Cayman 987.2 Purchases Fears
Discussion
Hi all,
Been looking into a 2010 Cayman 2.9 manual. It has just over 20k on the clock and has had 5 previous owners. Had 5 services in its life, second was non porsche, but then 6 months later seems to have been re-done by Porsche. 4/5 are official Porsche.
Seemed to drive nicely. My questions - is 5 owners a worry on such a low mileage car? I want to get a Porsche warranty but my fear is that I'm in the unknown for three months until it is eligible. Is any good inspection enough to put my mind at ease for the three months that it wont die! Thanks!
Been looking into a 2010 Cayman 2.9 manual. It has just over 20k on the clock and has had 5 previous owners. Had 5 services in its life, second was non porsche, but then 6 months later seems to have been re-done by Porsche. 4/5 are official Porsche.
Seemed to drive nicely. My questions - is 5 owners a worry on such a low mileage car? I want to get a Porsche warranty but my fear is that I'm in the unknown for three months until it is eligible. Is any good inspection enough to put my mind at ease for the three months that it wont die! Thanks!
Twinfan said:
You could get the OPC check done pre-purchase, then you'd know 
That was a consideration but from what I read they aren't really that in depth and are just a checkbox for the warranty? Correct me if I'm wrong I would love if the OPS check May highlight potential failures.To reiterate. My concern isn't passing the inspection, it's the car dying before I'm allowed to buy a warranty!
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hstewie said:
hstewie said: I'd say 1 bad owner is much worse than 5 good owners.
Don't know how you work that one out!One owner over 6 years or a new owner every 12 months?
Personally wouldn't touch a car with 5 owners over short period (less than 15years)especially a base model although GT cars are different story!
Walk away if not sure as plenty of nice cars around! Should have at least the first 4 years opc service and then respected Indy!
Edited by GT4P on Friday 28th April 18:06
GT4P said:
Don't know how you work that one out!
One owner over 6 years or a new owner every 12 months?
Personally wouldn't touch a car with 5 owners over short period (less than 15years)especially a base model although GT cars are different story!
Walk away if not sure as plenty of nice cars around!
Seems common sense that if 1 owner rags the thing from cold every time they use it (for example) that's arguably worse than 5 who treat it with care.One owner over 6 years or a new owner every 12 months?
Personally wouldn't touch a car with 5 owners over short period (less than 15years)especially a base model although GT cars are different story!
Walk away if not sure as plenty of nice cars around!
The flip side is expensive cars often have lots of owners as people often shift the car on to avoid a looming bill even if it's just something routine.
I do agree with walk away if you're unsure.
The cars are fairly reliable so I wouldn't worry about that much, the owner thing depends how long you intend keeping it for, if you are likely to want to shift it on in a year i would look elsewhere, if you keep it for a few years it wont be so bad, porsches do tend to swop hands regularly, doesnt necessarily make it a bad car. Most people spend a bit of money on a new car so that one has had 5 lots of people potentially spending on it!!
GT4P said:
Walk away if not sure as plenty of nice cars around! Should have at least the first 4 years opc service and then respected Indy!
Not sure I'd go along with that. A full opc history certainly can't be a bad thing, but might suggest an owner with more money than sense as much as a fastidious one. Edited by GT4P on Friday 28th April 18:06
My first Boxster had 3 owners. My second is now on its fifth. A sports car is a car for a time in someone's life and often moves for a change in circumstances of the owner, not some defect in the car. Need to start a business, marriage, baby, divorce, age, infirmity, buy a house, no garage, no parking space ... the list goes on and on.
Buying one I always knew and verified the motivation of the seller. For my second I got a PPI and knew the car needed lots of relatively expensive things but that was priced into the price I was willing to pay. Was all that certainty? Heck no. I could have had a very expensive failure any time? In fact I was run into maybe 4 months after I bought my second. Stuff happens.
Interesting that you all in the UK have access to what we call extended warranty from the dealer where we in the US can buy such a warranty only from a third party but it is statistically a very bad purchase decision as the insurance company and the sellers make 65% of the purchase price.
Buying one I always knew and verified the motivation of the seller. For my second I got a PPI and knew the car needed lots of relatively expensive things but that was priced into the price I was willing to pay. Was all that certainty? Heck no. I could have had a very expensive failure any time? In fact I was run into maybe 4 months after I bought my second. Stuff happens.
Interesting that you all in the UK have access to what we call extended warranty from the dealer where we in the US can buy such a warranty only from a third party but it is statistically a very bad purchase decision as the insurance company and the sellers make 65% of the purchase price.
You didn't mention if it's a private sale or a dealer.
If it's private sale the current owner can submit the car for a 111 point check if it passes a warranty can be bought for the car right away, or if there is any work required it's a good haggling point i.e. the owner fixes any faults before you buy it.
If it's a dealer sale does the car come with a warranty, this should cover the car long enough till the Porsche warranty to kicks in.
Five owners...some people buy these cars to scratch an itch then quickly move them on, if you plan to do the same then as long as the price reflects this there's no worry.
Buy the best car you can afford there are some nice examples for sale, the value of lowish mileage 987.2 cars seems to be holding up well...sweet cars these you won't be disappointed.
If it's private sale the current owner can submit the car for a 111 point check if it passes a warranty can be bought for the car right away, or if there is any work required it's a good haggling point i.e. the owner fixes any faults before you buy it.
If it's a dealer sale does the car come with a warranty, this should cover the car long enough till the Porsche warranty to kicks in.
Five owners...some people buy these cars to scratch an itch then quickly move them on, if you plan to do the same then as long as the price reflects this there's no worry.
Buy the best car you can afford there are some nice examples for sale, the value of lowish mileage 987.2 cars seems to be holding up well...sweet cars these you won't be disappointed.
Klippie said:
You didn't mention if it's a private sale or a dealer.
If it's private sale the current owner can submit the car for a 111 point check if it passes a warranty can be bought for the car right away, or if there is any work required it's a good haggling point i.e. the owner fixes any faults before you buy it.
If it's a dealer sale does the car come with a warranty, this should cover the car long enough till the Porsche warranty to kicks in.
Five owners...some people buy these cars to scratch an itch then quickly move them on, if you plan to do the same then as long as the price reflects this there's no worry.
Buy the best car you can afford there are some nice examples for sale, the value of lowish mileage 987.2 cars seems to be holding up well...sweet cars these you won't be disappointed.
Sale would be from a non-porsche but relatively name brand dealer - not OPC. If it's private sale the current owner can submit the car for a 111 point check if it passes a warranty can be bought for the car right away, or if there is any work required it's a good haggling point i.e. the owner fixes any faults before you buy it.
If it's a dealer sale does the car come with a warranty, this should cover the car long enough till the Porsche warranty to kicks in.
Five owners...some people buy these cars to scratch an itch then quickly move them on, if you plan to do the same then as long as the price reflects this there's no worry.
Buy the best car you can afford there are some nice examples for sale, the value of lowish mileage 987.2 cars seems to be holding up well...sweet cars these you won't be disappointed.
I thought there was a 3 month waiting period on warranties before you could purchase?
100%...when I bought mine some years back I asked the owner at the time if he would put a warranty on the car so I wouldn't have to wait the 90 days, he submitted the car to his local OPC they carried out the 111 point check...it passed...he put the warranty on it I paid him the extra cost and drove it home with two years Porsche warranty on it.
A dealers car could be different as there is no current owner so the 90 day period may stand for the Porsche warranty application, any reputable dealer will offer a warranty covering the major parts for your peace of mind.
A dealers car could be different as there is no current owner so the 90 day period may stand for the Porsche warranty application, any reputable dealer will offer a warranty covering the major parts for your peace of mind.
KeithThomson said:
Hi all,
Been looking into a 2010 Cayman 2.9 manual. It has just over 20k on the clock and has had 5 previous owners. Had 5 services in its life, second was non porsche, but then 6 months later seems to have been re-done by Porsche. 4/5 are official Porsche.
Seemed to drive nicely. My questions - is 5 owners a worry on such a low mileage car? I want to get a Porsche warranty but my fear is that I'm in the unknown for three months until it is eligible. Is any good inspection enough to put my mind at ease for the three months that it wont die! Thanks!
Not sure how it works there but in the US the dealer can become the owner while the car is in its possession awaiting sale.Been looking into a 2010 Cayman 2.9 manual. It has just over 20k on the clock and has had 5 previous owners. Had 5 services in its life, second was non porsche, but then 6 months later seems to have been re-done by Porsche. 4/5 are official Porsche.
Seemed to drive nicely. My questions - is 5 owners a worry on such a low mileage car? I want to get a Porsche warranty but my fear is that I'm in the unknown for three months until it is eligible. Is any good inspection enough to put my mind at ease for the three months that it wont die! Thanks!
A car might have 5 owners thusly.
1st owner: The 1st owner is the original dealer/seller (if he sells the car to himself to improve (read inflate) his sales numbers).
2nd owner: The 1st private owner.
3rd owner: The 2nd seller. (A used car dealer.)
4th owner: The 2nd private owner.
5th owner: The 3rd seller. Another used car dealer.)
Sometimes a car can change hands between sellers and can have two owners with no true private owner between them. One can sometimes "see" this by the miles the car fails to accumulate in the hands of some owners. Real real low miles suggest the owner was a seller not a private owner.
The flip side is one can often tell how many private owners a car has had by the higher miles accumulated while the car was in the hands of a private owner. A private owner while he may not put that many miles on the car he puts way more miles on the car than a seller.
If you can't tell how many owners were private owners vs. sellers and if the high number of (possibly private) owners bothers you then walk away.
Otherwise you judge the car primarily on its condition and price.
Rockster said:
Not sure how it works there but in the US the dealer can become the owner while the car is in its possession awaiting sale.
Luckily (said with some irony) becoming the "keeper" of a car in the UK is relatively complex, so the number of owners on record is generally pretty accurate.Gassing Station | Boxster/Cayman | Top of Page | What's New | My Stuff