2006 3.4 Cayman - Reliable? (sorry!)

[Mike22233]

Hi folks,

Really like the looks of this porsche: http://www.pistonheads.com/classifieds/used-cars/p...
It will be my first porsche i have owned and I have read countless threads on reliability and different opinions. Am i right in thinking that when it comes to caymans the later ones are more reliable and if budget doesnt stretch then the 2,7 is the one to go for ?

Sorry, struggling to find a good thread on this with the search tool

Any tips on servicing items which I should check with seller, car is on 65k miles.

Thanks

Edited by Mike22233 on Sunday 28th June 09:47

[Trev450]

Unless you specifically want a Tiptronic, then imo it should be avoided. It is more of an auto than anything else and tends to numb the driving experience.

With regards to purchasing a Cayman of this age in general,if you are not already aware of the issues that could arise, then you should do some research before proceeding any further. If you are aware of them, then you would be advised to either get a maintenance plan such as that offered by Hartech, or keep an emergency fund just in case.

[Mike22233]

Trev450 said:

Unless you specifically want a Tiptronic, then imo it should be avoided. It is more of an auto than anything else and tends to numb the driving experience.

With regards to purchasing a Cayman of this age in general,if you are not already aware of the issues that could arise, then you should do some research before proceeding any further. If you are aware of them, then you would be advised to either get a maintenance plan such as that offered by Hartech, or keep an emergency fund just in case.

Thanks
Research - that's exactly what I'm trying to do!

[coccodrillo]

Hi

I bought an '06, 3.4S three years ago from a private seller and I've had no reliability problems. The only things I have had to spend out on, apart from the usual maintenance, are some things that the previous owner skipped on (probably because he was going to sell it): replacing cracked coils, replace corroded brake discs and replacing corroded exhaust mounts. I think the corroded exhaust mounts are a common issue and it's a bigger job than one might imagine, so worth checking if that's been done in the last few years.

This was my first Porsche too and ideally I would've liked to get an independent inspection before buying, but I couldn't arrange it for one reason and another, so I just took a chance and relied on the service history and apparent condition. As previously said, it's a good idea to have a reserve fund for anything that might crop up as anything that needs doing on any Porsche is unlikely to be cheap. An after-market warranty is another option I considered but I decided to keep the £900 or so in my 'reserve fund' instead.

Good luck with the search, I'm sure you'll enjoy the car when you do find the right one.

[Trev450]

Mike22233 said:

Trev450 said:

Unless you specifically want a Tiptronic, then imo it should be avoided. It is more of an auto than anything else and tends to numb the driving experience.

With regards to purchasing a Cayman of this age in general,if you are not already aware of the issues that could arise, then you should do some research before proceeding any further. If you are aware of them, then you would be advised to either get a maintenance plan such as that offered by Hartech, or keep an emergency fund just in case.

Thanks
Research - that's exactly what I'm trying to do!

Bore scoring is the biggest concern. (Google it) Although the internet tends to blow it out of proportion, you are looking at anything from £4 to 12K if it happens. In addition to this you would be advised to check when the following were last replaced: discs, water pump, ignition coils, exhaust manifold bolts, radiators and condensors.

[ChrisW.]

Or try for a Gen2 2.9 ....