kman Posted February 7, 2022 Share Posted February 7, 2022 Hi all, Forum lurker, turned recent member here! I've finally managed to get my wife's blessing (sort of) and I'm hunting for my very first Porsche. I've always really wanted a 987 (especially a Cobalt Blue/Aqua Blue Cayman). But lusting over colours/wheel combinations from a distance is as far as I've gone previously, so I've spent the last few weeks getting up to speed on what I'm really on the lookout for. I should probably mention at this point that I initially set out with a budget of around £16-17k. and that, unless I want a divorce, I'm probably not going to be able to stretch it too much. I think I've pretty much narrowed my options down to ideally either: A 987.1 3.4 Cayman S, with Hartech engine rebuild and IMS fix (ideally pre 23rd March 2006 for cheaper tax) - Definitely a manual. OR A 987.2 2.9 Cayman - Prefer a manual, but open to PDK I might be able to squeeze more out of the budget, but I think it could be hard to convince my wife to let me go over the £20K mark... So I think it might be hard to get anywhere close a 987.2 Cayman S, which is a shame as that's the no brainer car! That said the 2.9 isn't exactly a slouch. It's not going to be a daily driver, but I'm genuinely planning to hold on to this car for as long as I can keep it running - I mean how much longer are we going to be able to get a glorious flat 6 - so mileage wise I'd ideally want something 80,000 or less. Obviously, the bore scoring and IMS issues with the 987.1 do worry me - even if it not every car is impacted. That said I've read enough about the Hartech rebuilds, and I'd be interested in a gen 1 Cayman S that's already had a Hartech rebuild/IMS fix, but that narrows down my options for gen 1 cars. Plus on top of that, the road tax costs for a gen 1 3.4 Cayman S are pretty steep if it was registered on/after 23rd March 2006. I'd much rather than extra yearly £300 went towards looking after the car than the government, so that again limits the pool of cars I'm looking at. The 987.2 doesn't have any of the issues above, which is probably a reason I'd realistically only be able to afford a 2.9 at a stretch... The only real downside to the 2.9 is that it's not the 3.4. But it's pretty damn close to the performance of an '06 987.1S, and has the reliability fixes etc... The more I've looked, the more it feels like getting a base 987.2 could be the way to go, but I know they're less common so it's not easy to find one in budget. Plus I'm still dreaming of an Aqua Blue Cayman... coming to the conclusion that may be asking for too many stars to align though with my budget. Anyway, curious to hear what you guys think. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Blissya Posted February 7, 2022 Share Posted February 7, 2022 A 2.9 recently sold on collecting cars for £15k, so you should be able to find one though the blues don’t come up too often but do look great. Good luck on the hunt 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kman Posted February 7, 2022 Author Share Posted February 7, 2022 3 minutes ago, Blissya said: A 2.9 recently sold on collecting cars for £15k, so you should be able to find one though the blues don’t come up too often but do look great. Good luck on the hunt Yeah, I stumbled across that one a few days ago when searching around... gutted I didn't start my search a tiny bit earlier! Cheers, I'll take all the luck I can get Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Julian987 Posted February 7, 2022 Share Posted February 7, 2022 this it it! this is the one, the best one i have seen in ages https://www.ktgreen.co.uk/used-porsche-cayman-leeds-west-yorkshire-4067338 I don't think it is listed on AT or PH. video of it. That green colour is lovely. Thats as good as it gets....its got your name on it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kman Posted February 7, 2022 Author Share Posted February 7, 2022 4 minutes ago, Julian987 said: this it it! this is the one, the best one i have seen in ages https://www.ktgreen.co.uk/used-porsche-cayman-leeds-west-yorkshire-4067338 I don't think it is listed on AT or PH. video of it. That green colour is lovely. Thats as good as it gets....its got your name on it. Looks very nice - but unfortunately my budget is about £10k short… 😬 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Julian987 Posted February 7, 2022 Share Posted February 7, 2022 (edited) 18 minutes ago, kman said: Looks very nice - but unfortunately my budget is about £10k short… 😬 I raced ahead without reading your budget. I'll keep an eye out for you on a blue one! Edited February 7, 2022 by Julian987 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Porschaholic Posted February 8, 2022 Share Posted February 8, 2022 Hi Kman, I wouldn’t say that the down side of the 2.9 is that it’s not the S. you won’t be disappointed. No matter what you drive, there’ll always be something faster, better, more luxurious… out there. Folks in MX5s dream of Z4s. Folks with Z4s dream of Caymans. Folks in Caymans (not all) dream of 911s… It never ends. It’ll be lovely to find a Gen 1 car that ticks all your boxes, but if you’re narrowed only to cars that have had an engine rebuild you will probably be waiting a long time or get very lucky. A well cared for, low (ish) mileage, model should easily come up within your budget if you’re not hung up on the engine rebuild. Later Gen 1 has better IMS bearing, and the bore scoring issue seems a little exaggerated, if you’re to believe everything you read. PDK or manual? If it’s the PDK, you’ll have to go with the Gen2 2.9, as earlier autos are tiptronic. The only way to know which you like most is to test drive. Only you can be the judge of which transmission you like best. Both have their appeal, and the opinions of others doesn’t matter. It may take time to find the right Cayman for you, but stick with it - it’ll be worth it! Hope this helps. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
futureechos Posted February 8, 2022 Share Posted February 8, 2022 Be careful, I started with a budget of £13-£15K and spent closer to £25K. but happy as hell with it. Took me 6+ months to find the right one, and post purchase I’ve seen a couple that were slightly better spec’d or priced. The 987.2’s are cheaper to run as this is a long term thing perhaps spending more up front, reducing risk of IMS etc is worth it? Which ever model spec you get, there is nothing I’d ever driven before that handles like the cayman. If this all about the driving go for a base spec. I ended up splitting options into essential and optional and just went for cars with the essentials. I use heated seats all the time, doubt I would use a sports chrono much.. I’ll never know. 😁. If buying private consider a PPI, or if the trade seller doesn’t have a good rep then perhaps consider PPI for those too. When you see the on that is right, put a deposit on it quickly and get there asap to test drive it, as they are snapped up. Good hunting, but be patient. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ben Posted February 8, 2022 Share Posted February 8, 2022 Definitely go out and try as many as possible. All great cars. Have you also considered a 987.1 2.7 ? No bore score worries and lower tax/running costs. I used the money I saved over an S for upgrades to the driving experience (exhaust, suspension, SSK and so on) and have never regretted it. And you still have the flat 6 howl with more than enough power for a winding B road 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kman Posted February 8, 2022 Author Share Posted February 8, 2022 Thanks all, sounds like patience is needed on my end… which will be hard! 14 hours ago, futureechos said: Be careful, I started with a budget of £13-£15K and spent closer to £25K. but happy as hell with it. yeah, budget creep already started before posting here. Similar to you, I was thinking £12-£15k ish… going to try and keep it below £20k for sure, but realise that might be tough. It’s interesting, there are definitely a couple of privately owned 978.2 cars in my budget range on Auto Trader - it’s just knowing what to look for. Or more specially, knowing what a good well looked after car looks like in comparison to a car which hasn’t been well looked after. I’m checking MOT histories etc, but that only tells you so much/if there’s any REALLY major red flags. Seen lots of failures on tyre wear limits, etc - but finding it hard to deduce any real meaning from that. I know the answer is probably going the Porsche pre purchase inspection, but I still need to get speed on what they involve, how much they cost, who’s trustworthy etc. And I guess there’s the fear that you could end up spending a lot of money before actually purchasing a car… or even lose out on a good car to someone whilst I’m waiting for an inspection. But don’t get me wrong, I completely get the argument on why you’d want one. Especially if I do seriously consider the private seller listings. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
futureechos Posted February 9, 2022 Share Posted February 9, 2022 I ended up buying from a dealer in Nov'21, I researched them a lot and I'm still happy (I mentioned spongey brakes on test drive and they replaced the front disks and pads, had a faulty window mechanism 1 month into ownership replaced for free), but obviously I paid a premium over private sale for peace of mind. It's a tough call - there are a lot of well loved cars out there, several youtube channels of people who have bought 987.1's and they've been superb too. I debated the gen 1 vs gen 2 too for a while, finally decided on the 2 after I convinced the missus I deserved to spend extra... 😳 It's a tough call - If I had gone private I would have got a PPI, for me its too much money to risk if I'd missed something. Drive a few for comparison too, I went to look at a couple knowing they were probably the wrong car just so I could drive for comparative purposes. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
futureechos Posted February 9, 2022 Share Posted February 9, 2022 15 hours ago, kman said: ..or even lose out on a good car to someone whilst I’m waiting for an inspection. As soon as they ads came up I'd ring a book the first test drive I could. Put a deposit down (confirm refundable), then arrange the PPI. Some places will let you put the deposit down site unseen. I missed an absolute beauty with full leather trim options, PDK/paddles/air con/chrono/pasm because I hesitated 24hrs. Some you win... 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Neil_jdmr Posted February 9, 2022 Share Posted February 9, 2022 The red one in MR sportscars just came up today and i can certainly recommend Raj the owner. I bought my 981 from him and everything from start to aftersales has been way above expectations. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Julian987 Posted February 9, 2022 Share Posted February 9, 2022 26 minutes ago, Neil_jdmr said: The red one in MR sportscars just came up today and i can certainly recommend Raj the owner. I bought my 981 from him and everything from start to aftersales has been way above expectations. video on it here Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
and.rs1800 Posted February 10, 2022 Share Posted February 10, 2022 (edited) 20 hours ago, Julian987 said: video on it here I like that a lot-although I’d rather have paid the 27 grand it was up for last week than the 30 grand now😂 Edited February 10, 2022 by and.rs1800 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Neil_jdmr Posted February 10, 2022 Share Posted February 10, 2022 It may be worth asking they have had to do any work or replace anything since acquiring the car. I felt the same at paying strong money until i saw the paperwork prior to leaving a deposit. Both Ac condensers/pipes and re-gas. Two front tyres and all the wheels redone. All plus the major service and i could see why it had gone up 3k. This car may be a simple flip but it's always worth asking imo. When i was looking for a 987S i found it a real struggle as 95% were hiding things. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
and.rs1800 Posted February 10, 2022 Share Posted February 10, 2022 1 hour ago, Neil_jdmr said: It may be worth asking they have had to do any work or replace anything since acquiring the car. I felt the same at paying strong money until i saw the paperwork prior to leaving a deposit. Both Ac condensers/pipes and re-gas. Two front tyres and all the wheels redone. All plus the major service and i could see why it had gone up 3k. This car may be a simple flip but it's always worth asking imo. When i was looking for a 987S i found it a real struggle as 95% were hiding things. I’ve just had a look at the advert on pistonheads-last service October last year along with condensers,coolant pipes etc at a cost of £3800. So looks like this dealer hasn’t needed to do anything to it. Assuming they paid the asking price,a nice quick three grand profit for them. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Neil_jdmr Posted February 11, 2022 Share Posted February 11, 2022 Yep, quick flip then. In these times of escalating prices in quite commonplace now. Its been happening on a much larger scale in the jdm market for quite a while now. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ginginho Posted February 11, 2022 Share Posted February 11, 2022 I was interested in a Sport last year but I sat on my hands for a few days and it was bought by a dealer for £21.5k. It was on their site within days for £26k and sold for £25k. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Blissya Posted February 11, 2022 Share Posted February 11, 2022 This is worth the money for a go while you search, mostly the 2.9 but they have a 981 2.7 too https://thruxtonracing.co.uk/experiences/porsche-cayman-thrill It was why I ended up buying one 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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