Porsche Cayman 987.2 Manual 2.9
Discussion
To say that 2020 has been a disaster is a bit of an understatement. COVID-19 has meant a painful forced job change, one that shouldn’t ever have happened and one that has taken me a bit of time to get my head around. That said, every cloud has a silver lining and here it is, a Porsche Cayman 987.2. My commute has changed from 5-6 monthly trips down the M4 to Heathrow to a daily commute along the back roads of Wiltshire and Oxfordshire and as such I decided my BMW 218d needed to be replaced for something more fun and more focussed. I only do 5k miles per year so hopefully it won’t ruin me!
As soon as I knew things were going to change, I started searching for the right car. I initially looked at 997.2s but decided I’d prefer a Cayman for now. I love the 987 shape, the fact it’s more analogue than the 981 with the hydraulic steering rack and is a bit lighter. I wanted a manual gen 2 car and decided that a 2.9 was perfect as a daily. Colour wise I wasn’t too fussy as long it wasn’t black. I had a false start with Ashgood, putting a deposit down on a silver car when the individual selling it to them changed his mind and Ashgood had to refund me.
This manual 2.9 popped up in the PH Classifieds some weeks later, was the right spec and colour and was about 2 hours drive away. It’s done 45k miles, has got a full OPC history with every single invoice, receipt and MOT in the file and has been well looked after by its 2 previous owners. It’s in really great cosmetic condition too both inside and out, so with everything checking out, a deal was done and I collected it about 2 weeks ago. The drive home was great, the flat six sounds amazing and it’s a joy to drive!
The car was modified by the last owner with a Carnewal Exhaust and refreshed suspension with Bilstein dampers and Cayman R springs. This was great news because I would have done exactly these mods so this has saved me the job! It was immediately treated to a good wash, clay bar and wax and I spent a good few hours cleaning the leather, the exterior nooks and crannies and the wheels.
Plans wise, I want to change a few bits of the interior, it’s a touch dull so I want to bring it up slightly without going overboard. The car has the base CDR30 radio too which is crap so I will change that for something that I can at least link my phone too. And finally, I’m not a massive fan of the wheels, they do look better in the flesh than the photos but they’re still not my favourite. I have fitted some Zunsport grills to the front as the wildlife here in the sticks has a habit of getting run over and causing havoc!
I’ll keep the thread updated as I go but here’s some pictures for now. Thoughts welcome
As soon as I knew things were going to change, I started searching for the right car. I initially looked at 997.2s but decided I’d prefer a Cayman for now. I love the 987 shape, the fact it’s more analogue than the 981 with the hydraulic steering rack and is a bit lighter. I wanted a manual gen 2 car and decided that a 2.9 was perfect as a daily. Colour wise I wasn’t too fussy as long it wasn’t black. I had a false start with Ashgood, putting a deposit down on a silver car when the individual selling it to them changed his mind and Ashgood had to refund me.
This manual 2.9 popped up in the PH Classifieds some weeks later, was the right spec and colour and was about 2 hours drive away. It’s done 45k miles, has got a full OPC history with every single invoice, receipt and MOT in the file and has been well looked after by its 2 previous owners. It’s in really great cosmetic condition too both inside and out, so with everything checking out, a deal was done and I collected it about 2 weeks ago. The drive home was great, the flat six sounds amazing and it’s a joy to drive!
The car was modified by the last owner with a Carnewal Exhaust and refreshed suspension with Bilstein dampers and Cayman R springs. This was great news because I would have done exactly these mods so this has saved me the job! It was immediately treated to a good wash, clay bar and wax and I spent a good few hours cleaning the leather, the exterior nooks and crannies and the wheels.
Plans wise, I want to change a few bits of the interior, it’s a touch dull so I want to bring it up slightly without going overboard. The car has the base CDR30 radio too which is crap so I will change that for something that I can at least link my phone too. And finally, I’m not a massive fan of the wheels, they do look better in the flesh than the photos but they’re still not my favourite. I have fitted some Zunsport grills to the front as the wildlife here in the sticks has a habit of getting run over and causing havoc!
I’ll keep the thread updated as I go but here’s some pictures for now. Thoughts welcome
Congrats, these are brilliant cars. I owned a 987.2 in silver, and I also had a carnwal exhaust on it that made the 2.9 sing. One of my favourite cars that I had to sell to fund a house purchase. Not the quickest but still quick when you work it and sounds great doing so. They really excel on good B roads.
What size alloys are they? Mine originally had 19's, which i swapped down to the standard 17' which saw a great improvement in ride.
What size alloys are they? Mine originally had 19's, which i swapped down to the standard 17' which saw a great improvement in ride.
Lovely car and a great choice, however I maybe a little biased having bought an arctic silver, manual, 2.9 Cayman in June.
Having had a Boxster on 18‘s I’m definitely a fan of the 17‘s on the Cayman, far better ride and not over tyred as the Boxster was.
It seems the first owner agrees with me having originally spec’d it with 20’s.
I had the Carnewal on the Boxster, it sounded epic and even better through a motorway bridge twice daily to and from work.
My neighbours seem a little perkier now they’re able to set their own alarm clocks.
Having had a Boxster on 18‘s I’m definitely a fan of the 17‘s on the Cayman, far better ride and not over tyred as the Boxster was.
It seems the first owner agrees with me having originally spec’d it with 20’s.
I had the Carnewal on the Boxster, it sounded epic and even better through a motorway bridge twice daily to and from work.
My neighbours seem a little perkier now they’re able to set their own alarm clocks.
Dunk130TC said:
Lovely car and a great choice, however I maybe a little biased having bought an arctic silver, manual, 2.9 Cayman in June.
Having had a Boxster on 18‘s I’m definitely a fan of the 17‘s on the Cayman, far better ride and not over tyred as the Boxster was.
It seems the first owner agrees with me having originally spec’d it with 20’s.
I had the Carnewal on the Boxster, it sounded epic and even better through a motorway bridge twice daily to and from work.
My neighbours seem a little perkier now they’re able to set their own alarm clocks.
Out of interest, does yours have the sports seats and grey full leather interior? If so that could be my old car.Having had a Boxster on 18‘s I’m definitely a fan of the 17‘s on the Cayman, far better ride and not over tyred as the Boxster was.
It seems the first owner agrees with me having originally spec’d it with 20’s.
I had the Carnewal on the Boxster, it sounded epic and even better through a motorway bridge twice daily to and from work.
My neighbours seem a little perkier now they’re able to set their own alarm clocks.
Thanks gents 
The wheels are 18" Boxster S II wheels which the last owner put on after changing from 17s. With the suspension mods and the state of the roads in West Oxfordshire, I really don't want to go any bigger. Equally, I'm not sure 17" wheels would do the car justice so I'll be sticking with 18s for now.
The Carnewal is brilliant, not overly loud or droney, sounds good when starting the car from cold in the morning and get it above 4k rpm and oof, it sounds bloody marvellous
Predictably, my fuel consumption is pretty terrible right now as I just can't help myself to hear the noise!
The wheels are 18" Boxster S II wheels which the last owner put on after changing from 17s. With the suspension mods and the state of the roads in West Oxfordshire, I really don't want to go any bigger. Equally, I'm not sure 17" wheels would do the car justice so I'll be sticking with 18s for now.
The Carnewal is brilliant, not overly loud or droney, sounds good when starting the car from cold in the morning and get it above 4k rpm and oof, it sounds bloody marvellous
Predictably, my fuel consumption is pretty terrible right now as I just can't help myself to hear the noise!Dunk130TC said:
It does indeed!
Rk09tuw?
Yes that is my old car! It was in great condition when I bought and sold it. I knew it was for sale earlier in the year which is why I wondered if it was my old one running 17s. I was tempted to buy it back, but timing didn't work for me with a pregnant wife and the need for more space. It had 19s when I purchased it from Porsche approved, but I knew 17s would provide a better drive and they certainly did.Rk09tuw?
JackReacher said:
Yes that is my old car! It was in great condition when I bought and sold it. I knew it was for sale earlier in the year which is why I wondered if it was my old one running 17s. I was tempted to buy it back, but timing didn't work for me with a pregnant wife and the need for more space. It had 19s when I purchased it from Porsche approved, but I knew 17s would provide a better drive and they certainly did.
It still absolutely immaculate! The lady I bought it from said she’d spoken to the previous owner as he’d left his contact details in the handbook asking to given first refusal, that’ll be you! I’ll let you know if something shinier ever turns my head
Did you buy it from OPC Reading? (My BiL thinks he might have sold it when he was there)
Apologies to the OP for stealing his thread
Edited by Dunk130TC on Wednesday 23 September 22:30
Dunk130TC said:
It still absolutely immaculate! The lady I bought it from said she’d spoken to the previous owner as he’d left his contact details in the handbook asking to given first refusal, that’ll be you!
I’ll let you know if something shinier ever turns my head
Did you buy it from OPC Reading? (My BiL thinks he might have sold it when he was there)
Apologies to the OP for stealing his thread
Yes that was me, shame the cirumstances were not right for me so definitely let me know of you decide to move it on in the future I’ll let you know if something shinier ever turns my head
Did you buy it from OPC Reading? (My BiL thinks he might have sold it when he was there)
Apologies to the OP for stealing his thread
Edited by Dunk130TC on Wednesday 23 September 22:30
I purchased it from West London Porsche, but think it came from Reading originally. I have fond memories of that car, we took it on honeymoon across the alps and down through Italy to the lakes and as far south as the Amalfi coast. It was briliant in all ways. I did have a Carnewal on it, but swapped back to the original before selling. Here it is in the Porsche museum car park in 2016.
OP apologies for thread drift, but hopefully good to see appreciation for these cars. I think the 2.9 is a bit forgotten as everyone says get the S, but it has really good useable performance and on the 17/18 wheels also great ride and handling on our bumpy B roads.
AndrewGP said:
Thanks gents
The wheels are 18" Boxster S II wheels which the last owner put on after changing from 17s. With the suspension mods and the state of the roads in West Oxfordshire, I really don't want to go any bigger. Equally, I'm not sure 17" wheels would do the car justice so I'll be sticking with 18s for now.
The Carnewal is brilliant, not overly loud or droney, sounds good when starting the car from cold in the morning and get it above 4k rpm and oof, it sounds bloody marvellous Predictably, my fuel consumption is pretty terrible right now as I just can't help myself to hear the noise!
Yes the Carnewal was the only thing i changed on mine, brilliant as you know. How do you find the suspension yours has fitted? I remember watching a Chris Harris video comparing an older cayman with Bilstein suspension against a 370z and one other, and he was full of praise for it. The wheels are 18" Boxster S II wheels which the last owner put on after changing from 17s. With the suspension mods and the state of the roads in West Oxfordshire, I really don't want to go any bigger. Equally, I'm not sure 17" wheels would do the car justice so I'll be sticking with 18s for now.
The Carnewal is brilliant, not overly loud or droney, sounds good when starting the car from cold in the morning and get it above 4k rpm and oof, it sounds bloody marvellous
Predictably, my fuel consumption is pretty terrible right now as I just can't help myself to hear the noise!As mine was under Porsche warranty I decided not to make any other changes, but agree the stereo could have done with being more modern. I think Porsche have brought out updated units for the 987 and 996, which keep warranty, but no doubt at a price! If you are not under warranty then there must be plenty of options, although can be harder to replace if it has Bose apparently.
Were you by any chance driving through Long Hanborough (near Witney) the other day? My 3 year old daughter is obsessed with Porsche (I have had a couple now) and spotted a silver Cayman similar to mine driving through (I have a grey 987.1).
As you say the roads round here are absolutely terrible and even 18s can be a bit unforgiving. I have both 18s and 17s and whilst I prefer the 18s on track, the 17s do ride better and in many ways bring the car to life at lower speeds. The only piece I don't like on the 17s is that you do lose a bit on turn in.
As you say the roads round here are absolutely terrible and even 18s can be a bit unforgiving. I have both 18s and 17s and whilst I prefer the 18s on track, the 17s do ride better and in many ways bring the car to life at lower speeds. The only piece I don't like on the 17s is that you do lose a bit on turn in.
JackReacher said:
OP apologies for thread drift, but hopefully good to see appreciation for these cars. I think the 2.9 is a bit forgotten as everyone says get the S, but it has really good useable performance and on the 17/18 wheels also great ride and handling on our bumpy B roads.
No worries at all 
The suspension mods are generally fine and I can certainly live with them day to day. Yes, it's firm and on poor roads it's a bit crashy, but I used to drive a Civic Type R so I can cope with anything
I've got a bit of 'trunk clunk' going too on which exacerbates the crashiness on a poor road so that's next on the list to address and should make things a lot better.Xenoous said:
Lovely car. I'm still very much hoping I'll be swapping my Focus ST for one in a year or 2. Probably a 2009 onwards Cayman S if I do take the plunge. Enjoy it!
Thanks! As a serial hot owner, I can definitely say you wouldn't be disappointed.LennyM1984 said:
Were you by any chance driving through Long Hanborough (near Witney) the other day? My 3 year old daughter is obsessed with Porsche (I have had a couple now) and spotted a silver Cayman similar to mine driving through (I have a grey 987.1).
As you say the roads round here are absolutely terrible and even 18s can be a bit unforgiving. I have both 18s and 17s and whilst I prefer the 18s on track, the 17s do ride better and in many ways bring the car to life at lower speeds. The only piece I don't like on the 17s is that you do lose a bit on turn in.
Not me, I'm afraid, but I have been waved at by school kids a few times which was a surprise As you say the roads round here are absolutely terrible and even 18s can be a bit unforgiving. I have both 18s and 17s and whilst I prefer the 18s on track, the 17s do ride better and in many ways bring the car to life at lower speeds. The only piece I don't like on the 17s is that you do lose a bit on turn in.
SarlechS said:
lovely spec, very tasteful mods!
Cheers! As I mentioned I've got a few more (hopefully tasteful) plans to come soon JackReacher said:
Dunk130TC said:
It still absolutely immaculate! The lady I bought it from said she’d spoken to the previous owner as he’d left his contact details in the handbook asking to given first refusal, that’ll be you!
I’ll let you know if something shinier ever turns my head
Did you buy it from OPC Reading? (My BiL thinks he might have sold it when he was there)
Apologies to the OP for stealing his thread
Yes that was me, shame the cirumstances were not right for me so definitely let me know of you decide to move it on in the future I’ll let you know if something shinier ever turns my head
Did you buy it from OPC Reading? (My BiL thinks he might have sold it when he was there)
Apologies to the OP for stealing his thread
Edited by Dunk130TC on Wednesday 23 September 22:30
I purchased it from West London Porsche, but think it came from Reading originally. I have fond memories of that car, we took it on honeymoon across the alps and down through Italy to the lakes and as far south as the Amalfi coast. It was briliant in all ways. I did have a Carnewal on it, but swapped back to the original before selling. Here it is in the Porsche museum car park in 2016.OP apologies for thread drift, but hopefully good to see appreciation for these cars. I think the 2.9 is a bit forgotten as everyone says get the S, but it has really good useable performance and on the 17/18 wheels also great ride and handling on our bumpy B roads.
This is lovely, a great car for a daily.
As a previous 986 owner, and long time soft-top owner, a 987 Boxster should be on my radar soon, however for some reason I am drawn to the Cayman - I dont have the bidget for a Gen2 but the smaller engined earlier version appeals as a daily too.
ETA - as above, its a proper spec this one, good quality suspension mods, and points for the small wheels too!
As a previous 986 owner, and long time soft-top owner, a 987 Boxster should be on my radar soon, however for some reason I am drawn to the Cayman - I dont have the bidget for a Gen2 but the smaller engined earlier version appeals as a daily too.
ETA - as above, its a proper spec this one, good quality suspension mods, and points for the small wheels too!
Edited by snotrag on Friday 25th September 08:43
A little update on the Cayman......daily driving is proving enjoyable and I’m starting to gel with the car which is great. That said, the list of things that I want to fix/change is not getting smaller so on to the jobs!
The roads on my commute are quite variable and there’s a section of very broken tarmac which shows up the famous Cayman trunk clunk. The internet suggests there’s around 5 different things to try (ranging from easy to hard to sort) so I’ve started with two of them. The first is the corner rubber bumpers (actuators according to Porsche but I fail to see what they actuate!). Mine were split so visit to the OPC to get new ones was in order. These are adjustable and help stop the tailgate bouncing against the chassis.
Next was to look at the metal counterweight that sits under the trim and stops the tailgate vibrating under certain conditions. This weight sits on rubber mounts which can split plus the weight can hit the plastic trim covering the boot. It’s a fairly simple job to remove the plastic trim cover (although trim tools from Amazon are a must for this) to check the counterweight.
This reveals the counterweight itself.
Although the rubber mounts were in perfect condition, there was evidence the weight had been hitting the plastic about trim.
So the area was cleaned up with some white spirit and some 2mm sticky back foam put down to absorb any impacts and hopefully stop the noise.
It was then a case of putting all the trim and covers back and taking it for a test drive. Whilst it is a lot better, unfortunately it’s not completely fixed so this will have to be revisited in future.
Another area that was definitely not up to scratch for a daily driver was the infotainment system, or lack thereof. The 1st owner has settled on the base stereo which was just an AM/FM radio and single slot CD. Whilst I often just want to listen to the engine and exhaust note, I do need the ability to link my phone and use Waze for navigation. A bit of research helped me decide on a Pioneer SPA-DA250DAB which has Apple CarPlay, DAB, Bluetooth and USB. This was duly ordered together with a DAB aerial, fitting kit and some wiring bits.
Now the last time I fitted a stereo in a car for over 20 years ago but after watching a few YT videos and reading a very helpful guide on Crutchfield, I thought I’d have a crack. First job was to remove the lower trim and then the side panels.
Then unlock the existing head unit with an Allen key and slide it out.
I used an aftermarket wiring harness to link the Pioneer wiring to the Porsche wiring and aside from a loose harness pin which caused a bit of head scratching when the unit failed to turn on, it was easy to fit. I fitted the ignition switched wiring to the fuse box and this was tested and worked first time
I then fitted the hands free phone mic discreetly above the steering wheel, wired in the DAB aerial to the A pillar, fitted the illumination wire to dim the head unit when the lights go on and fitted the plastic surround.
Finally, the last job was to fit the Cayman R style vinyl side stripes. I was a little unsure about these at first, but I felt the side of the car was quite slab sided and needed breaking up a bit. Personally I’m pleased with the result and I think I’ll keep them on for now.
As ever, thoughts and comments welcome
The roads on my commute are quite variable and there’s a section of very broken tarmac which shows up the famous Cayman trunk clunk. The internet suggests there’s around 5 different things to try (ranging from easy to hard to sort) so I’ve started with two of them. The first is the corner rubber bumpers (actuators according to Porsche but I fail to see what they actuate!). Mine were split so visit to the OPC to get new ones was in order. These are adjustable and help stop the tailgate bouncing against the chassis.
Next was to look at the metal counterweight that sits under the trim and stops the tailgate vibrating under certain conditions. This weight sits on rubber mounts which can split plus the weight can hit the plastic trim covering the boot. It’s a fairly simple job to remove the plastic trim cover (although trim tools from Amazon are a must for this) to check the counterweight.
This reveals the counterweight itself.
Although the rubber mounts were in perfect condition, there was evidence the weight had been hitting the plastic about trim.
So the area was cleaned up with some white spirit and some 2mm sticky back foam put down to absorb any impacts and hopefully stop the noise.
It was then a case of putting all the trim and covers back and taking it for a test drive. Whilst it is a lot better, unfortunately it’s not completely fixed so this will have to be revisited in future.
Another area that was definitely not up to scratch for a daily driver was the infotainment system, or lack thereof. The 1st owner has settled on the base stereo which was just an AM/FM radio and single slot CD. Whilst I often just want to listen to the engine and exhaust note, I do need the ability to link my phone and use Waze for navigation. A bit of research helped me decide on a Pioneer SPA-DA250DAB which has Apple CarPlay, DAB, Bluetooth and USB. This was duly ordered together with a DAB aerial, fitting kit and some wiring bits.
Now the last time I fitted a stereo in a car for over 20 years ago
but after watching a few YT videos and reading a very helpful guide on Crutchfield, I thought I’d have a crack. First job was to remove the lower trim and then the side panels.Then unlock the existing head unit with an Allen key and slide it out.
I used an aftermarket wiring harness to link the Pioneer wiring to the Porsche wiring and aside from a loose harness pin which caused a bit of head scratching when the unit failed to turn on, it was easy to fit. I fitted the ignition switched wiring to the fuse box and this was tested and worked first time
I then fitted the hands free phone mic discreetly above the steering wheel, wired in the DAB aerial to the A pillar, fitted the illumination wire to dim the head unit when the lights go on and fitted the plastic surround.
Finally, the last job was to fit the Cayman R style vinyl side stripes. I was a little unsure about these at first, but I felt the side of the car was quite slab sided and needed breaking up a bit. Personally I’m pleased with the result and I think I’ll keep them on for now.
As ever, thoughts and comments welcome
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