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
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!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 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
Thanks gents
I knew the stripes would split opinions! I have form for stripes on previous cars so I'll keep them on for now as I do think the contrast between the silver and black works. Obviously they can come over easily if and when I choose to, but for now they'll stay
I knew the stripes would split opinions! I have form for stripes on previous cars so I'll keep them on for now as I do think the contrast between the silver and black works. Obviously they can come over easily if and when I choose to, but for now they'll stay
doogle83 said:
Car looks great OP, and I'm a fan of the stripes... mainly because the car I picked up last week has them too
Thinking I might need some coloured wheel centre caps looking at your pictures though, mine are a bit worn :-/
Your car looks great and I really like the black intake grills. I was thinking about doing the same to mine so it's great to see what it looks like. Your wheels are also much nicer than mine (which I hate)!Thinking I might need some coloured wheel centre caps looking at your pictures though, mine are a bit worn :-/
Ash_ said:
Fantastic Purcahse OP, I bought my Cayman 987.2 2.9 in early July and love it, such a good car and does everything I need, mine is also my daily, however I have my first track day booked in it on 27th Oct at Goodwood. Can't wait to see how she does and how she compares to my old VX220.
Lovely and very understated in that colour. Having had an Elise S1, I say the biggest difference on track will be the feeling of weight, however I still think the Cayman will be a lot of fun. I had read that the biggest issue with tracking a 987 is brake cooling so it might be worth keeping an eye on them during the day. Please report back though, I'd be interested to hear your thoughts!Little update on the Cayman. Daily (well, 3 times per week) driving is proving enjoyable with just the right mix of comfort, performance, noise and involvement for me and my commute. I'm getting a fairly solid 25-27mpg out of it which is fine with me. The Pioneer DAB radio has been brilliant and although I'm happy to just listen to the exhaust note most of the time, it's great to have the ability to make calls and listen to music when required. The Michelin Pilot Super Sports have been superb despite some chilly mornings and I've never felt the car was going to spit me off into the scenery. Keeping it clean has been a bit of a challenge though, this was taken the day after washing it!
I'm still getting a bit of trunk clunk from the back, but some of the local roads are truly awful so it's to be expected. However, I have removed the rear privacy screen which has helped quite a bit, as I think it was banging on the side of the engine oil filler cover. I do like quick and easy fixes like this
Since getting the car, and making it a more usable daily with the DAB upgrade, I've turned my attention to aesthetics. I've bought a 'new old stock' later 987.2 version of the twin exhaust tips and this will be fitted soon to replace the single rectangular tailpipe. The next thing I wanted to address was the front spoiler lips, as being black on silver, I felt they just faded in to the background and made the front end look a little odd and too high. Here's what it looked like before:
These were removed a few days ago, it took me a little time to work out how to get them off as they're both clipped in as well as secured underneath by plastic rivets. If anyone's doing the same, you just push in the centre of the rivet with a small punch and they fall out, really easy! Spoiler lips removed:
The old plastic rivets:
Off the car ready for painting:
Back from the bodyshop, all painted! I use Motorama near Royal Wootton Bassett and would highly recommend them, they're very well priced, quick to complete work and do an excellent job.
Putting them back on the car is dead easy, just clip them in and install the new plastic rivets (only available from Porsche Parts though as far as I can tell).
New rivets:
In my opinion, much better and finishes the front end off nicely now!
Finally for now, I also picked up a lovely set of Cayman R/Boxster Spyder 19" wheels which will go on in the Spring once the weather improves (and it's sensible to run the Pilot Sport Cup 2 tyres!). Not cheap, but by far the nicest 987.2 wheel design and I can't wait to get them on the car.
I'm still getting a bit of trunk clunk from the back, but some of the local roads are truly awful so it's to be expected. However, I have removed the rear privacy screen which has helped quite a bit, as I think it was banging on the side of the engine oil filler cover. I do like quick and easy fixes like this
Since getting the car, and making it a more usable daily with the DAB upgrade, I've turned my attention to aesthetics. I've bought a 'new old stock' later 987.2 version of the twin exhaust tips and this will be fitted soon to replace the single rectangular tailpipe. The next thing I wanted to address was the front spoiler lips, as being black on silver, I felt they just faded in to the background and made the front end look a little odd and too high. Here's what it looked like before:
These were removed a few days ago, it took me a little time to work out how to get them off as they're both clipped in as well as secured underneath by plastic rivets. If anyone's doing the same, you just push in the centre of the rivet with a small punch and they fall out, really easy! Spoiler lips removed:
The old plastic rivets:
Off the car ready for painting:
Back from the bodyshop, all painted! I use Motorama near Royal Wootton Bassett and would highly recommend them, they're very well priced, quick to complete work and do an excellent job.
Putting them back on the car is dead easy, just clip them in and install the new plastic rivets (only available from Porsche Parts though as far as I can tell).
New rivets:
In my opinion, much better and finishes the front end off nicely now!
Finally for now, I also picked up a lovely set of Cayman R/Boxster Spyder 19" wheels which will go on in the Spring once the weather improves (and it's sensible to run the Pilot Sport Cup 2 tyres!). Not cheap, but by far the nicest 987.2 wheel design and I can't wait to get them on the car.
Thanks for the kind words, Slippydiff
I did think about doing paint film on them yes (and I have PPF'd my Caterham) but there are some stone chips already on the bumper and bonnet so I think I'll leave it a couple of years then get the whole front end done in one go. If they get really bad, it was only £40 to have the lips painted so easy enough to just get them redone.
The ride on the 19s is a bit of a concern, but those R wheels so rarely come up for sale, I had to have them I've heard mixed reports of going from 18s to 19s so I guess I'll find out in the Spring. If they're so bad that I can't cope with it, I'll just pop them up for sale again.
I didn't think I would, but I like those gold coloured wheels actually, they're quite subtle!
I did think about doing paint film on them yes (and I have PPF'd my Caterham) but there are some stone chips already on the bumper and bonnet so I think I'll leave it a couple of years then get the whole front end done in one go. If they get really bad, it was only £40 to have the lips painted so easy enough to just get them redone.
The ride on the 19s is a bit of a concern, but those R wheels so rarely come up for sale, I had to have them
I've heard mixed reports of going from 18s to 19s so I guess I'll find out in the Spring. If they're so bad that I can't cope with it, I'll just pop them up for sale again.I didn't think I would, but I like those gold coloured wheels actually, they're quite subtle!
MoT day today, always a bit nerve wracking especially the first one on a newly owned car! Despite being filthy dirty, it passed with no issues whatsoever
The fella I use for my MoTs is super fastidious and always lets me have a look underneath the car at the end. He then walks me round the underside with an inspection lamp and talks me through any issues that might need keeping an eye on, no matter how small which I think is great. His verdict for my Cayman was pretty glowing, not a single issue which was very welcome news. The engine and gearbox undersides were dry and oil free too which is always a relief.
The car continues to be a great daily, although trying to keep it clean is a bit of a nightmare The next jobs will be a full wheels off clean in the Spring and to reapply ACF50 to the underside, then a rewax of the paint. The major service is coming up in April and I’ll get the new twin tail pipe fitted at the same time.
The fella I use for my MoTs is super fastidious and always lets me have a look underneath the car at the end. He then walks me round the underside with an inspection lamp and talks me through any issues that might need keeping an eye on, no matter how small which I think is great. His verdict for my Cayman was pretty glowing, not a single issue which was very welcome news. The engine and gearbox undersides were dry and oil free too which is always a relief.
The car continues to be a great daily, although trying to keep it clean is a bit of a nightmare
The next jobs will be a full wheels off clean in the Spring and to reapply ACF50 to the underside, then a rewax of the paint. The major service is coming up in April and I’ll get the new twin tail pipe fitted at the same time. Little update on the Cayman.
A few weeks back it went to the Cotswold Porsche Specialist near Winchcombe for it's scheduled service, this year was a major one with things like brake fluid and the aux belt but I was still pleasantly surprised when the bill came through. Great service too from Lee and aside from a few minor things coming up, the car is in great shape which is always nice to hear! I've also decided to get it serviced annually, rather than at the scheduled interval of 2 years. Although I could get away with it (the car is a 'daily' but in truth I don't use it every single day) and my annual mileage is very low, but I really don't like the idea of it going that long without a proper check over.
This morning I've finally put on the Spyders with the Cup 2 tyres. It's been really cold of late but with things starting to warm up, I thought why not?
A few weeks back it went to the Cotswold Porsche Specialist near Winchcombe for it's scheduled service, this year was a major one with things like brake fluid and the aux belt but I was still pleasantly surprised when the bill came through. Great service too from Lee and aside from a few minor things coming up, the car is in great shape which is always nice to hear! I've also decided to get it serviced annually, rather than at the scheduled interval of 2 years. Although I could get away with it (the car is a 'daily' but in truth I don't use it every single day) and my annual mileage is very low, but I really don't like the idea of it going that long without a proper check over.
This morning I've finally put on the Spyders with the Cup 2 tyres. It's been really cold of late but with things starting to warm up, I thought why not?
Small update on the Cayman....
Throughout the Summer and in to Autumn, the car has been flawless as my (occasional) daily. I've now owned it just over a year and have really gelled with it, the handling and balance are wonderful and the 2.9 is a quick enough for 99% of situations. I particularly love the character of the engine, it sounds great, revs freely and really responds well to be driven properly. Although it's not as fun as some other cars I've had (Clio 182, 205 GTi etc), it's still a brilliant thing and I very much enjoy driving it.
The car has also proved to be more practical than I initially gave it credit for too. The front and rear boots have seen all sorts of stuff being transported and even my wife has warmed to it MPG has been a steady 27mpg which isn't too bad given the mix of routes I drive.
At the start of the summer, the car went back to Lee at the Cotswold Porsche Specialist and had 4x new lower control arms. Lee had identified a tiny amount of play in 3 of them and although he said it wasn't critical to change them, I elected to have them done anyway. It did cure a very slight knock going over potholes so I'm very glad I had it done. At the same time, I had him swap the single fat tailpipe for the Cayman R twin tailpipe and I'm very pleased with the result:
This weekend, I've done some prep for the Winter weather. The 19" Spyder wheels with the Cup 2 tyres have come off and gone in to storage until Spring. In their place is the original 18" Boxster S wheels with Michelin Pilot Super Sports on. Obviously they're not actual winter tyres but they'll cope with lower temperatures and the wet a lot better than the Cup 2s and they also ride a bit better. If the weather is really bad, I won't drive the car, I'll just use my wife's XC60 (not that she knows that yet)
The car has been washed, clay-barred, washed again then waxed to protect the paintwork and it's come up really nicely. I've found the blue Dodo Juice Wax works really well on silver cars and goes on really easily too.
Next weekend, I plan to coat the front and rear suspension and the rear subframe and gearbox in ACF50 just to make sure it all stays in good order and that should be it bar a few minor cosmetic jobs running up to Christmas.
Throughout the Summer and in to Autumn, the car has been flawless as my (occasional) daily. I've now owned it just over a year and have really gelled with it, the handling and balance are wonderful and the 2.9 is a quick enough for 99% of situations. I particularly love the character of the engine, it sounds great, revs freely and really responds well to be driven properly. Although it's not as fun as some other cars I've had (Clio 182, 205 GTi etc), it's still a brilliant thing and I very much enjoy driving it.
The car has also proved to be more practical than I initially gave it credit for too. The front and rear boots have seen all sorts of stuff being transported and even my wife has warmed to it
MPG has been a steady 27mpg which isn't too bad given the mix of routes I drive.At the start of the summer, the car went back to Lee at the Cotswold Porsche Specialist and had 4x new lower control arms. Lee had identified a tiny amount of play in 3 of them and although he said it wasn't critical to change them, I elected to have them done anyway. It did cure a very slight knock going over potholes so I'm very glad I had it done. At the same time, I had him swap the single fat tailpipe for the Cayman R twin tailpipe and I'm very pleased with the result:
This weekend, I've done some prep for the Winter weather. The 19" Spyder wheels with the Cup 2 tyres have come off and gone in to storage until Spring. In their place is the original 18" Boxster S wheels with Michelin Pilot Super Sports on. Obviously they're not actual winter tyres but they'll cope with lower temperatures and the wet a lot better than the Cup 2s and they also ride a bit better. If the weather is really bad, I won't drive the car, I'll just use my wife's XC60 (not that she knows that yet)
The car has been washed, clay-barred, washed again then waxed to protect the paintwork and it's come up really nicely. I've found the blue Dodo Juice Wax works really well on silver cars and goes on really easily too.
Next weekend, I plan to coat the front and rear suspension and the rear subframe and gearbox in ACF50 just to make sure it all stays in good order and that should be it bar a few minor cosmetic jobs running up to Christmas.
vdoubleewe said:
I must say I absolutely love what you've done with your Cayman, especially with those R wheels, it's perfect.
At the weekend I picked up an 09 2.9 in silver and you've pretty much done everything I would like to do with mine with the exception of painting the centre console.
I don't want to go completely after the R look, but since the soft touch paint is flaking off in mine I figure why not; Do love the painted console in the R, gives the interior a really sporty look, especially in silver.
First things first though, I have to change the stereo for something modern.
Hope you don't mind me asking but which stereo surround panel is it that you used, is it connects2, incartek or something else? it's a very good match and the fit looks great. I had an mx5 mk3 once and the aftermarket panel I picked up was dreadful, don't want to make that mistake again.
All the best!
Sorry for the late reply, only just seen it! Welcome to PH At the weekend I picked up an 09 2.9 in silver and you've pretty much done everything I would like to do with mine with the exception of painting the centre console.
I don't want to go completely after the R look, but since the soft touch paint is flaking off in mine I figure why not; Do love the painted console in the R, gives the interior a really sporty look, especially in silver.
First things first though, I have to change the stereo for something modern.
Hope you don't mind me asking but which stereo surround panel is it that you used, is it connects2, incartek or something else? it's a very good match and the fit looks great. I had an mx5 mk3 once and the aftermarket panel I picked up was dreadful, don't want to make that mistake again.
All the best!
Many thanks for the kind words, the car is going great and I'll update the thread shortly.The centre console is a connects2 CT23PO04 and comes with all the parts necessary bits. As you say, it matches and fits perfectly so well worth the money. Link here
dmcspeedy said:
AndrewGP said:
Back from the bodyshop, all painted! I use Motorama near Royal Wootton Bassett and would highly recommend them, they're very well priced, quick to complete work and do an excellent job.
Hi Andrew, do you remember roughly what these cost to have painted? I'm looking to get mine done and would like a reasonable point of comparison when shopping around local bodyshops. I assume there's a clearcoat layer on there too? Thanks! So, update on the Cayman after a fantastic summer of driving.
The car has been great, no issues whatsoever and it continues to be a joy to drive and own. I never get bored of the noise it makes or the way it handles, it may not be the quickest car in the world but as a daily it's perfect and makes rapid progress when pushed. That said, I've not actually done many miles in it and I think I'll be under 3k miles for the year which is criminal really! Still averaging 28mpg which is fine although it did manage 37mpg on a run down to Gatwick.
First job back in the middle of summer was to adjust the frunk height. It was nagging at me that it was couple mm too low compared to the bumper so I broke out the spanners and set to. Super simple to do, just peel back the frunk liner, loosen the two bolts and adjust the retaining bracket as required. Amazing how much muck had accumulated in the gaps though!
Much better
Next up was the little clear stickers that stop the paint rubbing off from the frame of the tailgate and door sill near the rear window. They'd yellowed badly and looked s
te. New ones are cheap enough from the OPC and the quality is good.
Again, super easy to deal with, I just sprayed a little water/washing up liquid mix on and scraped them off with a plastic trim removal tool, then prepared the surface with some isopropyl alcohol, before sticking the new ones in place.
Finally for this year, the 19" Spyders with the Cup 2s came off today and have been replaced with 18" Boxster SII wheels running much more sensible tyres for the cold weather. I took the opportunity to remove all the arch trim, rake out all the mud, stones and other crap and give the whole thing a good clean. It's amazing for a car that isn't driven very often just how much ste gets caked in the nooks and crannies!
At the same time, the wheel nuts got a lick of Hammerite silver paint as they'd deteriorated quite badly this year and the corrosion was very obvious. Very pleased with how they came out.
Plans for the winter a refurb of the Spyder wheels as they're looking a little tired. Unfortunately, Oxfordshire's roads aren't in great condition and they've stone chipped in a few places. I'll get some new centre caps at the same time.
So with a good wash, a quick going over with the claybar and a coat of wax, she's ready for the winter. In truth, I won't use the car in the worst of the weather and certainly not if there's salt been put down, but I'm pleased the car is getting used and I still love driving it.
The car has been great, no issues whatsoever and it continues to be a joy to drive and own. I never get bored of the noise it makes or the way it handles, it may not be the quickest car in the world but as a daily it's perfect and makes rapid progress when pushed. That said, I've not actually done many miles in it and I think I'll be under 3k miles for the year which is criminal really! Still averaging 28mpg which is fine although it did manage 37mpg on a run down to Gatwick.
First job back in the middle of summer was to adjust the frunk height. It was nagging at me that it was couple mm too low compared to the bumper so I broke out the spanners and set to. Super simple to do, just peel back the frunk liner, loosen the two bolts and adjust the retaining bracket as required. Amazing how much muck had accumulated in the gaps though!
Much better
Next up was the little clear stickers that stop the paint rubbing off from the frame of the tailgate and door sill near the rear window. They'd yellowed badly and looked s
te. New ones are cheap enough from the OPC and the quality is good.Again, super easy to deal with, I just sprayed a little water/washing up liquid mix on and scraped them off with a plastic trim removal tool, then prepared the surface with some isopropyl alcohol, before sticking the new ones in place.
Finally for this year, the 19" Spyders with the Cup 2s came off today and have been replaced with 18" Boxster SII wheels running much more sensible tyres for the cold weather. I took the opportunity to remove all the arch trim, rake out all the mud, stones and other crap and give the whole thing a good clean. It's amazing for a car that isn't driven very often just how much s
te gets caked in the nooks and crannies! At the same time, the wheel nuts got a lick of Hammerite silver paint as they'd deteriorated quite badly this year and the corrosion was very obvious. Very pleased with how they came out.
Plans for the winter a refurb of the Spyder wheels as they're looking a little tired. Unfortunately, Oxfordshire's roads aren't in great condition and they've stone chipped in a few places. I'll get some new centre caps at the same time.
So with a good wash, a quick going over with the claybar and a coat of wax, she's ready for the winter. In truth, I won't use the car in the worst of the weather and certainly not if there's salt been put down, but I'm pleased the car is getting used and I still love driving it.
dmcspeedy said:
No worries! I got them done last week, now just have to fit them. It looks easy enough from watching a couple of YouTube videos, anything to watch out for?
It's pretty straight forward to be honest, you just need the little plastic rivets from the OPC, part number 999 591 71240. I think it took 2 mins per side to clip back in CrouchingWayne said:
Great update, thanks for sharing!
Do you have the part numbers for the paint protectors? Mine are similarly yellowed and it would be great to tidy it up.
Thank you for the kind words! According to the invoice they're part numbers 996 537 23700 and 987 512 81901 Do you have the part numbers for the paint protectors? Mine are similarly yellowed and it would be great to tidy it up.
Now that winter's almost done, I took the opportunity to do a minor refresh on the front end of the car. It's due a service in a few weeks so I wanted to get these done before then. It's not really been driven that much over the winter, but was MOT'd with no advisories back in January and I had the chance to have a good poke underneath. The ACF 50 has done a great job and it's all looking very clean, dry and fresh.
Not looking so clean and fresh were the headlights which had yellowed and had become slightly hazy. Driving home in the dark the other night confirmed they needed doing so after a little research I settled on the Meguiars Two Stage Headlight Kit. This has a UV coating as well as the polish and pads so should keep them looking good for longer. Unfortunately I forgot to take 'before' pictures but just imagine them looking a bit crap
Getting the headlights out is literally a 30 second job (BMW could learn a thing or two here), just peel back the front boot carpet, remove the bung and insert the supplied tool rotating it 180 degrees. In the past on other cars I've always left them in situ, but I'd heard stories about frying the frunk lock module with the static electricity generated when polishing, so it made sense to remove them. Also no chance of scratching the paint.
The headlight is then pushed up and out of it's housing tray, the electrical connections separate and out it comes. Amazing! Unfortunately, it revealed the headlamp housings were pretty minging inside so these were cleaned up. Whilst I was in there, I had a peek at the inner wings which are absolutely pristine.
Then the lights were given a good polish with the DA and sprayed with the UV protector.
Super happy how they turned out, they literally look brand new for about 90 minutes work. Next on the list was the front boot struts. I think one had been broken for a while and as when the second one let go, the boot lid came down and gave me a good smack on the head
The boot struts are easy to find and are only £40. I'm not sure if they're OEM but they're made by Stabilus and were identical to the old ones :
Fitting involves levering the old ones out by releasing the spring clip with a flat head screw driver. I then cleaned up the ball joint, put a small blob of grease in the hole and snapped on the new ones. No more getting ttted on the back of the head now
Finally, the black wiper cover was looking a bit faded so it was removed, cleaned and treated with some Forever Black Trim Restorer. Getting this out is a case of removing the washer jet hoses and retaining clips, taking off the wipers and undoing two nuts near each wing. Super easy and quick.
This was given a good clean and then two coats of the Forever Black put on...
Everything was given a good hoover to get the spiders webs out and leaves out, the drains checked to see they weren't blocked and then everything wiped and cleaned. It's amazing the amount of crap that gets under there but it came up looking really good! Next event is it's Intermediate Service and to swap it on to the summer wheels and tyres.
Not looking so clean and fresh were the headlights which had yellowed and had become slightly hazy. Driving home in the dark the other night confirmed they needed doing so after a little research I settled on the Meguiars Two Stage Headlight Kit. This has a UV coating as well as the polish and pads so should keep them looking good for longer. Unfortunately I forgot to take 'before' pictures but just imagine them looking a bit crap
Getting the headlights out is literally a 30 second job (BMW could learn a thing or two here), just peel back the front boot carpet, remove the bung and insert the supplied tool rotating it 180 degrees. In the past on other cars I've always left them in situ, but I'd heard stories about frying the frunk lock module with the static electricity generated when polishing, so it made sense to remove them. Also no chance of scratching the paint.
The headlight is then pushed up and out of it's housing tray, the electrical connections separate and out it comes. Amazing! Unfortunately, it revealed the headlamp housings were pretty minging inside so these were cleaned up. Whilst I was in there, I had a peek at the inner wings which are absolutely pristine.
Then the lights were given a good polish with the DA and sprayed with the UV protector.
Super happy how they turned out, they literally look brand new for about 90 minutes work. Next on the list was the front boot struts. I think one had been broken for a while and as when the second one let go, the boot lid came down and gave me a good smack on the head
The boot struts are easy to find and are only £40. I'm not sure if they're OEM but they're made by Stabilus and were identical to the old ones :
Fitting involves levering the old ones out by releasing the spring clip with a flat head screw driver. I then cleaned up the ball joint, put a small blob of grease in the hole and snapped on the new ones. No more getting t
tted on the back of the head now Finally, the black wiper cover was looking a bit faded so it was removed, cleaned and treated with some Forever Black Trim Restorer. Getting this out is a case of removing the washer jet hoses and retaining clips, taking off the wipers and undoing two nuts near each wing. Super easy and quick.
This was given a good clean and then two coats of the Forever Black put on...
Everything was given a good hoover to get the spiders webs out and leaves out, the drains checked to see they weren't blocked and then everything wiped and cleaned. It's amazing the amount of crap that gets under there but it came up looking really good! Next event is it's Intermediate Service and to swap it on to the summer wheels and tyres.
Very minor update on the Cayman, it passed it's MOT a week ago with no advisories and once again I had the opportunity to have a good look underneath with no issues to report. It's been flawless the last year and a real pleasure to own.
However, due to a job change in the near future, it's going up for sale this week as I'll be swapping it for another Porsche with PDK due to the commute. If anyone is interested in the Cayman, just drop me a PM.
However, due to a job change in the near future, it's going up for sale this week as I'll be swapping it for another Porsche with PDK due to the commute. If anyone is interested in the Cayman, just drop me a PM.
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