Engine does not match chassis number

[Ameloblast]

I had a Boxster checked by a Porsche specialist (shout out to Craig, Buiks Motorworks from SA, who was very helpful and informative)

They noted that the appearance of the engine does not correspond to the age of the surrounding parts of the car. As it turns out, it was not the original engine.

I have a question to the experienced folks here, this car has limited service history, do you:

1) assume that the engine was rebuilt/replaced due to problems such as IMS bearing failure, and hence be happy that these issues are presumably fixed with the new engine; and the age of the engine is younger than what the odometer tells me which is guess is a good thing?

or

2) be skeptical with the unknown conditions that the engine was replaced e.g. shady jobs by unqualified mechanics or unclear engine source etc.

your thoughts and advice much appreciated. will you stay or walk away?

thanks!

[Tips]

Assuming there was no disclosure by the seller are you just guessing as to what the issue was around the engine replacement? Are there other items you should be concerned about as to the cars authenticity and documentation?  Have you checked the write off register to see if anything g else didn’t match?

im a big gut feel person and if things don’t line up or I feel it’s not quite as I was told I’m out of there. Plenty of Boxters on the market at all price points.

[LeeM]

 As the Lord Humungous says in Mad Max

'Walk away, just walk away'

 

[Ameloblast]

not written off, but no history about the engine.

[3legs]

I'm with Tips and Lee. Walk.

[Troubleshooter]

8 hours ago, Ameloblast said:

I had a Boxster checked by a Porsche specialist (shout out to Craig, Buiks Motorworks from SA, who was very helpful and informative)

They noted that the appearance of the engine does not correspond to the age of the surrounding parts of the car. As it turns out, it was not the original engine.

I have a question to the experienced folks here, this car has limited service history, do you:

1) assume that the engine was rebuilt/replaced due to problems such as IMS bearing failure, and hence be happy that these issues are presumably fixed with the new engine; and the age of the engine is younger than what the odometer tells me which is guess is a good thing?

or

2) be skeptical with the unknown conditions that the engine was replaced e.g. shady jobs by unqualified mechanics or unclear engine source etc.

your thoughts and advice much appreciated. will you stay or walk away?

thanks!

Depends on the price!

[P-Kay]

You know....there are plenty of these around, so you have to ask yourself, does the car have a good history/owner? Does it tick EVERY box for you? Is the price too good to pass up? Is the current engine healthy and strong?

If the price is right, then drive it like you stole it and then drive it a bit harder  

[edgy]

Unless its silly cheap, I agree, I would walk.. whilst there are plenty of Boxsters out there, there are very few that are "correct", and in terms of reselling, be that saleability or value, you want to buy the best you can now... I am currently looking for one too, and I think you know what I mean when I say that I "just click the back button, and scroll on past the crappy ones" ... 

If you are ambivalent now, that is not going to change with time. 

[81SC]

10 hours ago, Ameloblast said:

 the engine does not correspond to the age of the surrounding parts of the car.

your thoughts and advice much appreciated.

thanks!

That's a hairdressing(Boxster) thing you know, same as the old saying 'the drapes don't match the carpet'

[Dave997S]

Don't look back in anger, just walk away*

                                Noel Gallagher, Oasis 1995 

 

 

*Unless it is as cheap as a 1969 Corolla

[ANF]

4 hours ago, P-Kay said:

You know....there are plenty of these around, so you have to ask yourself, does the car have a good history/owner? Does it tick EVERY box for you? Is the price too good to pass up? Is the current engine healthy and strong?

If the price is right, then drive it like you stole it and then drive it a bit harder  

I tend to agree with @P-Kay

Also is it confirmed that it is not the original engine, opening post a little vague... and are we talking a 20 year old 986 or something much newer, that to me would have a large impact on the outcome..... (older is less of an issue, for me anyway )

 

[Ameloblast]

as it turns out the engine was replaced by the official Porsche dealership, so I guess that's ok?

[StevepGT3]

8 minutes ago, Ameloblast said:

as it turns out the engine was replaced by the official Porsche dealership, so I guess that's ok?

a lot were.

[ANF]

1 hour ago, StevepGT3 said:

a lot were.

A lot you say? What defines a lot?

[StevepGT3]

24 minutes ago, ANF said:

A lot you say? What defines a lot?

Many, according to a mechanic that was at a dealership when the cars were new,I didn`t press him on numbers, but he said that there were shitloads. Not just boxsters, 911`s as well

[ANF]

Just now, StevepGT3 said:

Many, according to a mechanic that was at a dealership when the cars were new,I didn`t press him on numbers, but he said that there were shitloads.

Shitloads to someone could mean many different things.....

Head PCA mechanic told me failure rate of m96 engines was about 1%, I tend to believe that as Porsche would have figures on all dealer refits.

[StevepGT3]

30 minutes ago, ANF said:

Shitloads to someone could mean many different things.....

Head PCA mechanic told me failure rate of m96 engines was about 1%, I tend to believe that as Porsche would have figures on all dealer refits.

i wasn`t there, but I don`t think he was bullshitting as it was an off the cuff comment, but hey believe what you want. 

[edgy]

1 hour ago, StevepGT3 said:

i wasn`t there, but I don`t think he was bullshitting as it was an off the cuff comment, but hey believe what you want. 

I would take “shitloads” as = it happens frequently enough, so don’t be surprised when you come across one. 

The guys in the shop know their stuff, they see it all.. ? 

[Tips]

If u can document the dealer swap, actual K’s and it’s priced accordingly (discounted) and you are not looking to sell in the next 2-4 years and it ticks the box’s, it’s only you that has to be happy don’t worry about others.

[Dave997S]

5 hours ago, Ameloblast said:

as it turns out the engine was replaced by the official Porsche dealership, so I guess that's ok?

It certainly tips the equation back a bit...as long as it’s all fully documented with receipts and FSH since etc

[Mttel]

Any info on how many k’s on the new motor?

The 2004 I bought had engine swapped at 36k in 2009 and its just about to hit 60k.

[Buchanan Automotive]

20 hours ago, ANF said:

Shitloads to someone could mean many different things.....

Head PCA mechanic told me failure rate of m96 engines was about 1%, I tend to believe that as Porsche would have figures on all dealer refits.

 

19 hours ago, StevepGT3 said:

i wasn`t there, but I don`t think he was bullshitting as it was an off the cuff comment, but hey believe what you want. 

On the M96 engine model cars we work on i would say around 40% do not have their original engines, really common and they have multiple failure modes. We have one in that has the rattle of death at startup. Not sure yet if its chain guides or tensioners but if its guides the engine is going to be split. original engine 45,000kms.

Regards

Sean

[Coastr]

Let's say it is 1%.  How many boxsters/911s did Porsche sell in Australia, in, say, 2005?

Was it 1,000 units?  1% of 1,000 units is 10 engine replacements.  Given that the majority of porsche sales are in a handful of locations, if you saw, say, 1 car per month coming through with an engine replacement, you'd call that 'shitloads'.

I don't know how many were sold or what the life expectancy was, but if you had one car per month in the shop getting a new engine you'd remember it.  

The amazing thing is how well the sorts of numbers we see now were hidden from the public at the time.  Things like Land Rovers get a terrible rap for reliability but if there are a non-trivial number of early 2000s Porsches getting around with dealer-replaced motors you'd think it would have been talked about more at the time.

[StevepGT3]

5 minutes ago, Coastr said:

Let's say it is 1%.  How many boxsters/911s did Porsche sell in Australia, in, say, 2005?

Was it 1,000 units?  1% of 1,000 units is 10 engine replacements.  Given that the majority of porsche sales are in a handful of locations, if you saw, say, 1 car per month coming through with an engine replacement, you'd call that 'shitloads'.

I don't know how many were sold or what the life expectancy was, but if you had one car per month in the shop getting a new engine you'd remember it.  

The amazing thing is how well the sorts of numbers we see now were hidden from the public at the time.  Things like Land Rovers get a terrible rap for reliability but if there are a non-trivial number of early 2000s Porsches getting around with dealer-replaced motors you'd think it would have been talked about more at the time.

I know for a certain that people with blown motors were enticed not to say anything, not only for porsches sake, but also to not devalue their own cars.

[GUT]

New engine - done by the dealer. Sounds good to me.

I don’t really think matching numbers is a concern with these.