denniscasey

With no experience with Porsche I am asking forum members many questions and thank you for your help. Looking at Caymans I notice some sit on dealers' lots a long time so I am wondering if there is something not obvious that knowledgeable Porsche people know enough to check out before buying Cayman and that would explain why some cars sell quickly and others take forever to sell. Complicating things are by and large Porsches I "see" on internet are often a long ways away.

Some "obvious" things I understand affecting why cars don't sell quickly are options, color, PPI, wear and tear, extensive track use or not, warranty if any, bad CarFax report like accidents, and individual preferences are clear considerations.

Hard to say what I mean by "non-obvious" since that is my question, but one example might be car has sat around on lot for a long time (maybe 8 months) so seals are dried out and would cause problems; or maybe dealer has a bad reputation; or certain features known by experienced Porsche people to have issues (i.e. like the IMS bearing issue on 2005 MY).

Don't have anything on horizon to buy right now, but would like to be prepared with right questions if something comes on market. Thank you.

impe1595

I just bought a 2009 Cayman base on 2/22/15. It is my first Porsche and I tried to do research, (things like IMS bearing, and what ever else I could find), but I finally decided the heck with it and just bought one that most matched my criteria - 2009 or above, black, tan interior, PDK, under 45K miles.

I am just turning 72, I got it for my birthday. To me, it is as beautiful as my old Jag E-type was but way more reliable. I live in Athens GA and got a friend to help me pick it up from Porsche of Ft Meyers. It was supposed to have had a 151 point check but it apparently only had a 150 point check because the battery failed when I got it home (the plates were not even covered).

According to Car Gurus I got a decent deal. But the Car Fax report listed it as having a 2.7 engine which is wrong - 2009s have the 2.9 engine.

I wish that I had done what you are doing, that is, asking for info via this forum - not that I have any misgivings, but I just do not know much about Porsche Caymans. So far, the car is a HOOT, even for me, a person who drives like I'm in the Rose Bowl Parade!

I am sure that this is not much help, but hopefully some forum members will be able to help you. I will also be interested in any info they provide even though my horses are out of the barn.

Good luck in your search.

Impe

2011guardsredcay

I am also new to ownership of a Cayman, so little I can add to what to look out for other than typical issues:
1) Keep reading this forum. And not just the Cayman page.
2) Make sure you are ready to buy, if you have a wife like mine.

We went to look at a 2011 Cayman Base the week before last Christmas. It had only 17K miles, PCM with Nav, Bluetooth, USB, heated/vented seats, heated steering wheel and mirrors, etc. Also 6MT. One year left on factory warranty. But the issue was that it was Guards Red. We both owned British sports cars before we were married. My favorite was a 57 MGA Twin Cam. We both took test drives in the Cayman and I negotiated with the dealership to my price. After all of that, I said "let's go home and think about it." Seeing the "look that could kill" on her face, we left with the car. What struck her about it was the color. We've always had red cars. I made sure she couldn't keep up with me on the way home. Sometimes, decisions are made for you, without even having to try.

Spokayman

Sometimes people are picky about what they want in their sports car.
If a car is an unpopular color, has too much visible wear (paint, interior, etc.), has weird color combinations, doesn't have certain options, etc., the car may sit for awhile.

Any car will sell for the right price though, so if you see what you want, and the car checks out (PPI, etc.) make an low offer. Make the offer before you have your heart completely set on it though!

Watch for signs of abuse, accidents, lack of maintenance, etc. If you don't know the cars, have a competent shop perform a PPI. Make your offer contingent on the car passing the PPI, and if possible have the seller agree to pay for problems discovered in the PPI (they probably will not agree to this).
If this is a long term keeper, then buy what appeals to you. If you go through cars often, pay attention to what the market wants in terms of color, options, etc.

denniscasey

Gentlemen, thank you for helpful replies. Interesting we share so many things in common: age, Jag E-type (mine was 1965 FHC); MGA twin cam (mine was 1957 but not twin cam); hometown, etc. My wife gave me a "coupon" to buy Cayman last August, but when I dragged my feet she now says the coupon has expired--but is slowly coming back around. My British sports cars (also included a Sunbeam Tiger) are in my mind associated with fun and adventures and at the time (and young age) I did not worry about unreliability. I hope the Cayman will be fun ( "a hoot") and reliable. On which point I do wonder about lack of spare tires on many new cars. I have had two tire problems in last year, fortunately in town, but waiting to get a new tire for Cayman if stuck in Glendive, MT is not high on my list of enjoyable experiences. Not sure how far the tire goop and air compressor would get me.

DaveCarrera4

I haven't had a flat since my 914 in 1981. Tires sure have come a long way...