From 981 CS to Base 987.2, The Story Continues
02-04-2019, 03:11 AM
#1
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From 981 CS to Base 987.2, The Story Continues
Last summer I sold my 2016 Sapphire Blue CS to a fellow Rennlist member and shifted my priorities towards home ownership. Picked up a 2003 Miata to fill the void and serve as a fun daily driver with the M5 reserved for weekend fun.
It only took 2 months after moving into my new place that the itch started to come back, and a month later I found myself back in a Cayman.
It's a 2009 Base with 71k miles, manual, and lightly optioned with highlights being the 18" Cayman S II wheels and floor mats in interior color.
Meteor Gray Metallic over Black Standard Leather. No frills, no fuss, just a pure sports car that needs no explanation.
Found it at a non-Porsche dealer which took care of an oil change and complete detail after it was traded in. While the overall purchase went fairly smoothly, there was some drama associated with it.
Knowing 987.2s aren't that common, I took PTO the next day after finding it and emailed the internet service manager and said I was coming to see it. I debated whether or not to get a PPI somewhere else but the Carfax looked pretty good, these engines are quite reliable, and figured I'll take my laptop & Durametric cable with me to check for over-revs.
On my way home to pick up my gear, I got a call from the dealer, confirming my interest and told them I'll be there in an hour. 10 minutes later as I'm about to decide which car to take, I get another call, except this time I was told there's someone already there, and that I should wait in case the car's no longer available. Mkay.
12 minutes later, another call saying the customer wasn't able to secure a loan. So I decide to take the M5 since I know they'll lowball me on the Miata. Leave the house and the car didn't feel right, but my mind was a bit preoccupied and couldn't tell what was going on until a nice gentleman in a 997 caught my attention.
Oh...
Fortunately I was within half a mile from home, so after pumping it back up, swapped cars and got back on the road. Arrived at my destination and while waiting for the car to be brought out from the lot, I was told 2 other people were also interested in it, but 1 couldn't get his loan secured either, and the other guy had to go home and ask his wife.
#mindgames
Test drive was fine, no surprises, the car felt solid yet broken in at the same time compared with my 981. The hydraulic steering was a welcomed sensation, though the lack of the exhaust noise was disappointing. Just means I need to rev it more to hear the glorious flat-6 again.
Unsurprisingly, I really didn't need much convincing to pull the trigger so once we agreed on a price but before signing any paperwork, I asked if I could check for over-revs. Salesman had no idea what I was talking about but hey, he provided shade and eliminated glare, which was nice.
As you can see, this car was babied throughout its life that started in Georgia, then South Carolina, then Texas, and ultimately SoCal.
With an hour of daylight left, took the canyons back home, and while the day was getting darker, my night was getting brighter.
There are more details that I'll share in this thread as I modify & maintain this magnificent machine. She's not too clean right now but I did a quick & dirty photo shoot a few nights ago.
It only took 2 months after moving into my new place that the itch started to come back, and a month later I found myself back in a Cayman.
It's a 2009 Base with 71k miles, manual, and lightly optioned with highlights being the 18" Cayman S II wheels and floor mats in interior color.
Meteor Gray Metallic over Black Standard Leather. No frills, no fuss, just a pure sports car that needs no explanation.Found it at a non-Porsche dealer which took care of an oil change and complete detail after it was traded in. While the overall purchase went fairly smoothly, there was some drama associated with it.
Knowing 987.2s aren't that common, I took PTO the next day after finding it and emailed the internet service manager and said I was coming to see it. I debated whether or not to get a PPI somewhere else but the Carfax looked pretty good, these engines are quite reliable, and figured I'll take my laptop & Durametric cable with me to check for over-revs.
On my way home to pick up my gear, I got a call from the dealer, confirming my interest and told them I'll be there in an hour. 10 minutes later as I'm about to decide which car to take, I get another call, except this time I was told there's someone already there, and that I should wait in case the car's no longer available. Mkay.
12 minutes later, another call saying the customer wasn't able to secure a loan. So I decide to take the M5 since I know they'll lowball me on the Miata. Leave the house and the car didn't feel right, but my mind was a bit preoccupied and couldn't tell what was going on until a nice gentleman in a 997 caught my attention.
Oh...
Fortunately I was within half a mile from home, so after pumping it back up, swapped cars and got back on the road. Arrived at my destination and while waiting for the car to be brought out from the lot, I was told 2 other people were also interested in it, but 1 couldn't get his loan secured either, and the other guy had to go home and ask his wife.
#mindgames
Test drive was fine, no surprises, the car felt solid yet broken in at the same time compared with my 981. The hydraulic steering was a welcomed sensation, though the lack of the exhaust noise was disappointing. Just means I need to rev it more to hear the glorious flat-6 again.
Unsurprisingly, I really didn't need much convincing to pull the trigger so once we agreed on a price but before signing any paperwork, I asked if I could check for over-revs. Salesman had no idea what I was talking about but hey, he provided shade and eliminated glare, which was nice.
As you can see, this car was babied throughout its life that started in Georgia, then South Carolina, then Texas, and ultimately SoCal.
With an hour of daylight left, took the canyons back home, and while the day was getting darker, my night was getting brighter.
There are more details that I'll share in this thread as I modify & maintain this magnificent machine. She's not too clean right now but I did a quick & dirty photo shoot a few nights ago.
The following 2 users liked this post by kiznarsh:
MCPorsche987S (03-11-2021),
Smudo (06-15-2021)
02-04-2019, 09:10 AM
#2
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Congrats, Meteor is such a great color!
Great photography too, I’m looking forward to seeing more.
Enjoy in good health
Great photography too, I’m looking forward to seeing more.
Enjoy in good health
02-04-2019, 09:46 AM
#3
I too moved from a Sapphire Blue Cayman, mine was a GTS, to a 987. Started with a 987.1 Boxster S that I got while I still had the CGTS and continued into the Cayman R that essentially replaced the CGTS. Congrats on your new ride, it looks great.
On another note, how difficult is using the Durametric tool and where do you get it? I'd like to be able to do what you did with the codes.
On another note, how difficult is using the Durametric tool and where do you get it? I'd like to be able to do what you did with the codes.
02-04-2019, 10:02 AM
#4
Congrats, enjoy in good health!
02-04-2019, 01:53 PM
#5
Rennlist Member
Thread Starter
I too moved from a Sapphire Blue Cayman, mine was a GTS, to a 987. Started with a 987.1 Boxster S that I got while I still had the CGTS and continued into the Cayman R that essentially replaced the CGTS. Congrats on your new ride, it looks great.
On another note, how difficult is using the Durametric tool and where do you get it? I'd like to be able to do what you did with the codes.
On another note, how difficult is using the Durametric tool and where do you get it? I'd like to be able to do what you did with the codes.
Will do!
02-04-2019, 04:05 PM
#6
I bought the enthusiast version which is limited to 3 VINs, and mainly use it for resetting service reminders, checking over-revs, and general health of the car. It's fairly easy to use and I'd recommend it for any DIYer. However I discovered the service reminder reset command doesn't work on the 987s and you need to pull the fuse for the instrument cluster to reset it. Kinda annoying but not the worst thing in the world.
02-04-2019, 05:24 PM
#7
Rennlist Member
Thread Starter
Interesting. I downloaded the latest version just in case but yeah, I'll contact them before I need to reset it. Thanks.
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02-04-2019, 08:15 PM
#9
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Congrats! The 987.2 2.9L is such a little gem of a car and, IMO, one of the best values out there right now. Somewhat of a unicorn as well in that it is the only non-dfi 9a1 engine. I too came from a 981 and moved down to a 987.2 after our first child. To me the 987.2 was about 95% the car the 981 was at literally half the price.
You will find that both the exhaust and intake noise is not as nice as the 981. My 987.2 was also devoid of sports Chrono and therefore had a lazy throttle response. Cheap sprint booster fixed that. I also installed the Porsche ssk kit to sure up the gear change which wasn’t as snickety as the 981.
Given what I paid for the car and how much enjoyment I get out of it I really can’t ever see myself selling it.
Enjoy!
You will find that both the exhaust and intake noise is not as nice as the 981. My 987.2 was also devoid of sports Chrono and therefore had a lazy throttle response. Cheap sprint booster fixed that. I also installed the Porsche ssk kit to sure up the gear change which wasn’t as snickety as the 981.
Given what I paid for the car and how much enjoyment I get out of it I really can’t ever see myself selling it.
Enjoy!
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seatbelt123 (02-10-2023)
02-04-2019, 08:37 PM
#10
Very nice! It looks to be in great condition. Also love the E39 M5. Did I read that correctly that you traded the E39 for the Cayman and kept the Miata? Of course financially you did what you had to do, but man, that E39/Cayman combo would be about perfect.
The Cayman is such a great car in all model years. I've driven the 987.1S, 987.2 Base and the 981 Base. All are just great cars. I'm realizing that even more since I (stupidly) decided to put my 981 up for "sale" this weekend. Already about to take it off the market.
The Cayman is such a great car in all model years. I've driven the 987.1S, 987.2 Base and the 981 Base. All are just great cars. I'm realizing that even more since I (stupidly) decided to put my 981 up for "sale" this weekend. Already about to take it off the market.
02-04-2019, 10:37 PM
#11
Rennlist Member
Thread Starter
Congrats! The 987.2 2.9L is such a little gem of a car and, IMO, one of the best values out there right now. Somewhat of a unicorn as well in that it is the only non-dfi 9a1 engine. I too came from a 981 and moved down to a 987.2 after our first child. To me the 987.2 was about 95% the car the 981 was at literally half the price.
You will find that both the exhaust and intake noise is not as nice as the 981. My 987.2 was also devoid of sports Chrono and therefore had a lazy throttle response. Cheap sprint booster fixed that. I also installed the Porsche ssk kit to sure up the gear change which wasn’t as snickety as the 981.
Given what I paid for the car and how much enjoyment I get out of it I really can’t ever see myself selling it.
Enjoy!
You will find that both the exhaust and intake noise is not as nice as the 981. My 987.2 was also devoid of sports Chrono and therefore had a lazy throttle response. Cheap sprint booster fixed that. I also installed the Porsche ssk kit to sure up the gear change which wasn’t as snickety as the 981.
Given what I paid for the car and how much enjoyment I get out of it I really can’t ever see myself selling it.
Enjoy!
Why did you put yours on the market?
02-04-2019, 11:10 PM
#12
CONGRATS. I have a 2010 base manual pictured in my avatar. I’ve easily owned 20 cars in my life and certainly consider myself an enthusiast. Only TWO have gotten into my bloodstream. A 2011 M3 ZCP manual I ordered new and my Porsche Cayman. By FAR AND AWAY the greatest ill timed and unlikely used car purchase I’ve ever made. Not even close. I am extremely sentimental about this car and doubt I will ever sell. Good luck. The base 2.9 is a very robust, flexible and most important reliable engine. The rest of the dynamics speak for themself.
02-05-2019, 01:20 PM
#13
Negative, I sold the Cayman and picked up the Miata; the M5 isn't going anywhere anytime soon. I've been restoring it for the past 2 years and really enjoy the car, but not as a daily. Even though most people would drive that as a daily and have the Cayman as the weekend car, the M5 is more meaningful to me and technically it's the more expensive car when comparing new to new. The M5 just eats highway miles but my commute is 100% city and less than 2 miles so it'd never get to stretch its legs.
Why did you put yours on the market?
Why did you put yours on the market?
I was thinking of selling my car to actually get a higher mileage and cheaper 987 that I would track because I decided my 981 was too nice and too expensive for me to track. I have young kids and my wife doesnt drive a manual transmission, so it seemed a bit excessive for a toy that only I was enjoying. Ever since I posted that up, I've been having second thoughts. Even my wife doesn't want me to sell it. So I'm 95% sure I'm just going to keep the 981 for at least another year and enjoy it a little while longer.
02-05-2019, 01:36 PM
#14
Drifting
02-05-2019, 02:01 PM
#15
Rennlist Member
Thread Starter
Oh good. I have no idea if E39s are a maintenance nightmare now that they are 20yrs old, but they sure look and drive great. Glad you're keeping it alongside your beautiful new 987.
I was thinking of selling my car to actually get a higher mileage and cheaper 987 that I would track because I decided my 981 was too nice and too expensive for me to track. I have young kids and my wife doesnt drive a manual transmission, so it seemed a bit excessive for a toy that only I was enjoying. Ever since I posted that up, I've been having second thoughts. Even my wife doesn't want me to sell it. So I'm 95% sure I'm just going to keep the 981 for at least another year and enjoy it a little while longer.
I was thinking of selling my car to actually get a higher mileage and cheaper 987 that I would track because I decided my 981 was too nice and too expensive for me to track. I have young kids and my wife doesnt drive a manual transmission, so it seemed a bit excessive for a toy that only I was enjoying. Ever since I posted that up, I've been having second thoughts. Even my wife doesn't want me to sell it. So I'm 95% sure I'm just going to keep the 981 for at least another year and enjoy it a little while longer.
Sure the E39s require maintenance but by means are they are a "nightmare." Mine's at 114k miles and the major items I've addressed are the cooling system, fuel pump, and timing chain guide tensioner. I've also done oil analysis to look for the health of the rod bearings which seem to be fine. As long as your properly warm up the oil before stepping on it, they're quite reliable and pretty easy to work on. The car still feels solid and gets respect from those who know what it is (mine's debadged).