Opinions: Cayman I viewed smokey/ticky (vid inside)

[Jason987S]

I viewed this very nice 2007 987.1 Cayman S 3.4 this afternoon. It’s in pretty good condition and has full service history and a very good spec (19” wheels, N-rated Pzero’s, lovely cocoa interior, extended leather, PASM, PCM with nav/phone, Sport Chrono, crested head rests etc). 

 

It has done very low miles in the last 2 years (2000 ish, and only 300 in the last year). It is currently on just over 75,000 miles. 

 

My concern is the ticking noise in the video clip below (that i filmed mid test drive once warm). The car also HEAVILY smoked on cold start for 30 seconds, and ever so slightly smoked when revved once warmed up. Also has oily/sooty tail pipes. The owner has only had it 6 months and apparently hasn’t required any oil top ups since it was minor serviced by an OPC just after they bought it in september (who also MOT’d it). They’re selling as his wife finds it too fast/sporty so wont drive it (i asked her in person and she gave this same reason her husband told my via messages previously).

 

My concern is, could this be dreaded bore score.... or maybe just needs a bloody good long drive (and maybe an AOS?) 

 

The car is well specced, well priced and in good physical/cosmetic condition. I may get it mechanically inspected (PPI & borescope) by a local indie if the seller agrees. Am i wasting my time with this one?

 

opinions please.

 

 

 

 

 

[Malcolm E Cay]

Suppose it boils down to how much they are asking.

 

There may be a chance that with such little usage the "tappets" have run a bit dry of oil and possibly have become sticky with no oil in them, Might need a good engine flush and new oil (Maybe)

 

But I would get it checked over first and if the seller isn't willing for you to do that then walk away. Plenty more fish in the sea.

[Jason987S]

@Malcolm E Cay it is well priced at around £10k. But only if it doesn’t have bore score 

[Malcolm E Cay]

and if it does then it is only worth half that.

 

Depends on how much you want it. Are you are willing to spend a couple of hundred or so to find out? or is it 200 than can go towards something else?

Edited January 8, 2019 by Malcolm E Cay

[Mavrik]

The noisy "tappets" are more of a warning than smoke on cold starting imo.

 

My S has 63k on it & uses around 1/2L of oil every 1k miles (no bore scoring)

 

When not driven for a few days the design of the flat 6 means that oil can sit/seep past the rings hence the nasty/dreaded smoke on start-up... Defo a problem if it doesn't clear after say 2-3mins of idling & light throttle blips... Even more of a problem if you get black/blue smoke once its fully up to operational temp!

 

The tappety motor would defo have me off on my toes!

[morghen]

Could be one or more suck lifters, could be a cyl score. Probably AOS is dead as well.

[phil27]

I would try and drive another for comparison. Plenty of others out there so if you are not convinced I would walk away. 

[Ben]

1 hour ago, phil27 said:

I would try and drive another for comparison. Plenty of others out there so if you are not convinced I would walk away. 

Totally agree with this. I tested  a number of caymans which on paper should have been identical but it was remarkable how different some of them felt, as if something was just not right. And when you find the right one you will know, it'll just click! 

[Aaron]

Easier to find one without the tapping, or negotiate it down to the bargain price of repairing it if the time comes provided everything else checks out, of course.

 

Unless it's definitely the one you want and there is nothing else on the market like it, I would find another, personally.