Hello to everybody on this forum,


I am new to this forum and am an active member at M3 post, so this is my inaugural post here. I have been spending lots of time reading the posts on this site and have narrowed my search down to a 997 S model that was built 9/2004. I am looking for your opinion, current price is 44K with 70k Miles and the following options - 3 previous owners, no maintenance history available - I understand that the early builds have a different IMS and that the Bose PCM is an older version - no MP3 and I suppose no AUX capability which I would really like to have though. Any reasons to shy away from early builds besides that? Thank you!


Options:

Heated Front Seats
Wheel Caps with Colored Crest
Sport Chrono Package Plus
Navigation for PCM2
Bose High End Sound Package and Remote CD Changer
Black Full Leather
Adaptive Sport Sts
Seal Grey Metallic

 

44K for an 05 S model seems way too high. For that money you'll find an 06 or 07 for sure. Also, they will have the bigger IMS bearing which suppose to be less prone to fail.

For example: http://www.porschedowntownla.com/use...a6032e85f2.htm

 

Thank you - I was having the same feeling and will go tomorrow again to see how much room there will be on price - I drove it today and it definitely pulled hard and had no rattles, which is a big plus!

 

If it's done 70k miles the IMS won't fail, it would of by now if it had gremlins.

 

Ok, this is based on me reading posts on this forum too much and I have no scientific evidence backing this up: but in some parts of the Porsche community (small as it might be) the '05 model is less desired because of the perception that it experiences more IMS failures than later models. Again, it very well may be perception and not reality... but it's "out there".

Also, you could use this "fact" in negotiating the price down.

Good luck!

 

That is a good suggestion - I am planning to do a PPI at Porsche and have them read the DME for overrevs too potentially....

 

Price is down to 39500 now. I checked pricing and prices are all over the place from mid 30s to high 40s. I am on the fence......

 

if you like the car - a couple K's here and there shouldn't a deterrent...as long as the ppi checks out and this is the car you want...

 

Be thankful. They still go for $85k-$110k here in Oz. +$300k new.

 

No service hx is a warning sign. 3 owners is not a recommendation. The price is too high. The ims is a real concern. You need to shop for a good solid car. There are many out there.

 

Not the best advice here Joey.

 

Thanks for all of your replies. I drove it again today. After driving it hard it seemed that it was taking longer to start, slight rattling sound at start. I did not feel 100% comfortable about that and decided to look elsewhere. Back to the search for a 2006+ model instead.

 

From my research if an IMS has lasted to 70k mileage and hasn't gone it's not one that is prone to failure - IF the service history is clean and oil changed regularly.

Anyway the IMS in mine is the 3rd generation (rated to 3650 lbs, as opposed to the 2nd generation - 3060 lbs & the first generation - 2200 lbs) as I have a 2005 build but it's a MY06 model. Not serviceable and if I wanted to install an upgraded IMS I would need to have the engine and transmission removed from the car & engine stripped $$$$$ - prob 2-3 days of labour about $4000 exc parts. No point might as well wait for it to fail if it will.

Do an oil change on the car and look at the oil filter, if no metallic flakes then you are all good.

Regular oil changes are important, every 5k is best. I also read that it helps to keep revs above 2500, don't baby the engine low revs are bad for the IMS.

 

Wow that is expensive for a 2005!
I think you can get a fairly well equipped 09 997.2 from a private party for low to mid 50s

 

When I was searching for my car a couple years ago, I was struck by how many 997s had weak batteries and did not start well. This was true across most of the dealers I went to.


I suspect it comes from cars not being driven regularly, then being driven only in short test-drive spurts, never giving the batteries sufficient charge. Meanwhile, all the background electrical activities were draining out the batteries.


This phenomenon did not seem to be a problem with privately-owned cars.