Description
Thanks for looking at my 996. 2 (2003). Unfortunately, the engine has had IMS failure. The engine and gearbox are out of the car and the heads have been removed to inspect any potential damage. The IMS failed at low speed and although you can see in the pictures that the pistons have touched the valves so there could be some bent valves but the pistons look fine and the bores all look Ok. The engine will require a full strip down and total rebuild which makes sense whilst it’s a part. Prior to the engine failure the car ran very well, no oil leaks or rattles. The gearbox is the Tiptronic and had no issues. This was serviced by Dovehouse at 111, 000 miles. I’ve owned the car for 2 years and I'm the 5th owner. In my ownership it was my daily driver and was very reliable with only routine servicing. I have recently replaced the heater matrix. I have a folder of receipts from mine and previous owners. The shell is a non-sunroof and is in good shape with no signs of corrosion. There are age related scratches and scuffs and the front bumper does have stone chips. The car is finished in Midnight Blue with Metropole Blue interior. The interior is in very good condition with just a small hole on the drivers bolster, I believe it has the extended leather to the dash and door cards. It still has the original stereo. I've had the wheels refurbished recently and they are shod with the correct Michelins (approx 3 - 4mm). The wheels were confirmed by the local indie as genuine Porsche GT3. I was attracted to the car as it was a good honest car that looked like it had been well maintained and could see had, had money spent on it. I wasn’t looking for garage queen as I wanted to use it without worrying about where I’d leave it. I had a Boxster prior to this which was a garage queen so not really useable. The guy I bought it from hadn't been great at keeping receipts but I know that in his ownership it had been maintained by Dovehouse. I know from our conversations that the engine had been out twice. Once for the oil separator and once for a new exhaust/ headers. The exhaust is a stainless DesignTec which is switchable by a remote control - sounds great. The headers have also been replaced with non-standard. It also has the K&N filter conversion. The engine mounts also look quite recent. Brake lines have been replaced on both sides from front to back with braided hose. All four shocks look recent because they still have shiny paint on them. The brake discs also look quite recent. The air conditioning was ice-cold and the compressor is still connected to the car. The car is a category car but not for body damage. The first owner hit a speed bump and damaged the bottom of the engine. I know this as I tracked down the second owner who repaired the damage (have email confirmation) The guy owned his own rally preparation/ alloy wheel refurb business so welding the engine block was quite straight forward for him. This happened in 2005. He kept the car until 2011. The third owner was the father of the 4th owner who inherited it when his father passed away iI think 2019. He had been driving it backwards and forwards to Cornwall as he worked for Ginsters as you can see from the MOT history the mileage increasing. I’ve had a real dilemma about what to do with the car. A replacement engine (Hartech) is just not viable given their estimate of £15, 000 +. A short engine from Porsche is a possible option at around £9, 500 but I believe this is on an exchange basis so may have additional charges. This could be a great project for someone wanting to get in to Porsche ownership with the added assurance of a rebuilt engine. It might be a bit too much for me but if I can’t sell it as a project I will have a go at rebuilding it. I have taken loads of photos as I’ve removed and dismantled the engine.
