jeff65

Hi all. Any advice for someone about to buy a 2010 cayman non-S?

much appreciated.

zedcat

Had an 09 base with 6MT. Was a great car. Not much to say really except the usual due diligence for a used car. Check the carfax. Get a PPI if not knowledgeable about these cars. Any specific questions? Also check the 987, 981 forum for info. Best of luck

zirrah

One of the most fun drives I've ever had was an '09 base Cayman with PDK. The sound was awesome, carving up corners was a blast. Highly recommend it.

jeff65

thanks for the comments.

Spokayman

Not sure if you are asking about how to bargain for the car, how to determine the condition of the car, or what to do after you own the car.

If it's the latter,
-Join PCA (if you're not already a member) and the Cayman Register.
-Learn to do simple maintenance on the car yourself. It is an enjoyable and fulfilling way to learn more about your car and appreciate what makes these mid-engined cars unique and special.
-Find lightly traveled roads with a varying assortment of curves and straights and have fun.

If its the former, bargain hard.

If your question is regarding how to assess the condition of the car and you are unfamiliar with these Porsches, you might be best served to have a PPI conducted by someone knowledgeable about Boxsters and Cayman.

Good luck and keep us posted.

jeff65

Thanks again. My thread was about known issues / what to look for. I'm purposely looking at 2009 and newer to avoid the IMS issue (for example). Were it not for the IMS issue I'd buy an 06-08 cayman S.... thanks

zedcat

The 987.2 seems overall very reliable so far. I've had 2. Water pumps are a potential failure. Had one fail - noisy- at about 25k mi. in my 2012 R. To be fair the car had a lot of track use. Had the clutch switch and a window regulator fail on my 09 both addressed under warranty. I'd consider all of these minor. Still for any used car it's a good idea to budget a few k for potential issues. Tires are expensive. Brakes are expensive if you pay a dealer but are an easy DIY. Oil change is an easy DIY too- just not a lot of clearance. A PPI by a knowledgeable shop is good insurance.

Spokayman

The 987.2 generation has a few updates and the big one is the newer 9A1 engine design without an IMS bearing.
The 3.4L "S" model is also direct injection while the base 2.9 engine is not.
For those who intend to track their cars, the 9A1 is better suited in terms of oil management as there were some oil starvation problems in the older M97 engine when subjected to high Gs on the track.

However from the history that seems to be available on the internet the M97 engine in the '06-'08 models (987.1) has not been problematic as far as the IMS bearing, and I would not personally decline to purchase a 987.1 car if there were compelling reasons such as finding a car in superior condition or with great options, etc.
Yes, there have been IMS failures with the M97 engine, but they seem to be quite rare. The M97 has a different bearing design (larger) and it has proven much more robust.
Certainly you can get more car for the $ if you look at the 987.1.

Chalkboss

^^ This jives with my opinion, after spending quite a bit of time investigating the IMS issue. Seems to be a relatively rare problem on the 987.1. I finally purchased a 2007 after a long search, and was interested in finding a car that had not been tracked and had a very good maintenance history.

I believe these latter two points are where you can run into IMS issues- oil change (type) intervals and use of car. Too many of these cars get beat up on the track.

zirrah

IMS issues seem to pop up more in cars that aren't driven much from my experience. Track mileage doesn't seem to play any part imo.

DaveCarrera4

agreed, and less so in these than pre 2005 engines.

douglasf13

The bigger issue with the 987.1 Cayman S is bore scoring, especially when tracking. The base 2.7L 987.1, however, seems relatively bullet proof. I've not seen much of anything about IMS or bore scoring issues with that engine.

Surfer161

i just got a 2010 S. the wheels were changed, and the Tire Pressure Sensors had to be replaced.

not complicated, but costly, even with my PCA discount. $750

they are supposed to last 5 years. expect to replace that at least at 7 years.

Surfer161

honghong322

I've had my 2009 Base 6MT for several years now. I absolutely love it. Do post pictures. Mine is meteor and with the Cayman R wheels it looks gorgeous!

I've changed the oil several times and I'm still on the stock tires... I need to get rid of those next year. I also have an FVD exhaust, FVD tune as well as the numeric shifter cables installed.

Enjoy in good health!