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A DME scan was just added to BAT.
Seems the prior owner didn't know how to drive a manual. There are range 5 ignitions. It's not clear if those are from the current engine or the original one.
No wonder he needed a few extra engines. . .
Like the grinch, I wouldn't even touch it with a 39 and a half foot pole!
Since the original owner, who I know and respect as a driver and a person, spoke up, Let me tell you the rest of the story. He and that car hold the lap record at Harris Hill for a production car and it is only 4 seconds slower ( think I'm accurate on that) than a GT 3 cup car driven by a Brumos race team driver ( I know they are gone but never forgotten). Wonder how many over revs Hurley Haywood had in his career. Nice car and the original owner, a fine gentleman
Wow! I've never though that kind of support!! Really appreciate it!! Yes, I'm not very happy with those comments but after all that's the online world. if somebody watches my videos and thinks I'm a terrible driver that's fine since I know what I'm doing.
The overrev happened when I was short shifting from 3 to 4 at the kink heading to the backside hairpin at COTA in 2015. I didn't feel any sign but as the car was turning to the left when shifting, the gear went to 2nd somehow. Actually I've never pushed her to the real limit or up shift like crazy since it's just HPDE, not race so I was so surprised when it happened. Anyway I cut the clutch immediately when I notice and check the CAN data after going back to the pit. Engine RPM shows went up around 7800rpm so I didn't think it went that high like range 5 (I short shifted so I up shifted around 6500 rpm on 3rd, not 7400 rpm which is the rev limit which was lucky). I went to a Porsche dealer after that and talked to my friend mechanic about the incident. He checked the DME and said this number shouldn't be a big issue since 987.2 engine is way more reliable than 987.1 and even racing Caymans run a stock engine and never blow unless a driver downshift too early and overrev big time. After that I did some research and saw if certain operation hours passes without any issue the engine should be OK. I drover her on a track after that as well but I didn't have any issue after that until I sold her when more than 100 hours passed.
One thing I really didn't understand during the auction was the new motor though. To me putting a brand new engine as late as possible is actually a good thing since the engine lasts longer. It's not like there was an accident and the body was repaired. The engine needs to be rebuilt at some point so it won't be original after all. People like to see the engine was just rebuilt but not new engine was installed. What's the difference???
Hello everyone. I thought I may have something constructive to add considering the amount of internet warriors on here. I have been with Porsche as a technician for about 15 years now and have achieved master status several times over. I am also the technician who has done the work on both of the cars mentioned. As for the 987.1 Cayman, that engine failed due to rod bolt stretch. There are no two ways about it. It was not an oiling issue or anything of that nature. It was due to Porsche's cost cutting and using less expensive rods and bolts. This has been documented several times over by well known engine builders. The engine on the Cayman R is a different story. The oil pump failed which in turn caused an engine failure. At this time the car had no over-revs so was clearly not driver related. I also happen to be the guy that inspected the car a couple weeks ago for our used car department. The car was absolutely immaculate. New brakes and tires all around and spotless inside and out. Yes this car was driven, however it was also maintained very well by the owner. Here's some pics for you guys to chew over. These are the actual pics of the oil pump failure. This is what I found when I tore into the engine to find the point of failure.
Thanks for your detailed explanation, Woody!! I ddin't expect even you showing up here to back my story up. I heard about the rod bolt thing from another guy running a tuning shop but it's more secured now that was the case since you were the guy opened up and checked the engine. I'm pretty sure that nobody here is doubting about her condition anymore and maybe some people actually considering bidding the auction or interested in is realizing what they missed except for the one person. Yes, she found a new home now!!
When somebody posted my YouTube link to BoA, the auction got a big turmoil and ended up unbelievably low final price which of course didn't meet the reserve but it made a miracle at the end. One person contacted me once I showed myself as the original owner here, contacted the seller after the auction to negotiate the price, had her PPIed at German Car Specialist highly recommended here as well then the result was she was 100% buy!! Berk at GCS concluded she was in pretty good shape according to the new owner.
I learned many things from this event (especially how to handle overrev record and guarantee the engine is OK :P) but the best part is that now I know where she is going and who is the new owner. If this didn't happen, I wouldn't have known who eventually owned her. so maybe I should thank the person posted the link Also I believe the new owner bought her at pretty good price, probably way less than the market value if she was confirmed the condition before the auction so at the end everybody is happy (I'm pretty sure the auction seller didn't lose money either)
I asked the new owner to post an impression once she was driven here so I'm looking forward to it.
I assume nobody is checking this thread anymore but I just want to provide one final update. I received an email from the buyer. Here is some comments I received.
"She's amazing. She drives and runs so good and shifts so well. The turn in is incredible. She's definitely a keeper for me. She is beautiful. Speed yellow looks awesome in person. The red wheels with the black trim (mirrors, wing, decal) look so sick. I am not changing anything about the wheels. I really like the red wheels and speed yellow a lot. I'm so glad I found her. I love the interior, and buckets. Perfect car."
I'm very happy that she was found by the perfect new owner
I know nobody is interested in this thread anymore but I just want to provide one final update. I received an email from the buyer. Here is some comments I received.
"She's amazing. She drives and runs so good and shifts so well. The turn in is incredible. She's definitely a keeper for me. She is beautiful. Speed yellow looks awesome in person. The red wheels with the black trim (mirrors, wing, decal) look so sick. I am not changing anything about the wheels. I really like the red wheels and speed yellow a lot. I'm so glad I found her. I love the interior, and buckets. Perfect car."
I'm very happy that she was found by the perfect new owner
Fantastic and thanks for posting. All's well that ends well!
I am the new owner and honestly couldn't be happier. I was initially interested on the BAT auction. But like most others was turned off by the uncertainty being uncovered, regarding the condition of the car. I've wanted a Porsche for a long time. But never could quite pull the trigger when the time was right. I was in on the GT4 mania back in 2015. I learned a lot about the ridiculous process for aquiring a GT car. I was impatient and just exhausted with the process so I ultimately didn't get a GT4 or a Spyder. With my frustration fueling me, I decided to purchase a Alfa 4C coupe, that I've owned for the last 3 years. After making a bid on the CR on BAT, I started to back off after all of the information about tracking and new engine came into focus. I believe the dealer selling the car was learning this info at the same time. Luckily I was able to get in touch with the previous owner Hawk, and was able to get a clearer picture of the history of the car without the noise from the arm chair bidders on BAT. He told me all of the mods that have been done to the car and offered to send me the stock parts to me which was great (original brake ducts, master cylinder). He is a stand up guy and really helped me feel more comfortable about the purchase. I stayed in the game and had a PPI done on her at a reputable shop in San Antonio. After the PPI, I was confident enough to make a deal on her. The inspection produced effectively zero negative comments and also praised the car's condition on multiple levels, not only mechanical,but also including exterior paint and interior condition. So in the end, I am really happy. I was able to aquire a CR with a rare and beautiful paint color. I've never been a person that liked yellow as a color for a car, but man SY is gorgeous in person. Manual and Buckets was what I was looking for as well. I also wanted a car that I could drive. I plan on driving her a lot. I didn't really want a super low mile garage queen, that I would feel bad about putting miles on. At 26,000 miles already on the car, I don't feel that way. Getting what I wanted, for a fair and slightly reduced price (due to the stigma with the history) ended up working out favorably for me. So from my perspective, its a perfect car. It's my first Pcar as well. It was a pleasure working with the selling dealer BTW. They answered every question that they could in regards to the car. Made the process of purchasing her easy and stress free. I've put a little over 1,000 miles on her since took ownership. It is now obvious it was taken care of inside and out. And Wow! It's really an amazing car. Comparing it to the Alfa has made me realize how unsettled the Alfa is. The Cayman is a joy to drive, and while the Alfa is a joy to drive as well. It's a different kind of joy. A much more exhaustive process that is getting less and less fun after about 13,000 miles . I like how crazy the Alfa is, but the Cayman R is refined on a completely different level. The Alfa has a push in corners that I didn't realize was that bad until now after comparing it to the CR on the same roads. The only criticisim that I've had has nothing to do with the performance or condition. It has to do with the standard exhaust (It was not configured with PSE). It has a nice sound way up in the band, but I felt I had to drive the car around like a maniac to hear it. This is completely subjective and the loudness of the Alfa may have an effect on my perception here. I ended up ordering a Carnewal GT exhuast (cayman R mufflers) and had it installed a couple of days ago. The sound now is really really nice. Very civil with no drone, but sounds great at all portions of the rev range. I couldn't be happier with that purchase as well. So my short ownership has been a positive process so far, and I look forward to contributing more to the forum going forward.
Nice man. I'm glad it all worked out. I was also following that BaT thread and it did get a little nervy regarding the history of the car and the information being revealed. However it appears you've really done your homework, and have purchased a well sorted vehicle. I simply cannot get with the red wheels (personal preference) but I love the SY paint color. More importantly, I love the Cayman R. It's such a sweet vehicle. There is/was a white one with black wheels that was local to me that I used to drool over at the Cars & Coffee events. There are a lot of aftermarket options for that exhaust that will open the sound right up. Have fun with the car!
Nice man. I'm glad it all worked out. I was also following that BaT thread and it did get a little nervy regarding the history of the car and the information being revealed. However it appears you've really done your homework, and have purchased a well sorted vehicle. I simply cannot get with the red wheels (personal preference) but I love the SY paint color. More importantly, I love the Cayman R. It's such a sweet vehicle. There is/was a white one with black wheels that was local to me that I used to drool over at the Cars & Coffee events. There are a lot of aftermarket options for that exhaust that will open the sound right up. Have fun with the car!
Thank you and yes. While there is no doubt the car had been driven hard, after digging deeper it was clear to me Hawk had taken care of her, but as with any used vehicle purchase there is going to be some risk involved. That risk can vary and only the person making the decision can try to measure the risk with the desire and price point of any particular vehicle. I imagine that in the future, if I decide to sell her, that I’ll run into the questions of the history. Knowing all of the facts will enable me to give a clear picture to a potential buyer so they can measure the risk they would be willing to accept. Currently I don’t see why I would ever sell the car though anyway, but who knows situations can always change. I’ll just enjoy the car now and each moment as it arises.
Haha. Yes the red wheels are definitely not for the majority. I definitely understand that. I’ve gotten a few Ronald McDonald jokes from friends (all in good natured joking). But I can sense a little hate in those jokes which, surprisingly makes me enjoy the wheels even more. I initially thought that I’d buy an extra set of Black wheels to use the majority of the time but the longer that I’ve had her the more I like the red wheels (when they are clean). They do have a tendency to amplify the sight of brake dust. And holy crap does this car throw up the brake dust! Damn. I’ve never owned a car that can coat the wheels so fast! I’m living with it so far but may look into solutions (low dust pads or nano coating the wheels) in the future. Until then I’ll continue cleaning the wheels after pretty much every drive. Lol.
Pkman congrats on the purchase! Finding a Cayman R is hard enough, finding one with PTS and in good condition is a needle in the haystack! Buying a car at auction with a limited amount of time to do your due diligence is always a huge gamble and it makes sense after learning a bit of the history that it didn’t meet reserve. But once the auctions over and someone takes the time like you did then its no longe a gamble.
I also appreciate the comparison with the 4C, I know many cross shop the two cars and it’s interesting to hear the differences.
01-24-2018, 05:03 AM
Also I believe the new owner bought her at pretty good price, probably way less than the market value if she was confirmed the condition before the auction so at the end everybody is happy (I'm pretty sure the auction seller didn't lose money either) 
