Mister Quickie

I used to work on my 91 VW GTI but after having driven a few 944s and 911s I'm seriously considering a Porsche for my next car. I want to be able to do most of the work myself (pretty much just replacing bad parts with good parts)but I have limited garage space and no lift so a water-cooled 911 is not feasible.

I am deciding between a Cayman and a 944. I understand the Cayman engine is fairly accessible once you pop off the engine cover but I'd like to get feedback from others on this. The 944 does have the accessibility aspect but ordering parts (wcs a new engine) for a 25-30 year old car, eh

Anyone own both, which tends to be the easier DIY car for most tasks?

If your choice is the 944, it's a little underpowered for my taste, anything that can be done short of an after-market turbo kit to improve the hp?

ramius665

From the tone of your post, don't buy a 944 you wouldn't like it. Just get the Cayman.

Van

2 things:

-Don't ever get an after market turbo kit for a 944 - just get a 944 turbo.

-A Cayman is nearly 20 years newer than a 944 and will need *much less* work.

Do yourself a favor and buy the newest Porsche you can afford.

(And, what's wrong with water-cooled 911s? They're almost the exact same packaging as the Cayman...)

John_AZ

If you purchase a Cayman late 2009 and later, you will not have the "Intermediate Shaft Bearing" engine failure common to the earlier Cayman.
Or buy an earlier Cayman with the engine already repaired.

A few posts:
http://forums.pelicanparts.com/boxst...-failures.html

http://www.pelicanparts.com//techart...e_Failures.htm

http://www.thetruthaboutcars.com/201...6/#more-406759

J_AZ

Mister Quickie

Nothing's "wrong" with them, I had a 996 and absolutely loved it, until I had to work on it. That's when I found I couldn't get to a lot of stuff unless I jacked it up or took the wheel off, etc. Having a small garage makes this difficult. Having that small opening in the back to access the engine made things difficult too.

With a 944 (or any front engine car for that matter) all you have to do it pop the hood and nearly everything's within reach. With a Cayman I'm hoping everything's accessible once I crawl back there. For some reason a picture of the Cayman engine compartment (boxster too) is like the holy grail. It's only a few screws to take off but hard to find online pics in order to gauge the "roominess" of the working area.

goatfarmerdave

Hmmmmmmm....Porsche 944 for 3 to 10k or a Cayman for a minimum of 30k used.Porsche 944 simpler,lots of parts around,fun for tinkering,will surprise the heck out of you on the track or a Cayman with lots of electronic and modern amenities.Be prepared to shell out big bucks for all the things that go wrong.I'd go with a well sorted 944 or 968 and all the leftover money will keep you happy with years of driving schools,de's,autocross,etc.If you want no fuss go with the Cayman but I'd want one with some sort of warranty for a while.

Just my 2 cents...either way I hope you enjoy it.

carlege

Alot of DIY relies on information and tutorials that are available in that case its hands down 944.

VirginiaF1

What you give up in accel you clearly gain in practicality/storage, simplicity and what I call "vintage cool." IYC..

If cost over a 5-year ownership period is important, following Van and John's sage advice would ensure best outcomes.

Have you perused the Cayman forums to measure the owners' posts on ease of DIY?

mclaudio

944, for DIY work, is more accessible than Cayman. But there is technically less maintenance work to do in a Cayman given its age. Since you seem concerned about the 944's power, I would tend to go with a Cayman for you and scratch that itch. However, I would say that the teutonic feel of Porsches are no longer found since the late-90s.

Just for background: since I have owned my 944, I've owned a 996, a Cayenne S, a 996 again, a Cayman and now another Cayenne. Prior to all this, I had air-cooled Porsches. I still have the 944.

mytrplseven

I've had 3 944's and one '07 Cayman S. There is absolutely no comparison. The 944's cost about 1/5th the cost of a Cayman and they're much easier to work on. Driving comparison....there is none.
With the 6 speed manual and nearly 300 hp, I've never driven a car that put as much a smile on my face. I loved that car. I love the 944's too, even though they were all N/A cars. I'm restoring my current one and plan to keep it. For $4k initial and another 3 grand for tires, wheels and mechanical repairs (my labor) all I have left is cosmetic. With gas prices what they are and will become, my 30 mpg is a big positive. And the handling is awesome, even though there's no curvey roads in Florida.

I guess bottom line is what do you want to drive when the hood's closed and can you justify the higher cost?

Arominus

If your worried about slow, get an S2 or 968 with your cayman budget, it will be much faster and still easier to work on.

F40LM

Other than the engine is in the wrong place? Just picking at the same old scab, sorry. Always planned to get a Boxster or Cayman for that reason though.

teamking

My buddy and I meet at the track and swap cars (he has an '06 Cayman S and I have a 944 Turbo). I like the Cayman S better but he really loves my 951. He takes his Cayman to the shop and I DIY my 951. His Cayman is only a couple of seconds faster around the track on the same type of tires (although his are *much* wider).

All in all, the 944 (and turbo) represent a much better value. But you do get more with a Cayman, it's just diminishing returns.

Butters944

Just saying, you will have to jack up your 944 to do most maintenance... Only thing I can think of where you DON'T jack the car up is for filling your coolent or checking your oil haha..

azbanks

If you have the $ to buy a Cayman, why would you even think of an NA 944. Get a 944 turbo and then you are least close in terms of power. With a few upgrades the turbo will have more power and still cost less than the Cayman.