY.) Also, how reliable are these as a semi-daily driver up to the 200k mark? Any common problems to look for when buying? Thanks in advance!

So by "needs IMS" you mean that it has a perfectly fine original bearing and not that the engine is toast correct? If so, it's a 99 which means it has a dual row and with 112k on it, it's a good one. If anything a premium should be paid for such cars in my opinion. Seriously. It's your car (or will be) and you have to judge things in your own terms, but I would not plan to mess with that bearing at all if I were buying that car. Put that money towards other things it will likely need or put it away as the start of a rainy day fund.

Does it come with service records? Clutch, Water pump, IMS as stated, RMS, All the chains and paddles/tensioners, Clutch/Flywheel, AOS, Alternator, Power steering, Brakes/Rotors, Wheels/Tires, Suspension, Undercarriage condition, Coolant expansion tank, Cooling lines, Oil changes, Filter condition, Compression, Spark plugs, Coils and wires... What is the condition of all the above stated items... they are all wear items and must be addressed at some point or you will be doing it... price accordingly to what its valued at plus what work you will "need" to do and what additional work you would "like" to do. Good luck.

20 year old car as DD; yes, very possible but good to have a 2nd car around. Or a bus stop close by.. Joe's list is pretty good. You might have bigger concerns right now then the IMS bearing. Why makes you say it "needs IMS"? It might be the last thing you need...

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Do lots of reading up on these cars, unless you are armed with knowledge your wallet might be hurting badly. These aren't toyota corolla's

IMS/RMS and clutch, tensioners, anything that makes sense to do at the same time would be my winter project. What would it cost be if you didn't bother with replacing and grenaded the engine? Does need a coolant tank, assuming an easy DIY, but you know what they say about when you assume... No records, but have name of shop some work has been done at. I'd get a PPI for sure. Is $14.5k steep for one that 'runs great' but with many unknowns? Guessing a car without addressing bearing problem and unknown history should be ~$5k less than one that has, so price might be on the steep side. Looks like you can get them down to the $11-12k range, but this one overall seems nice. Just gathering info/opinions and bouncing ideas. Thanks!

I'm with Gnat on this one ... the dual row bearing has a low failure rate. I wouldn't mess with it unless you're planning a high dollar, full engine rebuild. As to price, it's all about the service history. Joe's list is a pretty good one, and costs can add up quickly -- for example, last I knew a flywheel is several hundred bucks. If you can't verify that an item has been addressed, assume that it hasn't and budget accordingly. $11 - 12k sounds like a reasonable target, if you're willing to accept that another $5k in deferred maintenance isn't out of the question.

Also know that some unscrupulous people have been known to do an oil change and filter at the first sign of major engine problems. You check the oil and filter and they are clean... a few days after you take your car home they blow up... has happened plenty of times... Make sure the PPI is done at a good shop that knows this type of car.

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Exactly, Make sure PPI drops the pan for inspection...when was the last oil change? How about a link to the car? Have you seen it in person and taken a test drive?

I don't get it; why did you post above question in the end (996 that needs IMS). I think the obvious answer is that is does not. What I gather from your answer is that you only want to fix what is broken now (coolant tank) and leave the engine in peace and take the risk that it might grenade on you. I think that could be a very sensible approach that could give you some years of driving pleasure as long as you except some regular downtime because then this and then that falls of the car that needs fixing. The (probably more expensive) approach is to save some money every year and step by step execute on a preventative maintenance plan. This is when the IMS/RMS/AOS etc story comes in. If you take approach A then it would be worthwhile to scout for an early car that was driven regularily and might have some more miles on it, like this one. 150k (still nothing considering age) and only 10k. If there are at least some maintenance records indicating regular oil changes, rotors/pads/tires OK and some obvious failure modes fixed (like the coolant tank) you could have a great buy and a lot of fun! https://sfbay.craigslist.org/nby/cto/6246226738.html BTW these are quality cars so if you don't have driven a few, you might not be able to feel the difference between "runs great" and "is a piece of ****".