Porsche Cayman 987 - Which to Buy?

[Motorhead]

Hi Rachel,

A lot of valid questions there.

If you can affort it I'd definitely recommend going for a Gen2 car - the 2.9L or 3.4L. These engines have proven reliabilty compared with the Gen1. The extra power and torque of the DFI 3.4L are a bonus but the 2.9L is fine if you're prepared to rev it. The same applies to the Gen1 2.7L. I believe that the Gen1 2.7L engine has better reliabilty in terms of fewer cylinder failures compared with 3.4L owing to its smaller bore (thicker cylinders).

For general guidance the best thing to do is to look at the BUYING GUIDES at the top of this page - check out the one for the 987. There's also one on Pistonheads here https://www.pistonheads.c...Porsche%20Cayman%20987

For prices; there are plenty for sale (see CAR SALES at the top of this page, Pistonheads and Autotrader). As always buy on price, condition and full service history (Porsche Centre or reputable Porsche Independent) and it's worthwhile spending a few hundred pounds getting a pre-purchase inspection.

Do your research and try to drive a few cars to get a feel for what to expect - don't rush into a purchase!

Hope that helps - and good luck.!

Jeff

 

[Rachel Coles]

Hi All,

I really keen on purchasing a Porsche Cayman 987 but I'm a little confused and would like some help.
I've done some reading and from what I can see, they say stay away from the 3.4 Gen 1 but the 2.7 and 2.9 are ok and if you want a Gen 2 go for the 3.4? Is this correct?
Are the Gen 1 2.7 and 2.9 still good value for money and what should I look out for? I understand that mileage might be high and if there are ones over 100k should I ignore them?
What sort of price should I except to pay for a Gen 1? Up to 12k for something descent
Any help will be appreciated
Regards
Rachel

 

[Craiglm68]

Hi Rachel

Jeff gives sound advice above, it's all about history condition and PPE. I was in the same boat 11 months months ago, did a lot of research, spoke to a number of OPC's and specialists, and of course test drove a number of cars (about a dozen I think) before buying. A number of us on this forum and also Cayman OC have the 3.4l S gen 1 (if you have the budget for a gen 2, you're a lucky lady), fair to say very few of us have experienced the infamous issues that (as I was told by the afore mentioned OPC/specialists) impacted less than 10% of gen 1 S's ....the 2.7 will also put a smile on your face (depending on what you've driven previously).

Happy hunting!

 

[Motorhead]

Rachel,

Some excellent first-hand experience there from Craig but just to add to my original post, it's very important to remember that even though prices of the early cars are hovering around £12k the Cayman's an expensive car and parts, servicing, repairs and tyres don't come cheap. That's why we're both recommending a PPI - it could save you a significant amount of money and is always a good negotiating point.

Not wishing to put you off - the Cayman really is a great car to drive. Just be realistic about running costs.

Jeff

 

[Brian_Innes]

Rachel,

Very sound advice from Craig and Jeff there.

I've owned both the Gen1 2.7 and Gen2 3.4 DFI and would definitely recommend the Gen2 3.4 if your budget can make it.

An exemplary service history is vital. I wouldn't worry too much about high miles if the car has been serviced to fastidious standards. A Pre-Purchase Inspection is always a good plan with any Porsche.

As Jeff says, just be aware of the servicing costs. Regular Oil and filter changes, brake servicing, and tyres all need your full attention. Tyres for example should be binned when they wear below 3mm tread depth.

Please don't be put off buying a Cayman after reading all of this. It's a superb, practical, driver's car which will make you smile every time you walk up to it and drive away.

Good luck with your quest.

Brian

 

[richardjjs1]

Bought my Gen1 Porsche 987 Boxster 2007 84k Manual after I decided to Sell my BMW 2,0 2009 Auto Cabrio. (Hated it!) Had experience with a 986 Porsche Boxster 95k and traded up to the 987> Just cant believe the difference between the 986 and 987 just more refined and comfortable to drive Make sure you ger a price from Porsche Centre before you do anything. They have a fixed price on many items (New Oil cooler on 996 450.00 ( 4hours)- Porsche Specialist charged me 1300.00 (3 days) I have never found 996 or 997 expensive to drive Much cheaper than the BMW. The only thing they go through is Tyres and that's without excessive speed Parts are either Silly cheap or Silly expensive REgards Richard

 

[Ray]

https://www.youtube.com/w..?v=qLDv1aP2Qvg&t=7s

 

[Rachel Coles]

Hiya All,

Happy Easter

Firstly, I would like to say thank you to all of you taking the time to respond to my question, it's very kind of you and I do appreciate the comments/suggests and video's. It will makes the fun of finding the right Cayman for me even more exciting but scary at the same time.

From what I've picked up from all the comments are the following:

1. Gen 1 - 2.7 better than 3.4

2. Gen 2 - 3.4 Good if you can get it within your budget

3. Mileage not a issue (As long as everything checks out)

4. Make sure it has a full service history

5. Test drive as many as possible to get an overall feel for the car and until you find the one for you - There is no rush

6. Have a Pre Purchase Inspection done on the car before purchase

7. Accept some repairs/maintenance are going to be expensive but affordable..... []

8. Don't let the salesman or private owner try and fleece you, if not sure about anything, ask questions and do more research and check

9. If purchasing from Trade, check the price to make sure not been overcharged

10. Most Importantly - I LOVE DRIVING ONE!!!

Regards

Rachel

 

[Rachel Coles]

Sorry forgot to mention

I owned a Audi TT 2.8 convertible before (the old shape '03)

Rachel

 

[Buddy]

Hi Rachel,

As with most of the comments I agree but a gen1 987 isn't necessarily a bad choice it depends on history and how it was driven, a low mileage is no guarantee that wear won't be bad and scored bores have been known on low mileage cars due to only being driven too gently. The engines benefit from running fast enough to get the oil thrown up into the bottom of the cylinders! Maybe the reason that the gen1 2.7 is said to have faired better was that people tended to push them enough in the low gears and so get the performance it also resulted in getting the oil around better.

The gen2 is a better car, it had some revisions to the brakes and suspension, the potential weaknesses of the earlier engine had been designed out of it and from experience of having owned gen1 and 2 S's the gen2 is quieter inside. There were other improvements, PDK is better than the Tiptronic, power is up around 20BHP in both the 2.9 and the 3.4 against the earlier model, the manual transmission is pretty well unchanged although each generation tends to have some improvement, noticeable or not.

 

[spyderwhite]

hi Rachel you left out the 2.9 gen2 on your summary which is also a better choice over both the gen 1 cars. After having owned and driven many caymans over the years it would be my second choice to a 3.4 Gen2

Don't worry if the car has no PASM or PCM both of which IMHO are crap but cars with seem more expensive. Also 18" wheels ride better without PASM and yet again cars with these seem to be cheaper.

AVOID tiptronic and PDK

So to summarise on a budget buy a basic 2.9 gen2 manual on 18" wheels and enjoy!

 

[AndrewT]

I would recomend the Gen 2 2.9. I owned a Gen 2 2.9 for a couple of years until last August. I bought it cheaply for £16,995 with a mileage of 68k and sold it for £14,750 with a mileage of 75k - I thought I was selling to a private buyer but it appeared on a dealers forecourt 2 weeks later so I guess you could say I sold it at trade price.

When I sold it I disclosed to the buyer that it occasionally smoked on start-up but didn't consume oil, I was aware of that when I bought it and the car's history showed that the smoke was first reported at 58k miles. I do not think that this is a common fault with the 2.9 but I am aware of a Boxster owner reporting something similar on these forums.

The 2.9 was a great car and very enjoyable to drive so don't let my smoking experience put you off but it might be worth searching out a lower mileage example.

 

[Motorhead]

Rachel,

Good to see that you've taken on board the advice given on here.

If you're really keen to get a Cayman why don't you pop along to a local Porsche Club monthly meeting to have a chat with some enthusiasts who I'm sure will be more than pleased to offer you the benefit of their experience. You may even want to consider joining the Club - it's a cheap first step to Porsche ownership.

Jeff

 

[Briggy]

AVOID tiptronic and PDK

I don't want to open the debate about whether manual is better than auto as that's a subjective issue, but why should PDK be avoided?

 

[spyderwhite]

AVOID tiptronic and PDK

I don't want to open the debate about whether manual is better than auto as that's a subjective issue, but why should PDK be avoided?

Its not about manual vs auto, we all know tiptronic is rubbish and not suited to the car as for pdk the later version pdk gen2 is better ie 981/991 and more reliable I have heard of some expensive failures on early pdk cars but also I don't think a pdk is suited to a 987 and yet again more so to later cars ie 981/991

 

[Briggy]

AVOID tiptronic and PDK

I don't want to open the debate about whether manual is better than auto as that's a subjective issue, but why should PDK be avoided?

Its not about manual vs auto, we all know tiptronic is rubbish and not suited to the car as for pdk the later version pdk gen2 is better ie 981/991 and more reliable I have heard of some expensive failures on early pdk cars but also I don't think a pdk is suited to a 987 and yet again more so to later cars ie 981/991

Well, as 987.2S driver and PDK convert I can't say I agree that it's not suited to the car. You can take full manual control and the Sport mode is excellent, although I've never found a use for Sport Plus, even on a track. Also stops you over-revving. I don't have any experience of PDK on later models, so happy to take your word that it's improved, but to state that it should be avoided on a 987 is a bit strong.

 

[Motorhead]

I've no experience with the PDK transmission, but apart from the occasional failure I think that many of the problems have been software related and addressed by a reflash or - in the case of total failure - have been covered under warranty.

However when there is a mechanical failure the only solution appears to be a very expensive replacement transmission; someone on Planet-9 with 106k miles on his 2009 Boxster was quoted a whopping $20k by a Dealership to supply and fit a replacement..! I would think that the gears, bearings, etc. would be reasonably durable and I'm surprised that it's not possible to replace just the clutch pack, which is the item subjected to most wear.

Jeff

 

[Buddy]

I've had only one fault code come up on my 987PDK and that was a faulty temp sensor, it took most of a day to change at the OPC and necessitated removal of the bottom coverplate, the tech didn't seem to be rushing his work, as for the earlier PDK mine is two years from introduction and I have been told by a highly rated specialist that there has only been one total failure of a PDK Box, I would trust his rating far higher than sites such as Pistonheads where you can hear of so many failures several times over, other faults are far less severe and repairable, I find the PDK suits the 987, 981 gets the throttle blip which is a novelty since rev matching is pretty good without the blip. Otherwise ensure that any PDK has had it's flush and fluid change at 6 years.

 

[Craiglm68]

This might help with some deliberations.... https://www.porscheinspections.com/content/downloads/M96_M97_GTPorsche.pdf

Also just noted a very tidy Cayman (Gen 1 2.7) on the For Sale page.....

 

[Detroit20]

Hello, Rachel

I'm late to the party, but still want to offer my comments. I made the switch from Audi TT (Mark II, 2.0 TFSI) to Porsche Cayman. Last September, I bought a low spec, but also very low mileage Gen II 2.9L, and'm still delighted by my choice (though I have started to ogle 981 Caymans, and 997 911s...)

My priorities were, in order: Gen 2 engine; mileage; service history; and price. Because I was looking for fewer than 5,000 miles per year and a full Porsche service history, I wasn't too worried about condition as a separate factor. However, in retrospect this was a mistake, and I urge you to take the advice of other posters and have any car you're interested in inspected.

I essentially took a bit of a flyer on a 23,000 mile, seven-year-old car, because it had one previous owner and I got a good vibe from the dealer selling it to me. Yes, I know... I only bought a buying guide to the 987 Cayman AFTER I'd driven the thing home!

Most of my driving is urban or motorway, so I don't think I am missing anything offered by the 3.4L when it comes to practical performance.

Good luck with your search!