pkalhan

HI Everyone,

I have been looking for 2009 Cayman Ss or newer but am having a hard time doing it. I have found several 2008s which is nice, but many of them have 30k miles on them. Is that too low of a milage for a car of that age. I only ask because I have heard that these cars hold not really be pampered mainly to keep allow the oil to lubricate the IMS bearing. Is this something to I should worry about because if not, there are some great buys out there especially for Caymans which I prefer.

Thanks in Advance!

RWPinNC

Just my opinion .......I would be more careful if a car has less than a thousand miles per year, but 3-4k annually is not rare as these are often weekend cars owned by busy people. The more pertinent questions are has the car been driven regularly and has it had regular fluid changes. My 2006 CS had 42000 miles at 11 years. Carfax showed at least 2000/yr and records showed 5000 mile oil changes after the first 10000 dealer service. I'm retired and still only put about 3500-4000 miles on the car the first year. 987.1 s have much lower incidence of IMS issues, and I was able to find a car close to my desired specs at a reasonable price. Good luck.

vbb

If you are worried that buying a car with too few miles on it will have some inherent mechanical problem (with the IMS or other components) due specifically to the lack of mileage, don't. In fact, if you're looking at a 2009 or newer, IMS should not be a worry at all, regardless of miles.

To your greater point though, there is no magic associated with too few or too many miles on a vehicle. It is all in how the vehicle was maintained and used, which of course you can't know unless you have complete service records and/or know the previous owner personally. Most people are conditioned to worry about higher mileage cars being potential problems and the market reflects this. Higher mileage cars are worth less when mileage is the only distinguishing variable, so sometimes you can get a really solid car for a good deal just because other people were scared off by the mileage. The converse is true as well... sometimes low mileage cars are OVERvalued by the market. Many buyers see low mileage and automatically associate that with quality and longevity, when that could be a mistake. Having a car that spent very long stretches of time without being started or properly maintained could present problems down the road. Some people believe that if the car isn't being used, it doesn't need to be maintained... and rather than properly store a car they just let it sit somewhere. That 10yr old car with only 11K miles on it might have sat unattended for years for all you really know. That wouldn't be good for the car.

I'm not saying that low mileage cars should be avoided of course. I bought my Cayman with low mileage for the year as well. I'm just saying that maintenance and driving history matter far more than the number on the odometer.

billwot

No.

pkalhan

Thank you all for your responses. If I may ask a general used car buying question (I have only purchased two cars my whole life, both last a very long time so I am rather inexperiences at this). Say I find a nice Cayman (year does not matter) from an independent dealer. All they have is a carafe but do not have service history as they were not the dealer who serviced that car. Do I walk away from the car because of lack of service history? How do I get this history if dealership does not have it?

Zach L

There are common problems that tend to happen if an older car has VERY few miles, if preventative measures are not taken. That's for ANY older car, not just particular Porsches.

- Dry-rotted or cracked tires (6 year lifespan for tires)
- Gummed up fuel components if old fuel left in the system
- Oil/coolant leaks from seals/gaskets not being frequently lubricated <---- biggest issue IMO

The best thing you can do for a car, especially an engine, is drive it occasionally. And not just a short distance under light throttle. Getting an engine up to temp for a sustained period (think 30+ minute highway cruise) will help evaporate water and fuel that are in the crankcase that would otherwise sit/mix with the oil and breakdown the oil's lubricating properties. Consistent short drives are horrible for an engine and what causes sludge amongst other problems.

For Porsches specifically, some say low mileage means an increased chance of IMS bearing failure, due to oil draining out of the bearing and not being replenished often, as the car sits for a longer periods. That's really only an issue on pre-2006 cars with the older IMS bearing design. 2006+ cars have a redesigned bearing with extremely low failure rates.

vbb

When buying a Porsche (or really any car, but especially a German performance car) you absolutely need to invest a couple hundred dollars in a pre-purchase inspection, or PPI for short. Having the previous service history records is a help, and some people won't buy a car without them. That said, they're not absolutely required, especially if you get a thorough PPI done. Take the car to a Porsche dealership or trusted independent Porsche mechanic and have them put the car on a lift and go over it thoroughly. While they can't find every potential problem, they obviously know the common failure points for the car and can check for things that are known to go wrong. They can check for seeping fluids, evidence of a failing water pump, hidden rust/corrosion, and all sorts of things that may cost you thousands to fix later. Also, I'd recommend getting an oil change done immediately on any car you purchase unless you can confirm one was just done within the last month or few hundred miles. A fresh oil change is good for some peace of mind. Lastly, check the main service intervals as recommended by Porsche for the car. They will be either month or mileage based, whichever is sooner. Factor in the cost of whatever the next service is into the price of the car. A lot of people trade in or sell used cars right before a major service is supposed to be performed so they don't have to eat that cost, so make sure that cost isn't being passed on to you without factoring it in to the sale price.

Good luck with your search!

Jim137a

pkalhan

Thanks again for all your insight and advise. I will use what has been stated in this thread and the forum as I continue my search! Merry Christmas to all of you!

GoKart

Reviving an old thread, I know....

Thoughts on a sub-10,000 mile 2008 base model in 2021?

PPI performed by a Porsche dealer, results were absolutely excellent.

Still thinking about the fact that it hasn't been used much, and has been gently driven by an older gentleman. Emphasis on the "gentle".

It will get a new set of tires, and then will be driven ~60 miles round trip, 4+ days per week, with regular visits to 5,000+ RPM. Mechanically sympathetic, but it will be driven properly....

It's decision time. Good to go, or not?

Appreciate any thoughts.

BrooksBier

Do it

Snakebit

I don't think I would pass on one that the ONLY concern was that it had low mileage. Especially if it got a thumbs up PPI.

scootr

I bought a 9 yr old Boxster with 10k miles on it. And 8 annual dealer oil changes. It checked out good and it runs great. I'll put all the miles I like, can, or want to on it and still have a low miles car if I ever sell it.

BWJones

If you don't do it, let me know and I'll buy it as a 2nd Cayman.

ekam

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