Considering buying a Cayman, advice sought please
Discussion
Hi,
I know I will be shunned for life from the Caterham and TVR Clubs, but I’m really keen on buying a Porsche Cayman. Don’t worry, I’ve not gone mad, the TVR and Caterham won’t be sold, this will be a semi practical daily driver (I like the way I can fit a roof rack to the Cayman!)
So, some advice is sought, if I may. Is the Cayman a viable option? The car will be a daily driver for me, although I will occasionally take one of my other cars to work. How practical is the Cayman? What’s the boot space like? I’m thinking I could transport my kayak(s) or bikes with the roof bars, but I’m wondering if there’s enough space inside for all the paraphernalia that goes with the respective activities.
What’s the fuel consumption like and are they suited to shortish journeys? I work 6 miles from home, so it should be enough time for it to warm up. It’s a 40mph road, usually free flowing as I’m out in the countryside.
Finally, which engine and model year should I be looking at? I am fully aware that car tax is a small cost in the grand scheme of ownership, but getting a pre 06 car will save me about £250 each year in tax, and I do have a few cars to tax, so it makes a difference! Is there any difference between a 55 plate car and an 06 onwards car? I’m keen on the 3.4. Anything I should be aware of with this engine? I know that there were issues with the 3.2, were they rectified with the 3.4? Is the 2.7 worth considering?
One thing that is worth bearing in mind, is that I will most likely rent the car out occasionally. I rent out the Caterham and TVR (as well as some other cars), so it would make sense to add the Cayman too. Budget is around £16k. I like this one which is local to me...
http://www.autotrader.co.uk/classified/advert/2014...
Any thoughts?
Thanks,
Dan
I know I will be shunned for life from the Caterham and TVR Clubs, but I’m really keen on buying a Porsche Cayman. Don’t worry, I’ve not gone mad, the TVR and Caterham won’t be sold, this will be a semi practical daily driver (I like the way I can fit a roof rack to the Cayman!)
So, some advice is sought, if I may. Is the Cayman a viable option? The car will be a daily driver for me, although I will occasionally take one of my other cars to work. How practical is the Cayman? What’s the boot space like? I’m thinking I could transport my kayak(s) or bikes with the roof bars, but I’m wondering if there’s enough space inside for all the paraphernalia that goes with the respective activities.
What’s the fuel consumption like and are they suited to shortish journeys? I work 6 miles from home, so it should be enough time for it to warm up. It’s a 40mph road, usually free flowing as I’m out in the countryside.
Finally, which engine and model year should I be looking at? I am fully aware that car tax is a small cost in the grand scheme of ownership, but getting a pre 06 car will save me about £250 each year in tax, and I do have a few cars to tax, so it makes a difference! Is there any difference between a 55 plate car and an 06 onwards car? I’m keen on the 3.4. Anything I should be aware of with this engine? I know that there were issues with the 3.2, were they rectified with the 3.4? Is the 2.7 worth considering?
One thing that is worth bearing in mind, is that I will most likely rent the car out occasionally. I rent out the Caterham and TVR (as well as some other cars), so it would make sense to add the Cayman too. Budget is around £16k. I like this one which is local to me...
http://www.autotrader.co.uk/classified/advert/2014...
Any thoughts?
Thanks,
Dan
Lots of questions, but, briefly:
That age of 3.4 has reported issues. How common they are is a matter of conjecture, but if the bores are scored, it's damn expensive to fix. I'd recommend using a dealer if you can to make sure it's either got a warranty or
55 plate will be cheaper road tax I think, by £200 or so?
They are great great cars, with good luggage space, but a kayak on the roof? Blimey, not sure that's quite feasible - either way the paddle might be a bit of a push in the cabin unless they break in two?
For daily work I think the 2.7 is worth looking at myself - I had a 3.4 and it's certainly quicker, but for a daily, the 2.7 is plenty quick enough.
To avoid problems with the engine the gen 2 car (58 plate on) is perhaps a better bet, but will cost a goodly amount more.
Love the colour and the wheels of the car you link to, but spec is otherwise very basic indeed.
That age of 3.4 has reported issues. How common they are is a matter of conjecture, but if the bores are scored, it's damn expensive to fix. I'd recommend using a dealer if you can to make sure it's either got a warranty or
55 plate will be cheaper road tax I think, by £200 or so?
They are great great cars, with good luggage space, but a kayak on the roof? Blimey, not sure that's quite feasible - either way the paddle might be a bit of a push in the cabin unless they break in two?
For daily work I think the 2.7 is worth looking at myself - I had a 3.4 and it's certainly quicker, but for a daily, the 2.7 is plenty quick enough.
To avoid problems with the engine the gen 2 car (58 plate on) is perhaps a better bet, but will cost a goodly amount more.
Love the colour and the wheels of the car you link to, but spec is otherwise very basic indeed.
Actus Reus said:
Lots of questions, but, briefly:
That age of 3.4 has reported issues. How common they are is a matter of conjecture, but if the bores are scored, it's damn expensive to fix. I'd recommend using a dealer if you can to make sure it's either got a warranty or
55 plate will be cheaper road tax I think, by £200 or so?
They are great great cars, with good luggage space, but a kayak on the roof? Blimey, not sure that's quite feasible - either way the paddle might be a bit of a push in the cabin unless they break in two?
For daily work I think the 2.7 is worth looking at myself - I had a 3.4 and it's certainly quicker, but for a daily, the 2.7 is plenty quick enough.
To avoid problems with the engine the gen 2 car (58 plate on) is perhaps a better bet, but will cost a goodly amount more.
Love the colour and the wheels of the car you link to, but spec is otherwise very basic indeed.
Thanks for the info. Budget won't stretch to a later car. I'm also keen on going back to the Z4M, but there are no roof bar options on the Coupe which is annoying. That age of 3.4 has reported issues. How common they are is a matter of conjecture, but if the bores are scored, it's damn expensive to fix. I'd recommend using a dealer if you can to make sure it's either got a warranty or
55 plate will be cheaper road tax I think, by £200 or so?
They are great great cars, with good luggage space, but a kayak on the roof? Blimey, not sure that's quite feasible - either way the paddle might be a bit of a push in the cabin unless they break in two?
For daily work I think the 2.7 is worth looking at myself - I had a 3.4 and it's certainly quicker, but for a daily, the 2.7 is plenty quick enough.
To avoid problems with the engine the gen 2 car (58 plate on) is perhaps a better bet, but will cost a goodly amount more.
Love the colour and the wheels of the car you link to, but spec is otherwise very basic indeed.
I've read that the Cayman has a roof load of 75kg!! Pretty good!
I managed to get two 20kg kayaks on the roof of my Clio....
PS. I have browsed this dealer's stock a few times in the past, and seen they have this... http://www.pistonheads.com/classifieds/used-cars/p...
Magic919 said:
06 Cayman S is too risky for me. Even with OPC you just have 2 years. Nobody else matches OPC warranty, IMO. Go later than 07 or avoid would be my advice.
An 07 model would be no different risk wise - there were no mechanical changes until the gen 2 in 09! To go for an 07 would just mean paying higher tax, that's the only difference!Bore scoring is a possibility, but buying sensibly will reduce risk. Whilst there are no official numbers for how many suffer from it, the reality is that is still a small percentage (though with larger build numbers, a small percentage is still a lot of cars), and from speaking to several OPCs and specialists, does appear to be a lot less common than the scoring in 997 911s.
Definitely worth buying a car with an OPC warranty though, not only for the security with the engine. The Porsche warranty is excellent - I have had no major engine problems in my 83k mile 06 Cayman S, but the warranty has still more than paid for itself every time, with it paying out for new cats, condensers, water pump, etc.
Another option if you are hell-bent on getting a 3.4 would be to take out a maintenance plan with Hartech. http://www.hartech.org/porsche_996_997_Boxster_lif...
This would depend to some extent on where you are based, but it is nonetheless a very viable alternative to a warranty.
Just to add: I have no association with this organisation, but have only read and heard positive feedback relating to them.
This would depend to some extent on where you are based, but it is nonetheless a very viable alternative to a warranty.
Just to add: I have no association with this organisation, but have only read and heard positive feedback relating to them.
zed4 said:
Ok. What happened after 2007? What improvements were made? What about finding an early car which has the issue rectified?
The scoring seems worst on 2006 and some 2007 were affected. Never seen anyone mention it on a 2008. I've never seen any reliable information regarding changes made.Going back to the OP, I'd say that consumption on a drive like that will be around 24mpg or so - you can see low 30's on a steady 75mph cruise, but that kind of short-ish drive I only saw low to mid 20's from my 3.4 (2008 Cayman S, and similar from my 2006 3.4 Boxster S). I sold my Cayman to JZM and they put a scope in, and no sign at all of any wear. My Boxster had no symptoms either, but both cars were sweating a bit of oil through the seal - apparently occasional use is often the cause of this.
Cracking cars both, though I bonded better with the Cayman. Leggy gearing is what spoils both though - out for a thrash, the redline in 3rd has you at silly speeds. Also worth getting a report (on manual cars) of the over-revs to check that it's never been above range 2 - a higher reading indicates a mis-shift, and can contribute to problems later on.
Cracking cars both, though I bonded better with the Cayman. Leggy gearing is what spoils both though - out for a thrash, the redline in 3rd has you at silly speeds. Also worth getting a report (on manual cars) of the over-revs to check that it's never been above range 2 - a higher reading indicates a mis-shift, and can contribute to problems later on.
Six miles at 40mph will almost certainly not be enough to have the engine coolant and oil fully warmed up. Every few days you will need to take the long way to or from work to give the engine and its vital fluids time to get fully up to temperature and remain there for a while. Even so I'd budget for more frequent oil/filter services.
I've had a Cayman from new. A 2008 2.7 car with active suspension and 6 speed box options. It's been a great car.
Overall the servicing costs are quite a lot, more than my TVR Tuscan S. I think this is partly down to the Porsche service rates which must be astronomical though they don't tell you what they charge per hour. But the other reason is that the parts are very expensive. Just had the coil packs replaced on the last service as some of them were cracking on the bodies. So, they are about £45 each I seem to remember and there's 6 of them of course - "£270 please sir". Whereas the TVR uses a single coil pack at £102. It's had a new set of discs on the front. Did those myself due to aforementioned Porsche service prices. And they were a bu**er to get off because the small cross screws pinning the discs on were totally rusted in. Now I just recently did the same job on my son's Peugeot and they came undone with no problems. Some of the materials Porsche have used are not the best !
Haven't really had any serious problems with the car at all in 60,000 miles of use. For the first 5 years I used it as a daily commute of 25 miles each way. I had decided for the motoring I was doing I only wanted the 2.7 and it has proved perfectly adequate. I have the TVR for 'fun'.
It's a great car to drive, feels so nice in your hands and the pedals are nicely weighted - good brake feel and nice power steering feel. Nothing too over-servo assisted like Audis.
Good luck hunting for a nice one.
Phil.
Overall the servicing costs are quite a lot, more than my TVR Tuscan S. I think this is partly down to the Porsche service rates which must be astronomical though they don't tell you what they charge per hour. But the other reason is that the parts are very expensive. Just had the coil packs replaced on the last service as some of them were cracking on the bodies. So, they are about £45 each I seem to remember and there's 6 of them of course - "£270 please sir". Whereas the TVR uses a single coil pack at £102. It's had a new set of discs on the front. Did those myself due to aforementioned Porsche service prices. And they were a bu**er to get off because the small cross screws pinning the discs on were totally rusted in. Now I just recently did the same job on my son's Peugeot and they came undone with no problems. Some of the materials Porsche have used are not the best !
Haven't really had any serious problems with the car at all in 60,000 miles of use. For the first 5 years I used it as a daily commute of 25 miles each way. I had decided for the motoring I was doing I only wanted the 2.7 and it has proved perfectly adequate. I have the TVR for 'fun'.
It's a great car to drive, feels so nice in your hands and the pedals are nicely weighted - good brake feel and nice power steering feel. Nothing too over-servo assisted like Audis.
Good luck hunting for a nice one.
Phil.
To address the one thing no-one else yet has, if renting the car out do look into how engine over-revs are recorded. It'd be worth getting your own kit to do this (I got a £20 lead and downloaded Durametric for free). The car's ECU, known as the DME, will record all incidences of the engine speed hitting the redline and of exceeding it (which can only happen when down-shifting to gear that's too low for the road speed).
There are different speed ranges and the info will give the number of "ignitions" (3 per revolution of the engine) in each range since the car was new and at how many running hours from new the last incident occurred.
Like any engine it may get away with being over-revved, just as may have happened on the cars you've rented out before (but you won't have known about it). The difference is that the data is there permanently and influences people's buying decisions, so on the plus side you will be able to see if a customer has abused your car, but the downside is that anyone else at anytime in the future (like when buying off you) will see the evidence of that abuse in the car's memory.
There are different speed ranges and the info will give the number of "ignitions" (3 per revolution of the engine) in each range since the car was new and at how many running hours from new the last incident occurred.
Like any engine it may get away with being over-revved, just as may have happened on the cars you've rented out before (but you won't have known about it). The difference is that the data is there permanently and influences people's buying decisions, so on the plus side you will be able to see if a customer has abused your car, but the downside is that anyone else at anytime in the future (like when buying off you) will see the evidence of that abuse in the car's memory.
I know it's a tip but this might fit the bill, had a Hartech rebuild and within budget , good price as that rebuild would cost a pretty penny these days and should be good for a very long time
http://www.portiacraft.com/cardetail.asp?make=06_P...
http://www.portiacraft.com/cardetail.asp?make=06_P...
zed4 said:
Hi,
I know I will be shunned for life from the Caterham and TVR Clubs, but I’m really keen on buying a Porsche Cayman. Don’t worry, I’ve not gone mad, the TVR and Caterham won’t be sold, this will be a semi practical daily driver (I like the way I can fit a roof rack to the Cayman!)
One thing that is worth bearing in mind, is that I will most likely rent the car out occasionally. I rent out the Caterham and TVR (as well as some other cars), so it would make sense to add the Cayman too. Budget is around £16k. I like this one which is local to me...
http://www.autotrader.co.uk/classified/advert/2014...
Any thoughts?
Thanks,
Dan
A novel use of the car. While the Cayman is much more practical than the Caterham (which I have used as a daily driver) , and, I suspect, a bit more than the TVR - the 3 cars cover a pretty narrow range. Wouldn't something like a Megane R26/250/265 be worth considering. Just as focused as as a Cayman but greater versatility, and you could get a much more recent example with less risk. (Yes, I prefer RWD too, but...) Incidentally I might be interested in renting your Caterham. If that's still possible PM me with details. I know I will be shunned for life from the Caterham and TVR Clubs, but I’m really keen on buying a Porsche Cayman. Don’t worry, I’ve not gone mad, the TVR and Caterham won’t be sold, this will be a semi practical daily driver (I like the way I can fit a roof rack to the Cayman!)
One thing that is worth bearing in mind, is that I will most likely rent the car out occasionally. I rent out the Caterham and TVR (as well as some other cars), so it would make sense to add the Cayman too. Budget is around £16k. I like this one which is local to me...
http://www.autotrader.co.uk/classified/advert/2014...
Any thoughts?
Thanks,
Dan
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