Read up on Porsche 996, 997 and Boxster engines and you’ll soon be scared silly by stories of IMS (intermediate shaft) failure. Actually, it’s the bearing at the end of the shaft that can fail and, thankfully, it’s a rare occurrence. If the bearing does break up, though, bits of metal will get pumped around with the oil and will soon destroy the engine.

As I said, it rarely happens but if it does, you don’t get any warning until it’s too later. And having that worry at the back of your mind can spoil your Porsche driving experience.

Now, though, there’s a solution that gives peace of mind.

The IMS Guardian was developed by my all-American cousin Jake Raby (actually, we don’t think we are related but it’s cool to think we are, and we have the same taste in cars!). Jake’s a clever engineer who runs Flat6 Innovations. The IMS Guardian is simple but very effective. IMS Guardian consists of a magnetic sump plug with two terminals. Steel swarf is attracted to the plug and, when it shorts the terminals, an alarm sounds in the cockpit. A discrete switch on the dash blends in with the existing switchgear.

If the alarm should sound, you need to stop the engine as quickly as possible and get the car to your local Porsche specialist, where they will be able to investigate further. If the IMS bearing has broken up, it’s a largish job to replace the bearing and to clean out the oilways, but much cheaper than a new engine!

The great new is, I’m a UK stockist of the IMS Guardian and offer a fitting service for southern England, at our Chichester workshop. Click here for more details.

Check out this video to find out more. Gotta love that accent!

Do you need to sell your Porsche but don’t want the hassle of dealing with buyers? And it can be a hassle – tyre kickers, time wasters, scammers, no-shows, and people who make silly offers without even looking at the car. Even serious buyers can take up a lot of your valuable time, asking searching questions, wanting to see detailed photographs of the car, spending several hours going over it with a fine-toothed comb. You know the drill – wouldn’t you rather spend your weekends with the family or friends?

That’s where I come in. I will look after the entire sales process of your car. Starting off by putting it through a thorough mechanical inspection, having it professionally cleaned and detailed, and then effectively marketing in the UK and around the world.

What’s more, I always have people coming to me looking to buy Porsches, so I can often match buyers and sellers.

Recent sales success means that I urgently need more stock, and have people waiting to buy. In particular, I have people looking for really good examples of 964s, 993s and 996 Carrera 4Ss. So if you want to sell your car the easy way, do please get in touch.

Are you looking for somewhere to store your Porsche or other car (or boat etc)?

I have access to a secure storage facility in southern England, which is within close proximity to the M27 and one and a half hours from London in a discrete location.

As well as storage, we offer specialised car servicing and detailing. Please get in touch for more details.

Not too many years ago, the Porsche 964 was the unloved and unwanted 911. Not any more – people are desperate to find good examples and they’re hard to come by.

There are many reasons the 964 is in demand. Here are some:

1, It’s a perfect mix of classic 911 lines with (relatively) modern technology and interior comfort (it’s got conventional heater controls, for a start).

2, It’s a rare car. During the recession of the early 1990s, when the 964 was current, Porsche struggled to sell cars and relatively few 964s were built from 1989 to 1992. The 993 that followed was sold in much greater numbers.

3, It’s affordable (for the moment) and cheaper than an equivalent 993.

4, It’s a reliable and tough 911.

5, It’s a lovely car to drive.

6, 964 Carrera 2 RS and Turbo prices have skyrocketed and this has had a knock-on effect on the lesser models in the range.

So why was the 964 unloved for so long? Well, the early ones suffered from engine oil leaks, dodgy dual-mass flywheels and other woes. However, Porsche moved quickly to rectify these problems and later cars proved trouble free, while early ones were sorted out under warranty. Today, a 964 engine is no more likely to leak than any other 911′s (and if it does, it’s likely to be because of age rather than any inherent fault in the engine).

I championed the 964 a few years ago, when I worked for 911 & Porsche World magazine. I brought a lovely green example over from Germany (that’s it in the photo) and I like to think that, in my own small way, I helped changed people’s attitudes to this classic Porsche. I should never have sold that car!

Today, I always have people looking for good Porsche 964s and good ones are hard to come by. There are a few ropey ones out there but really nice, well-maintained ones are few and far between. I had a lovely one last year up for £20,000 and it sold within eight hours of my getting it!

So, if you have a Porsche 964 to sell, do please get in touch!

I’ve just updated my eBook which gives an alternative view to car ownership and shows that anyone can afford to drive a Porsche. It’s simply a case of changing the way you think about buying and owning a car.

For just £3.99, this eBook will change the way you think about car ownership and includes the following information:

• The difference between foolish and clever car buyers.

• A Porsche can be less expensive to own than a modern saloon car.

• Porsches are remarkably environmentally friendly.

• A gentle introduction to the many models of Porsche

• Which Porsches make a good first buy.

If you thought that Porsche ownership was only a dream, then it’s time to think again!

You can buy the book via the iBooks store to read on your iPhone or iPad, and download a free sample, or the Amazon/Kindle bookstore to read on your Kindle device. Search ‘Raby’ in the relevant store to find it.

Take a look at this Porsche 997 Turbo (above). A mean machine, isn’t it? It simply oozes power and aggression.

Now compare it to this 1968 Porsche 911T (below). A car with the same DNA but from 30 years earlier. It’s a lovely looking car but more petite and delicate-looking than the 997. Why? Because it’s lacking the newer car’s bulging arches, spoilers and intakes. It’s a pure 911 shape with no extras.

The original Porsche 911′s shape was, over the years, added to with flared arches (even this 1968 car has those), front lip spoilers, rear spoilers and wings, plus more and more air intakes. The intakes have become an integral part of all modern sports cars, as more and more powerful engines demand masses of cooling air, as do brakes and air-conditioning systems.

Porsche has been very clever in integrating these modern elements into the 911′s classic shape and, today, buyers actually want to see cars with spoilers, big arches and intakes large enough to devour small mammals – they make a car look purposeful and aggressive – back that 997 Turbo again.

Indeed, take away those elements and people say a car looks bland and dull. Which is exactly what happened with the 996 (below). Porsche did a fantastic job of reimagining the 911 when it developed the 996. Here was a car that was stripped of the bolt-ons that the 911 had gained over the years, and was a clever reinterpretation of the original 911 of the 1960s.

Sadly, though, buyers in the late 20th century and early 21st century didn’t want a pure-looking sports car, which is why Porsche went back a step with the 997, adding the various elements which had been removed from the pure 996 shape.

I know it’s not fashionable to say so, but I really like the Porsche 996′s pure and clean lines. It’s a masterpiece of design.

You feel your Porsche through your steering wheel, and the choice of wheel can really transform the feel of your Porsche.

During the development of the 993, Porsche did a lot of research into ‘Porscheness’ and came to the conclusion that a 911 should have a relatively large, thin-rimmed steering wheel, rather than a smaller chunky item, which is what you expect to find in sports car.

Drive a 993 – or indeed any other air-cooled 911 – with the original wheel and you’ll understand the thinking about this. A thin rim has a delicate feel to it, which suits the light, communicative steering of a 911.

However, there is something to be said for a thick-rimmed wheel, which is why it’s long been a popular upgrade to fit Porsches with the wonderful steering wheel from the 968 Clubsport. This is a thing of beauty and feels wonderful, too. Is it wrong to fit one to a 911? Not at all. I’ve just been driving around in a Porsche 964 with such a wheel fitted and it felt really good. Dare I say it felt better than the standard 964 four-spoke job? I just have….

The Porsche 996 gets a bad press but it really is a great 911. I had a customer round the other week looking, at first, at a 993 but he couldn’t get on with the offset pedals so I suggested he tried a 996. His initial reaction was negative, saying that he’d heard that 996s weren’t any good. But after driving this one, he realised that, actually, a 996 is just what he wants.

And what about the looks? OK, maybe the headlamps are a bit odd but, on the whole, I like the 996′s lines. They have a purity which harks back to the clean lines of the very first 911s, before they get complicated with spoilers and flared arches. From a design point of view, the 996s is spot on.

The interior’s better than some people will have you believe. It’s ergonomically spot-on and is modern and well thought out. What more could you want?

For more information on this particular Porsche click here.

There are, if I’m honest, quite a few Porsche 997s for sale at the moment. However, look closely at many of them and they’re a disappointment. Many 997s were bought as everyday cars and have been treated as such – parking dents, chips, scruffy interiors, high mileage, all spoil what should be a lovely car.

Not so this 2007 Carrera S. With just 17,900 miles on the clock, it’s in near-new condition, and certainly drives like a new car. It has a great specification, too, including heated seats (a must in this weather!) and the Bose sound upgrade.

It was a good car when it arrived, but now it’s spent a day with the detailer, being cleaned inside and out, and it now looks stunning. 997s don’t come much better than this one!

Click here for full details.

I was chatting to Porsche mate John Glynn on Facebook when he mentioned his plans to build a Porsche 944 estate car (or shooting brake). Just the sort of mad idea I love so I shot over to his blog to read up on his plans.

Like John, I like the look of estate cars, especially small sporty ones. The Scimitar GTE was a good-looker while Volvo have long been master of this tiny niche with cars like the lovely 1800ES, the 480 and today’s neat C30.

Porsche, though, has never gone down this route, with the exception of a wonderful-looking 928 estate (above) built as a one off for Ferry Porsche (one of the perks of owning a car company).

However, that didn’t stop tuners creating their own shooting brakes, based on 924s 944s and 928s (I don’t remember seeing a 968, more’s the shame). Some of these were more successful than others, but my favourite was always the DP Motorsport Cargo (below), which I thought – and still do think – looked stunning. If John can create something this good, I’ll be impressed.

As an update, I’ve just been told that DP is offering to make more Cargoes, priced at a hefty €18,000 per conversion. The demo car looks good but it really needs those roof rails, I reckon!

Looking ahead, I wonder if anyone will produce a Panamera estate. There have been artists’ impressions but, to me, they have all the appeal of a Jaguar estate car. Just too big and, well, too normal. A sporting shooting brake needs to be small, cute-looking and not too practical.

Speaking of practical, the 924/944/968 is a practical proposition even without an extended boot. My very first Porsche was a 924 and at the time my girlfriend (now my wife) had a Vauxhall Nova. I could easily fit my mountain bike in the back of the Porsche without removing the wheels but it wasn’t possible to get it into the Nova.

Now it just remains to be seen whether or not John goes through with his plan…