BrooksBier

I know they are apples and oranges but I am considering moving from a 1987 911 Carrera to a Cayman. (would have to be around a 2006-2009)
To be fair, I have not driven a Cayman yet and that will tell me a ton.
My 911 is pristine, 135k miles, runs like a top. I don't drive it much as I drive a company car most of the time. I drive 30k per year for work.

Trying to get opinions on pros and cons.
The ones I perceive are:
Pro of 911
-Still appreciating
-Raw driving experience
-Excellent condition, which is getting harder to find
-Insurance $379 per year
Pro of Cayman
-Creature comforts
-Safety
-Speed
-Newer(could be pro and con, I guess)
Con
-Potential IMS issue
-Insurance and other fees higher

I'm sure this has been discussed before but can't find many threads on this.
Thank you

rusnak

How much are you selling the '87 for?

BrooksBier

Not selling it as of yet.
Haven't made up my mind. Just gathering information about a Cayman. Will try to drive one when I go to the bay area in the next few days.
A big factor is that if I sell the 911, I probably will not be able to get one again.
If I have the 911 or the Cayman, there is a 95% chance I will have to sell to fund kids college within the next several years.
I always wanted an 87. That was the car that was on my wall as a teenager.

BrooksBier

By the was rusnak, you were of tremendous help in terms of advise when I had questions about the car. I think you correctly diagnosed a save cylinder when I though I had a clutch issue.
Many thanks.

race911

Separate the '09- cars from the earlier ones. If you've got the bucks I wouldn't give the '08-and-earliers even a first glance.

Bigger question I have is that if you're in a company car for that many miles, what's the use case for a Cayman over what you've got?

And then there's that "go drive one" thing. Too many decisions now coming INTO air cooleds (whether torsion bar or coil spring variety) are based on pack mentality.

rusnak

Just my $.02 is that most people who sell their air cooled 911 end up buying one later again. Sometimes the very same one. You don't hear the same thing about Caymans, but life is short. Go out and do what you feel enriches your life and your experiences. If that means experiencing the Cayman, then there is no harm in selling the 911. 911s are just so hard to forget.

BrooksBier

race 911,

Good point on the generation differences with the Caymans.
Good question. Living in Chico is HOT. Although I am starting to drive the 911 more often, I wonder if my wife would like the comforts of a Cayman, and if I would therefore drive it more than the 911.
I know the person I bought it from got rid of it to get a twin turbo for the speed and modern amenities, but I heard he regretted it to some degree as he missed the 911.
When I asked my wife about it, she pretty much said she doesn't care which car I have as it is my thing.
I think either way will be fine.
Another thing is cost of entry when I bought the 911 in 2011 was much lower than the Cayman. I would probably only have to kick in up to 10k to get a nice 2009 Cayman for the gap.

I think I will most likely stick to what I have unless the Cayman blows my mind. I think one thing about the 911 that has bummed me out a bit is that by today's standards, it is not that fast. I know the driver plays a key role in this. I have asked advise of my mechanic and he has said, "your car is great and I would not do anything to it. This is what this car is." He does not think chipping it, etc. is worth the investment/hassle and I tend to agree with him. If I have the car once it becomes smog exempt, I would then reconsider that.

BrooksBier

Thanks Rusnak for the $.02. I will take both of your advice and stick with what I have. Maybe learning how to drive the car more effectively will help…I'm just a little hesitant to track it.

BrooksBier

Per my message below, I believe the person who sold me the car in 2011 would be happy to get it back…..I think I would never forget this car if I sold it.

race911

Couple of things from my pieced together fleet:

1. The 3.4 that came in Ruby was $15K+ worth of parts to get a stock engine ~50 more really not smog legal HP.

2. The 3.8 that came in the faux 993RS was $30K+ of parts and expert labor to get a stock engine ~50 more really not smog legal HP.

(I gave up building these things on my own dime over 20 years ago.)

And the car's never becoming smog exempt in CA unless you change where the DMV sends the registration. Which probably doesn't take much effort around Butte Co. (Mom's family is from Orland--spent many a summer with one of my uncles on the farm just west of Hamilton City.)

Still, go drive a Cayman. Not going to cost you anything. The other I'd recommend is doing what I ended up with a few months ago in a 996 Turbo. Yes, it was a special case in that there's a transaxle thing I eventually will deal with. But I've not come across plush + "911" + 550HP for mid-$30's on any of the other platforms.

BrooksBier

race911,
Thanks for the insight. Didn't know about the smog exempt issue. If it was super important to me, my best man lives in Humboldt county, which is a smog exempt county.
For me, I think the 996 turbo would be too much car even though it would be amazing.
When its all said and done, I will most likely find my current 911 is the best fit for my needs and abilities.
Thanks again.

bhmkv

I was recently in the opposite situation. Had a newer car sitting in my garage. I drive a company car for work and personal use. The car sat during the week. I took it out on nice weekends. In five years I lost over 10k in value. I sold the car at a loss to buy my 82 coupe. I'll only drive this car on nice weekends, but insurance was 380 dollars for the whole year. Taxes are less on the classic each year and in five years it will likely be worth more then I paid for it. I also drive a lot for work. My 2012 has over 80k on it. I find the rawness of the 911 makes driving fun again. Test drive the Cayman, but my opinion is you'll miss having an older car.

race911

Something to consider with the bubble of air cooled values--that inexpensive insurance may get you, at best, a 50% recovery. Search over on the 993 Turbo forum for a recent discussion on asset protection.

race911

And to comment on the track thing--you won't be driving the car hard enough the first few events for it to matter. There's so much to learn, and we just don't throw you out there with the goal of tire squealing drifting through 75-100 MPH corners by the end of the day...........

BrooksBier

Great points last 2 posts. I was starting to think about that I may be underinsured as I believe the agreed value is about 10k below current value. I will read the 993 forum to make sure I get what I need.