Thank you all for the kind words! One question I am getting via DM that I think would be helpful for everyone to hear my thoughts: IMS Bearing: "Has the IMS been replaced, what has been done about the IMS, et al....": The 2005.5-2008 M97 era motors used Porsche's final version of the IMS bearing. The good news is that bearing has a lower failure rate than version 1 (96-99) and a MUCH lower failure rate than version 2 (2000-2005) however it is NOT zero. IF you need the 100% assurance that you will not have an IMS failure than one needs to NOT buy any M96/M97 era of motors. To me this versions failure rate falls into my level of acceptable risk however every person has different risk tolerance, so evaluate that for yourself. The BAD news is that this bearing is physically too large to be removed from the case (unlike the earlier versions which can be replaced) and as such in my opinion can't be replaced. (there is a company which has a method to physically enlarge the IMS flange housing bore but IMO that is not an acceptable method, you can form your own opinion). The only thing one can do is remove the grease seal on the IMS bearing to increase splash lubrication. Hope that helps!

@andrewallen9993

Жыл бұрын

In other words if you want a reliable good looking sports car buya Jaguar, Corvette or Chrysler V10?

@ashman0071

Жыл бұрын

I forgot the engine serial number for M97 engines from then on that had a much improved version of the IMS bearing that was installed .......... am I confused about this ? Pretty early in the 2007 model year the improved IMS bearing was being used in the M97 according to these 'later' serial number engines installed in these cars from what I read long ago - and their IMS failure rate is almost non-existent. Also these cars had a Porsche bulletin to change the single coil ignition to 6 individual coils around 2010 I think - many of these cars have not had this done. Has it been done on this car or am I wrong about that too? Thx.

@andyfoster6128

8 ай бұрын

Lvvlvl

@spxram4793

5 ай бұрын

@@andrewallen9993 checking market prices tells a different story ...

Under the car - [ ] damage to front bumper - [ ] Damage to tub - [ ] Check that covers are present and has correct fasteners - [ ] Check brand of tire - [ ] Check tire wear - [ ] Check tire wear, is it even? - [ ] Check damage to rockers - [ ] Leak from CV joints - [ ] Check for leaks - [ ] valve covers - [ ] oil pan - [ ] Damage to rear bumper - [ ] Exhaust tips - [ ] check rear shielding present Exterior - [ ] Check impact damage front - [ ] check radiators, are they clean? - [ ] Look for door dings, from back of car to front - [ ] paint mismatch - [ ] check that the window drops when you grab door handle - [ ] check that the window goes up when you close the door - [ ] check that it completely closes - [ ] Check how much oil is used - [ ] Check for chips on edge of doors - [ ] Check that all lights illuminate when starting the car - [ ] Check oil level - [ ] Check that it doesn’t smell damp inside Engine - [ ] check that engine lid works - [ ] check that fasteners and stickers are present - [ ] does it look like any of the screws have been removed - [ ] Look for anything that catches your attention - [ ] coolant - [ ] frayed belt - [ ] see oil - [ ] droppings - [ ] Call attention to things to the seller Frunk - [ ] inspect frunk for rock damage - [ ] check hood struts are working - [ ] Pull out bottom cover - [ ] Check that the factory air pump is present - [ ] Factory toolkit is present - [ ] wheel lock key is present - [ ] Pull off battery cover - [ ] Check date to see when it was last replaced - [ ] Check if it has a battery tender - [ ] Check that the vent tube is hooked up - [ ] Check that the battery is properly tied down - [ ] Pull up side covers to check for animal droppings or leaves/debris - [ ] Check that the drains aren’t clogged up, this can result in water spilling into the interior - [ ] Get both keys and test that both keys work - [ ] Can lock and unlock the car, can start the car - [ ] If one of the keys doesn’t work, it could also be a failing alarm module because its been exposed to water Documentation - [ ] put the documentation in chronological order - [ ] Check for service recommendations that customer approved -> good sign - [ ] If you see ‘customer declined’ coming up -> bad sign Thanks for a fantastic video! Using this to find my next 997.1 hope its useful for someone else!

@GTFour

Ай бұрын

Nothing wrong with A customer declined,p statement, the dealers are constantly trying to make work for themselves on your dime; They tell me i NEED new tyres, discs and pads EVERY damn service even when they replaced the whole lot last service and they’re barely 1/10 worn 😤

30 years of knowledge into one video. This man is a national treasure

MERZ is the Jedi.

When I was 8 years old I loved to wash my parents cars. I would vacuum and wax and found it so rewarding. Even as a young 10 year old to teen I was always the one to recommend a new car to my parents and they always bit. An older gentleman who was a friend of the family and collected cars knew that I was a car kid. He told me something that stuck with me even more than 50 years later.. He told me “Gregory the drivers seat will often tell you the story of a car.” He was so correct. I often go straight to the bolster pictures for any car for sale on line. One other thing that drives me crazy is all the crap and lint on the dash, vents, shifter area, switches.... I’m like get a paint brush and sweep those things away.....

Nathan is one if the best Porsche specialists, known well in the Porsche circles👍👍

20+ year Porsche owner and this car is almost identical to my 997.1 C4S. Purchased it 14 years ago with 6k miles. Today it has 96k miles. Best car I have ever owned. Still excites me to drive and I love how it looks rolling down the road. No issues or problems, just regular oil changes, tires, brakes, and other regular maintenance with the rare occasion, clutch, AOS or water pump changed due to wear and age. Great looking 997.1 C4S

Doubles the value of your channel with this type of true expert input - thank you…….

@Rennthusiast

Жыл бұрын

Glad to hear you say that. I am going to begin finding more people to get on the channel. 👍🏼

Yeah, so this guy would be good as a judge on the Concours, but for everyone else please drive your cars!!! My grass is not green but yellow. We are in a drought in the North Pacific. But my garage and cars are immaculate, thank you but don’t judge me. Most important, my cars are NOT garage queens are are driven and scuffed.

@sandoo22

6 ай бұрын

That comment kind of hit me too. I’m not a super organized compulsive dude like the guy in this video. He sounds like a pain to his wife and kids: “you can’t have any pudding”…. Kind of guy My cars are driven hard and well taken care of. I get upset when my kids are not careful around them and I’m protective, but I’m using them as the builder wanted them to be used. What’s the purpose of having a 911 and be obsessed with the thought that something’s gonna happen to it?

@Mihalyofficial

4 ай бұрын

Yeah but he's talking about a DETAILED PPI. Most have to save for YEARS to be able to touch one of these cars. It's not a honda civic that you can repair for a grand if its in real bad shape. This is the kind of particular individual I'd want to buy a porsche from.

Still have my Porsche Cayman 987 2.7 l / 2008 / 245 HP since 15 years no issues with this car whatsoever ca 200.000 km now this is the best design Porsche has ever made the last analog one !

Nathan is an absolute treasure for those of us here in the Pacific Northwest - and beyond. He clearly knows his stuff. Will, you are fortunate to have him on your channel as I’m sure you already know. Both of you do great content… Keep it coming!

Lots of great info, but not really much about the 997 specifically. What I really wanted was 5 mins of the top 997 things to look for, more than 40 mins of how to spot the perfect car

This is a very well produced video on the 997 era cars. I’m a long time Porsche owner-in my 50th year now. One of my cars is a 06 997S cabriolet which I picked up at Zuffenhausen. After driving so many Porsches over so many decades I can tell you that the 997 is a great era 911 to consider purchasing. Porsche learns off every generation of car they have produced and that is readily apparent because the cars are so reliable. Imagine a 182 mph car being reliable. As this guy said, every generation car has some sort of issue. Once upon a time the big achilles’ heel were the chain tensioners. As a late to the game water cooled car maker, I feel their water pumps could last longer, but they don’t. Fortunately, it’s not super hard or expensive to replace them. Oil usage is a problem for some 997s. We have concluded that it could be an issue with “tolerance stack” where a number of components in the assembled engine are at the edge of their spec range-and with enough of those, the tolerance is letting it use more oil. I use exactly 1 quart per thousand miles. It’s nuts of course but it is considered well within the Porsche factory acceptable limits. In a positive sense, I am regularly adding oil to the car, so my oil isn’t just getting old inside the engine! I may be burning it because it’s a tight engine-zero leaks, but certainly no evidence of burning. I now have 132,000 miles on my 06. I drive it. They should be driven. If you don’t, get a trickle charger. (We have eight cars so we have to stay on top of that). Otherwise, you will need to buy batteries at a more frequent rate. Serpentine belts must be monitored, along with the tensioning pulley and the other two come-along wheels. Cheap and easy. In the early 997 cars we have a known issue with the alternators. Particularly the cable between the alternator and the starter. I have replaced my alternator and my starter. I have replaced two water pumps. (Lucky for me Porsche had to pay for one-warrantee item at the time). There are many things that can go wrong on such a capable car but surprisingly the little does. Porsche erred considerably in the interior material choices when they designed these cars, by using too much of tho ‘slush’ finish on surfaces. You can avoid the premature paint wear by choosing a car with a lot of factory leather, like the center console, and door finishers. Otherwise, that slush finish wears off and makes a car look older than it is. The radio knobs always show wear-somewhat rubberized, you can pick them up for little and do them easily. Be proactive with maintenance. There are few things to do with preventative maintenance on the 997s. Regular driving helps to keep them running properly. Again, all the tips from this review are spot on. He’s an excellent source of info on the 911 but be sure to have someone familiar with your era of interest give a look. I consider myself only truly qualified on the G models and the 997s. I am lost on the 991 and 2 cars! Keep in mind that finding such experts is not difficult. I would start with the Porsche Club. And gravitate toward the older guys. I bought my first Porsche at 19. Anyone who waits too long misses out!

@Lucasalaiza

7 ай бұрын

I am 19 and i am looking at purchasing a 2006 911 4s it has 98k miles on it it’s a private seller i’m going to go see the car on tuesday the 997 is my favorite generation and if it possible i hope i can do it

@Lucasalaiza

7 ай бұрын

is their anything i should look out for while looking at the car?

Yup, Nathan is a great source of knowledge for the Porsche community. His work with the PCA community is really comprehensive and valuable for any prospective Porsche owner. Thanks for doing this "non air-cooled" segment Will!

To me this video was super helpful and informative. To the point that I decided I wanted to buy the car. Set up an appointment with the seller in Cary, NC and about 3 hours before, Nathan texted that the car was sold. Disappointed but 2 days later I received word that the Porsche dealer that serviced this car had just received a 2008 C4S with nearly identical mileage but hadn't listed it yet. Went over immediately, pretended I was Nathan running through my 997 inspection and bought the car. It has a Kenwood unit installed so I asked the dealer to put in the new PCCM Classic and will pick it up this week. Somewhat surprised that the dealer had the PCCM in stock. Thanks to Will for the video as it was enough to get me to go buy a C4S even if it wasn't the same car.

Always amazed with the depth of Nathan’s knowledge. Also, just a great guy to talk to.

He is very knowledgeable. I bought my 2003 SL55 new. I do all repairs and maintenance myself, consequently I don't have 'documentation'. I do it myself because most shop mechanics don't meet my high expectations. I've never looked at the display indicating the oil level, because a transducer could never be as accurate as a shop dip-stick. Retired Chief Engineer

@nealvaughan6538

3 ай бұрын

This car does not have a dip-stick, only digital read-out

Great video with useful extensive info on the 997.1 I own a 997.1 C4S and bought it with 70.000 miles on the clock. I am the owner for 8 years now and it now has done 170.000 miles. At 160.000 miles the engine got overhauled. I always warm the engine up and after a spirited drive let it cool down. Also oil changes are done every 6000 miles, instead of every 20.000 miles like Porsche recommends. I don’t cut corners with maintenance, so if you treat it with respect (as you should) it is a fantastic trustworthy car. Of course, this is only my experience with the 997.1.

@dj8010

Жыл бұрын

I know this sounds weird....but with Porsches it's not good to let them idle and warm up. Best to be driven to warm up the way the oil system is designed.

@drunvert

Жыл бұрын

I don't believe that Porsche says every 20,000 miles on an oil change. Changes are once a year. And that is way too far between oil changes for anyone that drives their car as their main driver.

Bought mine with 44K miles. On about 87K now...with about 2K track miles. Great car. Great review....thanks!

Wow. That was next level professionalism

I have never heard anyone more knowledgeable on Porsches than Nathan!! He is a walking encyclopedia! And he brings it in a very entertaining way as well. Top video!🤩

I could listen to Nathan for hours. He is knowledgeable and methodical in his approach when evaluating these cars and it does not seem to matter the year or model. He knows them all. Very impressed that you had him on your channel.

@ArtVandelayOfficial

7 ай бұрын

Strongly agree, he's an asset to the community Most of the PPI stuff I already know but he always has those extra little tips

Excellent information. This guy really knows his stuff.

Great content Will, thanks for putting this together. I’m sure many of us have Merz season tickets, awesome to see the 997 added to the knowledge base. Must watch.

Great video, Will! Really like these as they help educate prospective buyers.

Nathan's expertise is second to none, great video Will! Maintenance book & PPI is key!

Excellent video. Nathan is awesomeness in action.

lots of great information. Very impressed with the quality of info. Good stuff

I have mad respect for Nathan's knowledge.

You have a great network, Will! Nice to learn more about PPI and the 997 generation from Nathan; they look nice, especially rear silhouette imo.

Mr Merz is a Pro!! Thanks for the video

My exact car. I have a manual 997.1 C4S, meteor grey just like this one. It’s my 3rd 911 and I’m planning to keep it for the remainder of my life.

Every Nathan video is a porsche video worth watching. Incredible amount of knowledge.

🙌🏾 This video was so informative and educational. I felt like I was in class, watching a Porsche Jedi. Thanks for posting.

Wow...what a MUST see video. Will, your videos keep getting better and better. I watched your car on Bring A Trailer and your videos about the 'process', but I didn't see one about 'now it's sold and gone'. Did I miss that one? Finally, thanks for taking the time to produce excellent and informative Porsche videos.

19:15 Would love to have a new Porsche but realistically a used one will be how I enter into the space. Grateful I came across this channel, educating myself before purchasing.

This man is THE man! great vid

Nathan is the man, knowledge above most, thank u from nyc

I could listen to Nathan all day the guy is a total legend . Please can we see more of him on the channel Will, a 964 review would be awesome 😎👍

Extremely helpful pre-inspection PPI-analyses! Hidden damages, missing boy parts, Bore-scoring etc.

Very professional, straightforward evaluation that is so useful to see in video format. In multiple ways, I think some of Nathan's evaluation process would be useful on other cars. Thanks for providing!

Wow , I’ve learnt more from listening to Nathan in this video than any other video so far, he is so knowledgeable and informative I’ve really learnt so valuable insight and lessons to apply not only useful to the Porsche 997 but to others as well, I’m really glad I clicked on this video. Watching from Australia 🇦🇺

Thank you so much for this video! Super helpful!

Really informative video. Thanks

Thanks NM for helping buyers hear you say a "tracked Porsche is ok", or may not be an abused car. On the contrary, a responsibly tracked car will have fluids and brakes replaced early or prematurely so that it can preform as designed through the whole event. I'd take a tracked car spun into the grass a couple of times any day over a car with curb rash and daily city driving jumping over RR tracks etc. My general experience is that most German cars driven responsibly hard will run better. They like it.

This was so helpful! Thank you very much

Going to look at a 997 turbo tomorrow and this is immensely helpful. Thank you!!

Nathan is great, bought my ‘04 GT3 from him and it was as advertised. Absolutely love the car and he made the process easy 👍

This was so helpful being in the market. Taking notes as I visit Godspeed in Charlotte next week. Thank you!

Every generation of every manufacturer has some issues. Every part on every car will fail eventually. And fixing any car at the dealership is expensive. A new Key. fob for my 2017 Macan was $410, and they programmed it free - even though I didn't buy it from that dealership. A new Key fob for a 2017 Dodge Charger was $386 plus two hours labor. I could go on and on, but my experience is that a Porsche properly maintained and daily driven isn't meaningfully worse. If you want to keep your 911 Turbo in like new condition while you track it on weekends, you have gotten yourself a VERY expensive hobby, but try it with a Mustang GT or a Honda Civic or a Toyota Supra. Maintaining a track car to dealer spec will hurt a lot.

Merz=Real Deal!! Another informative video, Will. Thanks.

Great video very helpful thanks 👏🏽👊🏽👍🏽

Thank you for excellent video, very educative.

What a great video! Coincidentally your videos and the ones Nathan does for PCA happen to be my top two favorites on KZread for Porsche content. So this little collaboration was an unexpected surprise today

@Rennthusiast

Жыл бұрын

Haha thanks. Glad you enjoyed.

This guy is phenomenal . . .and he's common sense understandable. I am, by no means a Porsche Geek but even i could clearly understand everything he educated me about

Great content gentlemen!

I believe that the lug nut rusting is due to galvanic corrosion. When two dissimilar metals contact one another for a long period of time, one metal will give up ions to its neighbor and rust. Chances are good that the wheels and the lug nuts are different materials here.

I saw Nathan at a hour long at a PCA meeting. Most knowledgeable guy I’ve ever heard speak on Porsche and on all models. At Boise a couple years ago

What a great video guys. I've really enjoyed other videos from Nathan, primarily the Carrera 3.2 (my all time favorite) and 987 reviews, and loved this one too. Great work. I'll watch this over and over again.

been watching a lot of 911 videos including yours, bought a 997 a month ago (could've used this video, but purchase went great anyway), and... only now subscribed because you finally did a non air cooled video, hint hint hint.

I really like your philosophy on cleanliness. I agree that if a person takes care of their things it will reflect in all aspects of their life. I believe there are two types of people. Maintainers and Users. I would prefer to purchase a car from a maintainer. Thanks for the video. I am considering buying a 997 and found this very helpful.

Nathan is the king 🙌

Great job!

Scan tool is important- you can check LT and ST Fuel trims to see if there are issues with vacuum or fuel delivery.

Wow excellent informative video.

Great tips! I'm looking at a 997.2 or 991 C4S manual, this is helpful.

Really enjoy Nathan's youtube videos. A Porsche nerd's nerd without being a nerd. Would love to let him eval my 2011 911 Carrera S.

I purchased my 996 by using some of Nathan’s inspection procedures and unfortunately first Porsche emotional attraction. Fortunately I made a good purchase and enjoyed the car for several years. However, the next one will be inspected by Nathan or by a PCA shop that follows Nathan’s process.

I have often wondered if there was anyone else as picky about their car as I am, the answer is YES! Great information!!!

That was freaking amazing!!!

Cool video, I’ve learned a lot.

Truly excellent!

Great content.

Great great video!

Valuable info, do the work before buying or get someone like Nathan to help.

Carolina Exotic in Raleigh is where I bought my current 997.2 TS.

Great vid- be nice to see one on the 991 generations 👍

Wow. Very informative

Great content

Awesome video 📹 👊🏾👊🏾👊🏾😎😎😎

Merz baby!! What a score.

Merz is incredible!

Very informative - Thanks for documenting this and sharing it.

Not sure I buy the consistentcy theory. I have a sloppy house, but my car is manicured and meticulously maintained. I am a car guy, but not much of a housekeeper.

@Rennthusiast

7 ай бұрын

So maybe it’s a guideline, not a male or break?

Nathan is the reference authority.

Thank you for this informative video and especially to you, Nathan. Nathan - you said there are several remedies for dealing with sticky buttons and knobs - I hate the sticky factor… could you please share how to get rid of the ick?

Great video. I'm a VAG family as well and I love VW bc I can afford it. Audi is my next step and one day a Porsche. You got my follow!

Glad to see some love for the water-cooled variations of the greatest car ever made! 😊 🤜🤛

I recall the 9x6 cars had the alarm module under the driver seat. The 9x7 cars should have the rear module under the driver seat and I believe the Bose amplifier under the passenger seat (if equipped). Water can get in thru the heater core cover too. The 9x7 cars can also get power distribution box pin corrosion.

Very interesting vdo. It’s also very important to get a full engine history including engine speeds with possible engine over speeds. Agreed Porsche dealers do it by plugging the engine on their electronic case and they know exactly at which overspend and which exact mileage the engine run in any case.

Outstanding. I'm an hour away from Seattle. I'll be checking out his store, Columbia Valley Luxury Cars.

what a fantastic lesson this video is. There really is no better teacher than experience. My Porsche 911 days were air-cooled, needed head studs, and all kinds of gaskets. These were 5-8 thousand 20 years ago. Today the same car in the same condition is 68,000. I wasted money buying a 1987 944. This car sounded like a helicopter from the torque tube when downshifting around corners. What a way to ruin your Porsche experience. Every time I drove that car I reminded myself, this is my poor man's Porsche.

Good video

thats a sweet car ...great video.

Would be nice to do this kind of PPI explanation on cars with actual problems to point out. Every time I see something like this its always with a pristine or near pristine example

@Rennthusiast

Жыл бұрын

I guess it is what it is in this one. But good suggestion.

@nathanmerz

Жыл бұрын

@Aircooled I would LOVE to do that type of video, the challenge I run into is that most people are unwilling to have their car featured if we are showing real issues as that of course would cause issues if they were ever to sell the car. I inspect LOTS of cars that don't pass my inspection, but I have never had one of those owners willing to let me publicly show the issues.... If anyone is willing, let me know!

@enjoyradiosilence

Жыл бұрын

@@nathanmerz I hear you. It’s definitely a delicate subject with owners. I would gladly offer up my ‘77 coupe but like many in your videos it’s pristine. You might have to do it guerilla style with eye glass cameras at random dealerships 😂. Appreciate you sharing your wealth of knowledge on these cars. It’s a true asset to the pcar community.

I think I can cancel my Netflix subscription now, I'm gonna be here a while!🤣 Great channel 👍

@Rennthusiast

11 ай бұрын

Haha thanks…very kind of you to say

Wondering if the weeping rear main seal is an engine out or expensive job sooner or later. Have to say the car was spotless.

Very informative video, thanks! Just looking to buy my first Porsche and there is 997 cabrio from dealership. I’m not real fan of cabrio, but could be a good deal. It’s will be good if you will mention your concern regarding cabrio in some of next videos to get overview by experienced owner.😉

Hey Will, I recently found your channel and I'm really enjoying your content! I noticed this video was at a dealership in Raleigh. I'm not sure if you're local to this area, but if so, do you have an independent shop you recommend for water cooled Porsches? Thanks!

Thanks for the video! Looks car was sold, wonder what it went for that thing was perfect ( funny write up on the seller site about car being flagged for rear collision).