Cayman enthusiasts in lockdown - what are you doing?

JohnCRS · May 11, 2020

I just wondered. Various nuggets of information have appeared in threads, but how are you managing to maintain your enthusiasm for your cars during this period?

Using the car for 'essential' journeys?
Doing those long put off maintenance projects?
Restoration and rebuilding?
Cleaning, polishing and detailing?
Modifying it so that it is even better when it can be used again?
Preparing it for competition?
Trying to forget it is in the garage so as not to be tempted?
Spending even more time on car related forums and YouTube? (good links on here)
Setting up and using a Sim kit? (a massive opportunity for budget / scope creep)
Working out the ideal spec for your next Cayman?
Waiting to take delivery of your next Cayman?
Planning you next road trip
Something (anything) different to the above?

Got any stories or thoughts to share?

AndrewT · May 11, 2020

I did wash my Cayman, just so I could put the cover on it! I’ve used it about three times for essential food transporting journeys to my mother in law, but that’s only 5 miles each way.

I’ve spent time looking at photographs of where I was on this date last year....

AndrewCS · May 11, 2020

Washed and put away weeks ago, used tyre dressing for the first time ever … also did most of the exterior plastic trim with it.

Re-joined the club … researched 996`s

Negotiated the next Cayman

Craiglm68 · May 12, 2020

Weekly exercise run involving a late night supermarket run via some "interesting" roads.

Read all my old Car magazines (twice).

Household cars are clean enough to eat your dinner off.

Craiglm68 · May 12, 2020

Weekly exercise run involving a late night supermarket run via some "interesting" roads.

Read all my old Car magazines (twice).

Household cars are clean enough to eat your dinner off.

Silversword · May 12, 2020

There's an excellent butcher who is about 13 miles away down a slightly interesting road; has allowed me to make a couple of shopping trips with enough time and space to warm the engine up and let it have some "exercise" to avoid the battery going flat.

The obligatory wash and wax job on both our cars.

Spent too long watching car videos on Youtube and I'm beginning to want a Dodge Viper again. Madness, I know.

Two day trips planned for the summer, conditions permitting.

JohnCRS · May 12, 2020

I have started from the back on mine, removing the rear bumper etc. to adjust the spoiler for a better fit when closed. Getting underneath I found that it is dirty, as expected, but the ACF 50 still protects most things, so will leave it alone. I have removed the liners and cleaned out the wheel arches.

Two areas that have required attention so far. The black painted cross beam between engine and transmission had quite a bit of surface rust on the forward facing welds, so that got dealt with. A less satisfactory issue relates to the stay bars that run from the centre rear to chassi just forward of the rear wheels. On the 987 these bars were solid aluminium extrusions, whilst on this 987 they are pressed steel. The worst bit is that they have channels down each side for strength and these had filled up with hardened tar and road chippings. It does not seem the most practical of designs and the galvanised coating had been rubbed off in places.

It was a relatively simple job to remove and refinish them, but I did wonder about filling the channels with plastic resin, to stop the ongoing collection of crud.

AndrewCS · May 12, 2020

Cayman enthusiasts in lockdown - what are you doing ? ... hibernating [

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ralphmusic · May 12, 2020

I just booked two track days, Castle Combe for £185 end June and Goodwood mid-August £240, both with LoT

Nick_USA · May 12, 2020

Shouldn't we all be setting our alarms for 12:01am ?

gronk1967 · May 12, 2020

The fine weather has encouraged me to buy a new snow foam sun and short pistol lance for the the pressure washer...averaging 10 miles per wash at the moment and those 10 miles are just enough to warm the engine to dry off the brakes...every time it rains im unfortunately left with a fine layer of dust covering the car....means i have to wash it again! hope to maybe go a little further now we seem to be loosening up the restrictions a little!

I’ve even washed the wifes car!

Apart from work and car washing I‘m watching way too much TV its so easy to loose hours watching `Youtube videos....and despite a dislike of Tim Shaw i watched virtually 4 seasons of Car SOS as the weekend LOL

DWaldie · May 12, 2020

Nick_USA said:
Shouldn't we all be setting our alarms for 12:01am ?

Forgot it was supposed to start tommorow. Been out for an hour today. I did call into the shops though.

Can anybody tell me how easy it is to get the stainless pipes off the back of a CS? I've polished them in situ, but could do a better job on my workbench.

Peter_Bull · May 13, 2020

I have been looking at replacing the Cayman with a GTS 6 cylinder - but as Porsche have not yet finalised when the PDK version comes out so I'll keep the pennies in the bank for now.

Also been wondering if I should go back to a 911 .................. the jury is still out on that. The only thing that puts me off a 911 is the lack of versatility compared to the Cayman. The rear hatch on the Cayman is a real plus for me as I can fit in my mobility scooter in the boot (it folds down and fits in snugly). With my previous 997 it was difficult to put it in behind the seats and near impossible for me to do it alone.

I was very disappointed with the trade in offer for my car when I approached PC Bolton and PC Preston prior to lockdown. From what I see on Porsche Cars website the trade in price to what they are retailing fo would be in excess of £10k. Plain greedy.

In the meantime I have been upgrading my garage. Despite not having the best health. I've had to pace myself so that I would not be laid out for weeks!! So frustrating. Seeing the fabulous Facebook pictures of Martin Mackay's garage from R22 Cumbria really galvanised me into action.

So far:

[ul][*]Painting the brick walls white. I started to use Sandex stone paint but this didn't cover it as good as I wanted so I then used brilliant white emulsion instead which is excellent. I had to redo the first wall and by sods law it was the biggest![*]Removed the very old double strip lights with 5'long 6000lms. Absolutely superb and should have done this years ago![*]Fitted PVC tiles in a grey and light grey chequered pattern across the whole floor (5M x 6M). Absolutely transformed the whole garage and makes it look like a F1 pit lane garage!! I had to buy a small 4" hand held circular saw to trim the edge tiles but it wasn't nearly as bad as I thought it would be. I am really pleased with the result and so is the wife! The pallet they came on will make a nice cold frame for my wife so she's happy.[*]I used to have lots of stuff on shelves and hooks and wanted to tidy it all up as best I can. The 15 x 5M 'spare' brown guttering looked awful on large hooks against the back wall. These now reside upstairs in the garage loft. Why didn't I do this years ago??? I have purchased some metal cupboards (to match the floor) and another bench to get all my tools put away, car cleaning materials and all manner of stuff I have collected over the years put away out of sight. The pallet these came on will keep the bags of compost off the garden flags stones.[/ul]I have been in this house 27 years and it’s taken all that time for me to get round to this, but I am grateful for Martin whose FB pics spurred me on. The cost £ …………… gulp!!!

Nick_USA · May 13, 2020

DWaldie said:
Forgot it was supposed to start tomorrow. Been out for an hour today. I did call into the shops though.

Can anybody tell me how easy it is to get the stainless pipes off the back of a CS? I've polished them in situ, but could do a better job on my workbench.

Relatively, providing the clamp bolts aren't heavily corroded.

Nick

AndrewT · May 13, 2020

Peter_Bull said:
In the meantime I have been upgrading my garage.

I think we need to see a photograph of the finished project.

Peter_Bull · May 13, 2020

AndrewT said:
Peter_Bull said:

In the meantime I have been upgrading my garage.

Click to expand...

I think we need to see a photograph of the finished project.

Will do Andrew

AndrewCS · May 13, 2020

Peter_Bull said:
I was very disappointed with the trade in offer for my car when I approached PC Bolton and PC Preston prior to lockdown. From what I see on Porsche Cars website the trade in price to what they are retailing for would be in excess of £10k. Plain greedy.

I too have been looking to change and found exactly as you have Peter, in my case ... with two independents and two OPC`s. All extremely close on valuation no matter what one buys and at what price, albeit all on line and without viewing.

The demands of the Porsche Approved System certainly accounts for, in my case the OPC spending 40% to 50% of that `10k` mark up getting the car up to the required standard … Two year warranty - Paint refresh - Brakes all round. For once this type of discussion with an (one) OPC was objective and reasoned. What the other three contacts would spend prior to resale ?

Also, I was able to claw back some 20% of that mark up by way of offered incentive and requested upgrade for the Approved Used car I am interested in.