MyNameIdeasWereT

The time has come for me to replace my current touge/track car and a 987S seems like the most logical choice.

I have read dozens of posts asking similar questions to the following, but I wanted to get more recent opinions...

Cayman vs. Boxster
1. Is it true that the Cayman is heavier?
2. How much weight will be saved by removing the Boxster roof and associated electronics?
3. Does the Boxster have a more rigid floor to counter for the lack of roof?
I know there's a minimal power difference between the two... Part of me loves the idea of a convertible and since it will get a full cage, this should not be an issue for track days.

4. How common is the IMS bearing failure on 2008?
I'm leaning towards a local Boxster S with great service history and 33k miles. I've read mixed opinions stating that some 987s had an improved IMS bearing that was less likely to fail. To me, any part of an engine is at risk for failure without proper maintenance and oil lubrication... So is it really as much of a threat as everyone makes it out to be?



I'm excited to soon join the community! I have been wrenching on Porsches for years, but my background mostly consists of tuning and modifying Volvos. If anyone cares to see details, MyNameIdeasWereTaken.com has more info on all my past builds. Modifying Volvos means a lot of custom parts fabrication; the fan following on social media has actually led to a decent profit... But that's all in the past now, as I'm starting a new chapter.

The car I am replacing is a 2008 Volvo C30 T5. Currently putting down 272whp and 345ftlbs at the wheels, 0-60 was less than 5 seconds. But after 194k miles, I finally cracked a cylinder wall. The car was maxed out for the stock turbo and while the platform is great for hatchback handling (same as the Mazda Speed 3 and Focus ST/RS), I know I'll only improve as a driver by moving on. What better car to move on to than a Porsche!

Boxsterman

If you can, find a 09 or later model. IMS issues were taken care of by then. I have an 09 Boxster base which i went to from an 08 C30 as well. As much as I enjoyed the C30, the Boxster is much more fun. Good luck in your search.

MyNameIdeasWereT

Stumbled across this car, which is local to me. https://www.planet-9.com/planet-9-cl...rbo-27-5k.html

How well does the block hold up to boost?
How is general reliability after a turbo is added?

It kind of scares me to purchase a modified car. I modify all my cars and I know how I drive them, I wouldn't want to buy a car from myself.
I also prefer to learn the limits of the car one mod at a time.

But this does seem like a good price and close to my ultimate end-goal for performance.

NuttyProfessor

The Volvo C30 was a car that was very fun to drive especially if you found one with manual transmission. Shame it didn't take off in the states. Most the US buyers want SUVs I guess and so the Volvo coupes are a distant past like the famous P1800. I think you're going to love the Boxster/Cayman mid-engine design, but be mindful that you'll need to increase your service budget because these cars are much more expensive to maintain over the Volvos. If you need cabin space with a sub-par rear seat, then you may want to consider a 996 or 997. Best Porsche value at the moment. Don't let the IMS issue scare you away from the Porsches of this era. It's my understanding that the latter cars 2006 - 2008 have a more robust IMS bearing design and as Boxsterman stated, the IMS problem was virtually eliminated with the 2009 model Porsche Cayman/Boxster/911.

Marine Blue

Fined

I'm thinking that car isn't moving for a reason. It's been for sale a couple of months. No turbo Cayman for me, not even if money were no object. A 3.8 liter engine swap into a Cayman would be a lot better, long term. BGB does them for customer cars and their own race cars as well. I think there are other outfits who do the swap as well.

MyNameIdeasWereT

I loved my C30, which was also manual. I had everything ready to swap it to AWD with a hybrid turbo, but the engine had different plans... I'm not going to spend the time and money to fix it when I could put that towards a car that's already at the next level I want.
It was a dedicated "race car" with a half cage, bucket seats, partially stripped interior, no air bags... Practicality is not a concern.

My wife has this "unicorn" wagon for the people hauler. Turbo, AWD, manual, running a stage 3 tune and putting down over 300hp. So my Porsche purchase will purely be for a weekend fun car.




Good to hear more responses about not completely dreading the IMS on the 987.1. I know a lot of attention has been brought to its failure over recent years. At the same time, people often forget to share the positive experiences and only complain on the internet once there is a problem.

NuttyProfessor

Fear is a great motivator. One reason how the pharmaceutical industry became a billion dollar industry.

MyNameIdeasWereT

Picked up a 2008 Boxster S.
35k miles on the clock with a full service history.

Suicide Jockey

Congrats, Michael, on this low mileage car and best of luck with your anticipated mods!

daylorb

Nicely done - great looking car!