Cayman 987 Gen 2 running costs
Discussion
We are looking to buy a Cayman S Gen 2 3.4 car around 09/10 with up to 70k miles for around the £20-21k mark. I've done some research and found several pointers but just looking for owners advice on real life costs. I appreciate it's all about the quality and maintenance history of the car you buy but should they have had some decent money spent on them at around this age/mileage? My annual mileage will be around 7-10k and will be my daily so has to be dependable.
I'm not wanting to get big bills shortly after purchase because I've not been diligent enough so any real life advice on good and bad experiences or any good cars you know that might be available?
Thanks.
I'm not wanting to get big bills shortly after purchase because I've not been diligent enough so any real life advice on good and bad experiences or any good cars you know that might be available?
Thanks.
Bought my 09 plate 987 Gen 2 in September 2020 (reader's cars thread here) and this is something I looked at in detail too. The gist of what I found out is they are reliable cars on the whole so if you find a good one, it should be a nice experience. Day to day on the 2.9, I seem to be getting 26mpg but I only do 4k miles per year so fuel costs aren't horrific.
Mine is due a major service in April this year, it's going to Cotswold Porsche Specialists (rather than an OPC) and the cost for the service and a brake fluid change is quoted at £470. Obviously this could increase if they find anything that needs doing though. A minor service, which is due for me in 2023 is, I think, about £250-£300 and I will also treat mine to an annual oil change and health check as mine is a daily driver.
Tyres are about £800 a set for Michelin PS4S and I reckon I'd get 2 years out of a set with my mileage. I have a set of 18s for the winter and have just acquired a set of 19s for the summer.
Factoring in little jobs that need doing as and when (coolant cross over pipes etc) plus all of the above, I'm budgeting £1500 per year which should easily cover everything with a reasonable amount of contingency. I have a separate savings account for running our 3 cars and this also has an extra layer of contingency funds in just in case. FWIW, I'm really pleased with mine, it's a wonderful car to drive.
Mine is due a major service in April this year, it's going to Cotswold Porsche Specialists (rather than an OPC) and the cost for the service and a brake fluid change is quoted at £470. Obviously this could increase if they find anything that needs doing though. A minor service, which is due for me in 2023 is, I think, about £250-£300 and I will also treat mine to an annual oil change and health check as mine is a daily driver.
Tyres are about £800 a set for Michelin PS4S and I reckon I'd get 2 years out of a set with my mileage. I have a set of 18s for the winter and have just acquired a set of 19s for the summer.
Factoring in little jobs that need doing as and when (coolant cross over pipes etc) plus all of the above, I'm budgeting £1500 per year which should easily cover everything with a reasonable amount of contingency. I have a separate savings account for running our 3 cars and this also has an extra layer of contingency funds in just in case. FWIW, I'm really pleased with mine, it's a wonderful car to drive.
I think on average the £1500 per year feels about right (tyres on top of that). I had an 09 2.9 cayman for a couple of years and have had a 2011 S for 3 years. Both bought on about 24K miles and I’ve put at least 12K miles on per year for both.
Both were manuals so in no particular order the out of service things they’ve needed that stick in my mind (don’t have the receipts in front of me) were replacement gear selector cables and upgraded levers (to stop them snapping again), something like £800. If it’s a manual check it’s been done, if not I guarantee you’ll find yourself stuck in one gear with a floppy gearstick at some point. Happened to both of mine.
Front shock mounts last 20-40K miles (not too expensive). Brake discs last about 20K miles for me. Clutch seems to last 40-60k and the flywheel has been trashed for both (part is about £800 alone), so make sure that’s been done on a 70k car. Also by that age various control arms will need replacing (a couple of mine are a bit rattly).
As said above coolant pipes commonly need doing and brake pipes corrode, a couple of which need a sub frame drop to replace. Front radiator can corrode if not protected by grill guards but as I have them mine have been fine on both cars.
Last two years my annual (Indy) service costs have been around £3k each year. But I expect a cheap few years ahead as I’ve taken a “fix everything that needs doing” approach. Aside from the gear selector cables the cars have both been super reliable and done several alpine road trips each with no drama.
If it were me and the car doesn’t have a long list of receipts with items like above I’d steer clear. If someone has barely looked after it and you want to get it to top health it could cost thousands easily if you’re unlucky. Great cars though, I feel it’s been money well spent!
Both were manuals so in no particular order the out of service things they’ve needed that stick in my mind (don’t have the receipts in front of me) were replacement gear selector cables and upgraded levers (to stop them snapping again), something like £800. If it’s a manual check it’s been done, if not I guarantee you’ll find yourself stuck in one gear with a floppy gearstick at some point. Happened to both of mine.
Front shock mounts last 20-40K miles (not too expensive). Brake discs last about 20K miles for me. Clutch seems to last 40-60k and the flywheel has been trashed for both (part is about £800 alone), so make sure that’s been done on a 70k car. Also by that age various control arms will need replacing (a couple of mine are a bit rattly).
As said above coolant pipes commonly need doing and brake pipes corrode, a couple of which need a sub frame drop to replace. Front radiator can corrode if not protected by grill guards but as I have them mine have been fine on both cars.
Last two years my annual (Indy) service costs have been around £3k each year. But I expect a cheap few years ahead as I’ve taken a “fix everything that needs doing” approach. Aside from the gear selector cables the cars have both been super reliable and done several alpine road trips each with no drama.
If it were me and the car doesn’t have a long list of receipts with items like above I’d steer clear. If someone has barely looked after it and you want to get it to top health it could cost thousands easily if you’re unlucky. Great cars though, I feel it’s been money well spent!
I had an 09 Cayman 2.9.
My general rule of thumb is £1.5k a year to run one of these - some years you'll be much less, some years you'll use it all. For example, say one year you need a major service, fix some unforeseen niggles, some consumables like discs/pads and need a set of tyres - it'll add up. But, as with some of the posters above, some years I just paid for the minor service, which was around £350.
My general rule of thumb is £1.5k a year to run one of these - some years you'll be much less, some years you'll use it all. For example, say one year you need a major service, fix some unforeseen niggles, some consumables like discs/pads and need a set of tyres - it'll add up. But, as with some of the posters above, some years I just paid for the minor service, which was around £350.
Great comments and insight so far, costs in line with what I was expecting. I guess a car at 60k+ miles without any recent expenditure will be the one's to bypass for fear of having to catch a right old backlog of maintenance that the previous owner has skimped on.
Yearly standard running costs don't seem bad, anyone know the good specialists on the Hampshire/Dorset border?
Yearly standard running costs don't seem bad, anyone know the good specialists on the Hampshire/Dorset border?
Crazy4557 said:
, anyone know the good specialists on the Hampshire/Dorset border?
I’ve been very satisfied with the servicing of my Cayman by Jon at Purbeck Sports Cars.Only one thing to add. Despite low mileage, budget and do a minor service annually - don’t wait two years between oil change services. Your car will thank you for this.
Generally they’re very reliable, but you should also budget to start refreshing suspension components at this age, as well as cooling system parts. This is all work you can plan for so shouldn’t be too bad from a financial perspective.
Generally they’re very reliable, but you should also budget to start refreshing suspension components at this age, as well as cooling system parts. This is all work you can plan for so shouldn’t be too bad from a financial perspective.
I think having a £1.5k war chest is a good approach, but buy carefully (good tyres, brakes and a recent service) and you have a good chance of not needing anywhere near that amount for the first couple of years.
From personal experience I think a clutch is the most likely big ticket item at that age. If it is very heavy when you test drive, then you are indeed looking at a £1.5k bill right off the bat.
That said, I ran my first one with a heavy clutch for over 14 months of ownership. The second was about the same weight (but was so cheap to buy it was worth the punt) but was slipping within weeks.
From personal experience I think a clutch is the most likely big ticket item at that age. If it is very heavy when you test drive, then you are indeed looking at a £1.5k bill right off the bat.
That said, I ran my first one with a heavy clutch for over 14 months of ownership. The second was about the same weight (but was so cheap to buy it was worth the punt) but was slipping within weeks.
AndrewGP said:
Tyres are about £800 a set for Michelin PS4S and I reckon I'd get 2 years out of a set with my mileage. I have a set of 18s for the winter and have just acquired a set of 19s for the summer.
Got to say that if you get under 10k from a set of Michelins you either need to look at the geo or your driving style 
.Crazy455 said:
I'm not wanting to get big bills shortly after purchase because I've not been diligent enough so any real life advice on good and bad experiences .
Your profile shows three cars in your garage, McLaren, Range Rover and Alfa 4C. Yet you’re looking to buy an old Cayman and fretting about the running costs. Why not consider,- Using the cars you already own?
- Selling one of those cars and buying a new car you actually want to use?
Steve H said:
AndrewGP said:
Tyres are about £800 a set for Michelin PS4S and I reckon I'd get 2 years out of a set with my mileage. I have a set of 18s for the winter and have just acquired a set of 19s for the summer.
Got to say that if you get under 10k from a set of Michelins you either need to look at the geo or your driving style .
Having only had the car a few months, I've no benchmark for tyre wear so thought a more conservative mileage estimate (and therefore higher costs) was better than the other way round. If I can get 3 years out of them (at 4-5k miles per year), I'll be pretty happy. I got a good 15k out of my old PS2’s before replacing them with PS4S’s. No idea how many miles the previous owner did on them but they were dated 2 years prior to my purchase so I think 20k shouldn’t be a far stretch on a set of PS4S’s.
As above running costs are quite low for these cars, just need to be budget in condenser replacements and brakes which can be quite expensive.
The 12 year service which should be coming up for the majority of 987.2’s is expensive as its a major one, cambelt change and spark plug change. OPC servicing is not too expensive either, my previous invoices were around £1000 for a major and £600 for a minor plus you get a nice courtesy car to play around with for a couple of days if you ask nicely!
Oh and for cars that have OPC service history, you can also get the full Porsche warranty without needing the health check due to covid restrictions - although this limits you to N spec tyres / no condenser grills and costs around £1k for a year. Might be worth thinking about if you prefer a fixed outgo each year.
As above running costs are quite low for these cars, just need to be budget in condenser replacements and brakes which can be quite expensive.
The 12 year service which should be coming up for the majority of 987.2’s is expensive as its a major one, cambelt change and spark plug change. OPC servicing is not too expensive either, my previous invoices were around £1000 for a major and £600 for a minor plus you get a nice courtesy car to play around with for a couple of days if you ask nicely!
Oh and for cars that have OPC service history, you can also get the full Porsche warranty without needing the health check due to covid restrictions - although this limits you to N spec tyres / no condenser grills and costs around £1k for a year. Might be worth thinking about if you prefer a fixed outgo each year.
Edited by Shjc2 on Sunday 10th January 13:29
rockin said:
Your profile shows three cars in your garage, McLaren, Range Rover and Alfa 4C. Yet you’re looking to buy an old Cayman and fretting about the running costs. Why not consider,
This car is for my son so I'm doing a little bit of research on here as an alias. Thank you for your kind remarks and don't worry I will continue to enjoy my mini fleet - Using the cars you already own?
- Selling one of those cars and buying a new car you actually want to use?
Makes sense to me. FWIW I agree with those who've suggested a budget around £1,500 plus tyres, and with a bit of luck there will be change to stick in a teapot on the mantle-piece and carry forward for any "surprises". On the manufacturer schedule routine servicing should average out a bit over £500 a year and anything else will be on top of that. Much will depend on how the car is driven.
As you already know - buy on service history and overall condition.
As you already know - buy on service history and overall condition.
AndrewGP said:
Fair point Having only had the car a few months, I've no benchmark for tyre wear so thought a more conservative mileage estimate (and therefore higher costs) was better than the other way round. If I can get 3 years out of them (at 4-5k miles per year), I'll be pretty happy.
I’ve done over 40k on a set of Supersports on an early 987S, they’ll need replacing soon so I’m thinking PS4S will be the next option. Having only had the car a few months, I've no benchmark for tyre wear so thought a more conservative mileage estimate (and therefore higher costs) was better than the other way round. If I can get 3 years out of them (at 4-5k miles per year), I'll be pretty happy. I bought a 09 987 Gen 2 Boxster. It came with a two-year warranty from Porsche. This can be topped up for £750 a year or £1250 for two with a 111 point check. I had some coolant cross-over pipes replaced which included the front geometry checked and corrected; the driver side window cabling fixed; oil breather changed. I have the main service coming up this year including a full PDK pan and clutch service and spark plugs replacement, got quoted £1200 all in from Porsche Centre Cambridge. Seems quite reasonable, as this way I know apart from stuff like consumables - brakes pads, discs, battery, dampers, springs and bushes it should cost me nothing more...
I'm also considering a 987 gen 2 purchase (probably the 2.9l). There's a large gap between advertised prices (£18-19k for 2009/2010) and the prices estimated on WBAC/Parkers - £10-12k. Clearly WBAC are the absolute bottom price but do people pay near the advertised or do cars finally sell somewhere in the middle of this band. Would be interested in people's experience
I picked up a 987.2 a few weeks ago and really struggled getting any money off, got a tiny smidge off it and a longer warranty but that was the best I could do. There just wasn't many about (3.4 manual) and wasn't willing to lose anyone one over a little bit of cash and pride!
Got it delivered 350 miles though included in price.
Dunc
Got it delivered 350 miles though included in price.
Dunc
I paid a smidge over £19k for my 2.9 back in September.
I was willing to pay it as they're weren't many for sale (and I'd lost out on another ideal car before this one), it was in fabulous condition with only 45k miles, a full OPC SH and has every MOT, invoice and receipt in the history folder since it was new. It also had some nice suspension and exhaust upgrades and was just a 2 owner car.
Yes, I would have ideally liked to pay less but I didn't want to lose out again and I figured life is too short to worry about it. I don't regret it for a second
I was willing to pay it as they're weren't many for sale (and I'd lost out on another ideal car before this one), it was in fabulous condition with only 45k miles, a full OPC SH and has every MOT, invoice and receipt in the history folder since it was new. It also had some nice suspension and exhaust upgrades and was just a 2 owner car.
Yes, I would have ideally liked to pay less but I didn't want to lose out again and I figured life is too short to worry about it. I don't regret it for a second
AndrewGP said:
I paid a smidge over £19k for my 2.9 back in September.
I was willing to pay it as they're weren't many for sale (and I'd lost out on another ideal car before this one), it was in fabulous condition with only 45k miles, a full OPC SH and has every MOT, invoice and receipt in the history folder since it was new. It also had some nice suspension and exhaust upgrades and was just a 2 owner car.
Yes, I would have ideally liked to pay less but I didn't want to lose out again and I figured life is too short to worry about it. I don't regret it for a second
Mine was basically exactly the same in September as well.I was willing to pay it as they're weren't many for sale (and I'd lost out on another ideal car before this one), it was in fabulous condition with only 45k miles, a full OPC SH and has every MOT, invoice and receipt in the history folder since it was new. It also had some nice suspension and exhaust upgrades and was just a 2 owner car.
Yes, I would have ideally liked to pay less but I didn't want to lose out again and I figured life is too short to worry about it. I don't regret it for a second
10k more miles but a pretty good spec (Nav, 19" wheels, Bose, Chrono, PSE, phone prep, multifunction wheel, rear parking sensors, cruise, heated seats, Universal Audio, ISOfix kit) I wasn't too fussed on spec (just wanted heated seats, cruise and I wanted to add isofix) but cars weren't hanging around long at all, mine was from a known Porsche specialist and I didnt want to lose out again.
At that price it also had new Pirelli tyres (don't rate these so far), recent discs & pads, clutch and flywheel.
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