987.1 oil leak, buy or walk away?

Shopping for my first 987, and have found a 2007 base 5-speed with 91k miles at an attractive price (assuming it doesn't need too much), but it's a few hours away. A recent mechanic's inspection noted: "Oil leaking on bottom of bell housing of transmission likely from rear main seal or IMS cover seal." I don't mind a few drips, but I don't want to get into something that has a good chance of needing a very expensive repair. This will be a weekend driver, but I do plan to ring it out in our local canyons. There are a few other minor items, including one CV joint boot, front strut bump stops, rear brake pads, that I can deal with. I don't have the time or tools for more major work. Is this leak a harbinger of doom, or more likely non-issue? When going to see the car, I can bring a jack, clean it off, then check again after driving. I'll do a pull on a good hill to test the clutch. Any other checks I can do?

RMS seals routinely leak/seep oil on these cars. Mine has been doing a little seeping for over 10 years. Hasn't gotten any worse in all that time. What you have shown us seems to be very minor and I sure wouldn't worry about it. Same with the IMS seal. I'll have mine resealed if and when I need a new clutch in a few years.

I do most of my own work, but it was recommended to replace the RMS so I took it my indie because without a lift and a trans jack it was out of my pay grade. I had read that there is a minor hack to possibly avoid any IMS issues, or at least extend its longevity by removing a seal with a small pick, thereby allowing more oil to penetrate the inner race. So while my indie had the trans out to do the RMS he removed that small ring. But actually, after years of seepage the bottom of my trans was totally gooped up. The pictures you posted are waaay cleaner than the way mine looked. My ‘08 Boxster is currently off the ground while I perform an oil change and gearbox oil change and today I was exploring methods of cleaning up the mess. I experimented with brake fluid, then brake cleaner spray but they create a real mess. I tried some acetone on a rag and got much better results with less slop. My next step is picking up a roll of heavy duty plastic sheeting, a few cans of acetone, a spray bottle and a couple of bundles of shop rags. It will be tedious but I plan on restoring the underside of the trans and engine to near new appearance.

it sounds like you are operating on a fairly strict budget? If that’s the case, spend a little bit of time researching costs of wear items (like the suspension which is probably getting a bit long in the tooth), And make sure you are comfortable with that. I personally can’t afford to absorb huge costs, but am reasonably comfortable working on quite a few things on the car, but was still surprised by the costs of seemingly simple parts. I really enjoy my 987, and daily it (put on ~20k miles in the last 15 months), but service costs are often in the back of my mind. For example, I have a leaking pdk (dual clutch automatic) transmission, that if I want to reseal, it will be in the $5k range. I’m ok with the wet spot and keeping on top of fluids for now. Having said that, a base cayman is super solid and a fun choice. Good luck!

Not a super strict budget, can comfortably afford maintenence and wear items, but this will be a toy. I'll be sad if I buy a $20k car and it soon needs a $10k repair, though. I'm only looking at manuals, so a clutch is a possibility.

Unlike the RMS, which is a common weeping point, I've not seen mentions of IMS seal leakage. Both seals are easy to replace when the clutch is being replaced; and the parts cost tens of dollars. At this mileage, if the clutch has not been done, you should plan for a new one. Other's mention of suspension wear at this age are right on...as well as rubber parts like bushings and transmission mounts. These cars are relatively easy to DIY if you can lift it - but demand patience and persistence. My 2005 was a fun and rewarding hobby...126k miles of fun.

Chuck, if you want to deal with a mess, wait until you see what the acetone does to your plastic sheeting.

I don't have your version of Porsche , i.e. 987, but if I recall, your target car is already beyond the "safe" point for the IMS bearing ... and 2007 wasn't a great year for IMS failures? The 100K mileage point has an extensive major maintenance protocol, unless you can do that work yourself, which you mentioned. Has the clutch been replaced, the clutch cable? But even if you do all the maintenance work, I wouldn't "give" that value to the seller. Also another big issue on this age & mileage stage of Porsche is bore scoring... which can be a real "Debbie Downer". In short, I wouldn't purchase without a bore scope review... at any price. If you a real risk taker, a doing a Blackstone, or other chemical oil testing analysis only... might work... with at least 4k-5K on the oil being tested? I'd ask the seller if he had this performed lately. Didn't mean to scare you... but.... PPIs and rigorous due diligence on Porsches maintenance records are non-negotiable, to prevent future regret. LN Engineering has some good/depressing reading... see attached.

FYI regarding scoring. I was concerned about this too, but some reading I've even found after my purchase. LN says base 2.5/2.7s in the Boxster and Cayman don't really suffer from scoring. Same with the much rarer scoring in the MA1 in the 987.2 and 981 , they report they've never seen a case in the 2.7/2.9 of those models. https://lnengineering.com/products/watercooled-porsche-cylinders-sleeves-and-pistons/porsche-cylinder-bore-scoring/what-is-porsche-cylinder-bore-scoring/ Also of note, the IMS is supposed to be a low failure rate on those because it's the later non-servicable one. LN recommends removing a seal to get more oil on the IMS in these and not worrying about it. https://lnengineering.com/products/the-definitive-guide-and-faq-for-porsche-ims-bearings/my06-08-porsche-cayman-boxster-911-ims-bearing/ So you might be alright and could just plan a clutch and fix those seals in the future.

KillerBs75, your LN link on bore scoring was what I was looking for.... Great reference material. We had a PCA chapter member go thru an engine rebuild last year due to bore scoring. I think they attributed it to a coolant leak. They sent the block away to LN for re-sleaving, but Kelly Moss did the rebuild to keep the VIN/Engine numbers consistent. Pricey... ~$25K all in.

A 2009 Boxster S ( 987.2 ) without as many issues, just sold on CarsAndBids for 21k today. I bought my 2009 Cayman S last year for that price. In my opinion, if you can swing 21-25K, just keep looking for a 987.2 without an oil leak. It will be a more reliable vehicle for you. Fine print: For $21k, my Cayman did come with high miles and some known issues, but all obvious and easily fixed. E.g. torn seat, missing frunk toolkit, bad rear-control-unit. One without those kinds of issues is likely going to be more... though that boxster today makes no sense to me.