WWYD? Sell as is or do the IMS Upgrade??

I have a 2002 C4S, mint, silver/black, sport seats, bought 3 years ago with 56K, now has 63K. I have had the 60K service done, had analysis done by local mechanic (oil inspection, bore scope, cam differential readings) to ensure the motor is "good to go" for an IMS upgrade. But my desire is now to have something more suitable for track thrashings, and I am considering a used Cayman S as a model that might be more suitable for said thrashing. Am I tripping? Would a stock '07/'08 Cayman S be any less prone to failure? I know the '09 has the upgraded motor, but these seem hard to find. So, would you sell "as is", with a line into the mechanic who has assessed the car, or just go ahead and dump the $3 - 4K and have the IMS done? If so, the LN or other brands? Thanks for opinions on this.

Unfortunately, the Internet does not have an easy answer to the existential crisis driving all 996 owners. If the IMS bearing was the only...um...sensitive?...part of the motor, sure, upgrade the bearing and move on. However, the car still won't be ready for "track thrashing." You can dump some additional money into an accusump and other mods to help with oiling issues, but the motor is still too expensive to replace and too prone to occasional RUD to use for a dedicated "track thrasher." There are plenty of people who will argue either way...I'd want a track car for which I can afford spare parts, including a spare engine. For me - with my risk/reward comfort levels - the M96 cars (including the first Boxsters and Caymans, as well as the 996s) are just too expensive to use for ragging out.

My gut feeling is sell as-is. I don't think you'll get a positive return on the IMS upgrade, maybe at best it will be a wash so not much point financially. When I was shopping I did weigh cars with the IMS addressed slightly higher - but just the cost of the part and install. The reality is, once you get into installing it there are bound to be other things that you end up replacing.

The 2009 Caymans are still in the $40-45k price, depending on condition at least around here. Most likely because of the IMS issue, so depending on what you could get for your 02, maybe $32-35k for a mint example, you still are going to have to spend that difference to find a nice 09 Cayman. However if it's for 'fun' use only, you could find one with higher miles, but I never saw many when I was looking this past summer/fall. Most 09s were kept up quite well and their prices reflected it. I'd keep the 911, myself having considered an 09 Cayman vs. 996 C4S.

My vote is as-is. First, you simply won't get the cost of doing the upgrade back in your sale price, maybe half. So if you aren't going to be enjoying the fruits of your labor, I wouldn't bother. Secondly, for some of a sale shortly after a bearing upgrade is a big red flag about the state of the motor. We've seen too many cases of people slapping a new bearing in a motor that was already failing so they can pass it off. General feeling seems to be that if doesn't have at least 3-5k on the "new" bearing, tread carefully. Thirdly, because there is no way to verify anything in a PPI there are those of us that prefer the factory bearing as it means we get to make the decisions about the motor. Unfortunately, however, those like me that would vote to leave it as-is likely already have a 996 and aren't in the market. Those that are in the market will know enough to freak out over it still having the factory bearing. So you're probably damned either way

Install the IMS SOLUTION and race the 911.

By the time you: 1. Buy a Cayman 2. Prepare said Cayman for track thrashings You could have: 1. Kept the 911 2. Prepared said 911 for track thrashings

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This. Leave it as is and sell it as is. That way the buyer can verify that the factory bearing was good when it was replaced (by him/her). There was a thread on this very topic last year. You might even want to look up that thread and print it out so that the potential buyer can see the logic of why a car with the original IMSB is more valuable than one with a replacement, and especially one with a recent replacement.

Here's my first hand experience: for the amount you'll need to put into a 996 to make it track reliable and track worthy, you can have a Cayman with some track upgrades for equal or less dollars invested.

I'm confused as to why the potential replacement is another car susceptible to IMS failure.

Strange, I thought it was the other way around. But they are both very fun to track.

Spend 10k on an IMS Solution & a dry sump system Race 911 Win awards for awesomeness

Here's something from the Cayman forums that might be interesting. Takeaway is mod if you're fast, stock is fine if you're slow. If fast, looks like $8 - $10K to make your Cayman reliable for track. 09+ is recommended, but you'll still have to do some stuff to make it reliable. https://rennlist.com/forums/showthre...=705693&page=3

Hagerty's says no IMS replacement is a 15% deduct.

Not pushing one way or another, but if you decide to sell, I know somebody near you who would be interested in your 4S.

Sell as is. New buyers love to think they improved the car.

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Agree it's a hit, but is the cost higher than 15% of resale value? Seems like a push either way.

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If that is accurate, then if the price is over $20k the answer would be in favor of doing it. I don't buy that percentage though. Firstly no seller in their right mind is going to give an almost $4k allowance on a $26k car for a <$3k job (hell, $2200 off a $15k car would be equally silly IMHO). Secondly, in my entirely unscientific study of sales, it just seems to be a negotiating point like any other (e.g. you ask for a $4k concession, I explain why factory is better for you and offer $500, then we agree somewhere between). The wrench in that is how quickly one needs to sell. There will be the ultra-paranoid that won't even stop on an ad that doesn't mention a bearing replacement. That will cut your market down a bit which means it might take longer to sell. You might also get more tire kickers that want to try to really low ball you using the bearing as a big chunk. So your stress in having to deal with all that crap also should not be under estimated as a "cost".

My opinion, sell it as is. My next track car will be an '09 Cayman. Have dumped enough $$$ into track modding two Boxters that I could have had the Cayman already.

3K-4K for the IMS replacement? What are you smoking?

I vote to leave as-is, unless you go the Solution route (because that would likely preclude someone worrying about getting a motor on it's way out). If I was looking, your car, untouched, would be high on my list. But I admit I'm probably in the minority of any potential customers. (IIRC, regular IMS replacement is around 2k, The Solution around 4k, give or take.)

It concerns me that an IMSB would be replaced and immediately listed for sale...Price it right and it will sell. If bearing not being replaced is a concern use it as a bargaining chip and split the cost of bearing of buyers choice.

I am looking for $32K for it. It has new Fabspeed cats (nice snarl). Let me know if he is interested. Thanks!