High mileage Cayman S

High mileage Cayman S

Author
Discussion

pakora

Original Poster:

162 posts

206 months

Thursday 21st October 2021
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Looking at buying my first Porsche a high mileage Cayman (gen 2) it has a full dealer service history, budgeting on spending some money to perhaps refresh anything urgent that needs doing, hopefully just enjoying as is till things break.
Any pro's or con's why I should or shouldn't?

Babw

927 posts

153 months

Thursday 21st October 2021
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I purchased an 80k mile 987.2 S last year, the build quality is generally excellent however suspension components are now starting to show the mileage.

I have planned and purchased a full compliment of suspension components however at the moment Bilstein shocks have a huge backorder.

As long as it's been serviced the engine/box should be sound at higher mileages. I've spoken to owners with 100k+ miles on trackdays using their cars to the full without any issues.

Freakuk

3,471 posts

158 months

Thursday 21st October 2021
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Are you buying from an OPC? If yes and it's got a full OPC service history bang a Porsche extended warranty on it and forget about it, if not get an OPC to check the vehicle and then add warranty (the OPC won't warranty it without that.)

Note - you'll need N rated tyres and a Porsche battery as a minimum to get warranty.

dunc_sx

1,630 posts

204 months

Friday 22nd October 2021
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I picked up a 2010 987.2s with 96k in January, it's now on 102k. With higher mileage a well kept fpsh gen 2 was the same price or cheaper than a gen 1 with lower miles. I had more confidence in the gen 2 engine with higher miles so went with that.

Also this one had a porsche warranty on it the vast majority of it's life and has a cracking spec (lsd etc). The condition is fantastic, you really wouldn't think it had many miles on it at all.

It's been great, I'm currently working through refreshing suspension components as I see fit. Eventually ending up with fresh handling car for less than a tired feeling gen 1.

I can't see the downside myself as I'm not looking at replacing anytime soon, even when I do it'll surely be easy to sell at the cheap price I got it for.

Dunc.


Royal Jelly

3,762 posts

205 months

Friday 22nd October 2021
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dunc_sx said:
I picked up a 2010 987.2s with 96k in January, it's now on 102k. With higher mileage a well kept fpsh gen 2 was the same price or cheaper than a gen 1 with lower miles. I had more confidence in the gen 2 engine with higher miles so went with that.

Also this one had a porsche warranty on it the vast majority of it's life and has a cracking spec (lsd etc). The condition is fantastic, you really wouldn't think it had many miles on it at all.

It's been great, I'm currently working through refreshing suspension components as I see fit. Eventually ending up with fresh handling car for less than a tired feeling gen 1.

I can't see the downside myself as I'm not looking at replacing anytime soon, even when I do it'll surely be easy to sell at the cheap price I got it for.

Dunc.
So true. I’ve had a couple of cars with 100k+ on them, and it’s a revelation what a few new bushes & suspension components does to the feel of a car, perhaps because it’s so easy to get used to the ones that are getting a bit tired.

Engines are good for eons with the most basic of care. Suspension isn’t, but it tires out so gradually that it’s easy to overlook.

LennyM1984

766 posts

75 months

Friday 22nd October 2021
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I bought a Cayman 2.7 with 98k on the clock back in 2019. I bought it cheapish (9.5k) with the intention of replacing all the suspension, bushes, and mounts for something a little more track orientated. I have had Porsches before so knew I could do the work myself and set about doing it in pieces shorly after I bought it.

It's now on 109k (about 3.5k of that has been track miles) and it has been perfectly reliable. The engine uses no oil during road miles (it will use a little on track but less than 250ml per 200 track miles) and the filter is always clean. This is the first high mileage car I have ever owned and it really has been a bit of a revelation.

I help a friend with his 50k mile, 987.2 Cayman and to be perfectly honest, I would say that his was no better than mine was at 98k miles (in terms of wear, corroded fasteners etc). I think the advantage of high mileage cars is that they will have been used and repaired and so many of the jobs that need doing on a 50k mile car have already been done.

I'm now toying with the idea of buying something a bit flashier for track days (I keep looking at GT4s or Lotus Exiges) but to be honest, I feel very attached to my leggy old Cayman and quite like the fact that it doesn't really owe me anything financially. A GT4 would be far more capable but I'd also be far more upset if I clipped a cone or had the front end peppered with gravel

khushy

3,966 posts

226 months

Friday 22nd October 2021
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Bought my 987.2 Spyder in 2011 - it had 700 miles ....... it's now on 127,000 miles and NOTHING has ever gone wrong with it

At 120,000 miles I decided to refresh the suspension - my choice - not one single component had ever been changed - went oem cost me £4k - Cotswold Porsche did the work and were/are ACE! I wouldnt go anywhere else.

The suspension coming off the car was so good - they told me to sell it - so i did.

The 987.2 really is amazing I love it

Slippydiff

15,159 posts

230 months

Saturday 23rd October 2021
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khushy said:
Bought my 987.2 Spyder in 2011 - it had 700 miles ....... it's now on 127,000 miles and NOTHING has ever gone wrong with it

At 120,000 miles I decided to refresh the suspension - my choice - not one single component had ever been changed - went oem cost me £4k - Cotswold Porsche did the work and were/are ACE! I wouldnt go anywhere else.

The suspension coming off the car was so good - they told me to sell it - so i did.

The 987.2 really is amazing I love it
Proof (if it were needed) that cars are meant to be driven, and the more regularly, the better.

supersport

4,269 posts

234 months

Saturday 23rd October 2021
quotequote all
Slippydiff said:
khushy said:
Bought my 987.2 Spyder in 2011 - it had 700 miles ....... it's now on 127,000 miles and NOTHING has ever gone wrong with it

At 120,000 miles I decided to refresh the suspension - my choice - not one single component had ever been changed - went oem cost me £4k - Cotswold Porsche did the work and were/are ACE! I wouldnt go anywhere else.

The suspension coming off the car was so good - they told me to sell it - so i did.

The 987.2 really is amazing I love it
Proof (if it were needed) that cars are meant to be driven, and the more regularly, the better.
Absolutely. I find the modern obsession with mileage on a car totally bizarre. It’s got the point that certain cars with a few thousand miles on are considered “a bit leggy”

We shouldn’t be afraid of mileage. Cars are designed and built to be driven and enjoyed.

Sitting around does them no good.

My 911 has just passed 200,000 KM and having owned it for 16 years it always feels better after the first proper run of the year, ideally a proper euro trip.

Just done a 1000km in a weekend to the Scottish Borders, it was singing after that trip.


MB140

4,365 posts

110 months

Saturday 23rd October 2021
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I bought a gen 1, worst decision of my life. I am one of the unlucky ones that got a duffer, engine bore scored.

I so wish I had paid the extra for a gen 2 but couldn’t afford it at the time.

Everything about the car was fantastic. Brilliant to drive. Loved the looks. Engine sounded fantastic. Loads more practical than you would think. Wife and I did a week away in it and my wife doesn’t pack light.

Niggles I had apart from the engine bore scoring in 18 months of ownership.

Rear hatch squeak. Solved with felt where the rubber guides the hatch in to place.

Cam chain Tensioners leaking

Radio power kept tripping out and resetting itself (traced to a chaffed wire

Front crossover pipe (between the two radiators) leaking

Brake line showing signs of corrosion.

Mostly niggly little stuff on a 2006 car (I bought in 2016) so about 10 years old on 60k miles.

I planned to do a full suspension refresh (around £2k I was quoted by a Porsche specialist in Nottingham) on it but once the signs of bore scoring started to show I never bothered.


If car prices weren’t so inflated right now I would probably look for a gen 2 987 or perhaps even a 996. I just don’t believe the market can sustain these inflated prices once supply of new cars comes back on line. But that’s for another thread.


MB140

4,365 posts

110 months

Saturday 23rd October 2021
quotequote all
I bought a gen 1, worst decision of my life. I am one of the unlucky ones that got a duffer, engine bore scored.

I so wish I had paid the extra for a gen 2 but couldn’t afford it at the time.

Everything about the car was fantastic. Brilliant to drive. Loved the looks. Engine sounded fantastic. Loads more practical than you would think. Wife and I did a week away in it and my wife doesn’t pack light.

Niggles I had apart from the engine bore scoring in 18 months of ownership.

Rear hatch squeak. Solved with felt where the rubber guides the hatch in to place.

Cam chain Tensioners leaking

Radio power kept tripping out and resetting itself (traced to a chaffed wire

Front crossover pipe (between the two radiators) leaking

Brake line showing signs of corrosion.

Mostly niggly little stuff on a 2006 car (I bought in 2016) so about 10 years old on 60k miles.

I planned to do a full suspension refresh (around £2k I was quoted by a Porsche specialist in Nottingham) on it but once the signs of bore scoring started to show I never bothered.


If car prices weren’t so inflated right now I would probably look for a gen 2 987 or perhaps even a 996. I just don’t believe the market can sustain these inflated prices once supply of new cars comes back on line. But that’s for another thread.