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I'm looking at purchasing a Cayman 987.2 Base. I've searched youtube for common issues and written down what to look for. Upon inspecting the car i'm not sure what to make of 2 or 3 things so i kindly ask you gentlemen for advice.
1. I hear that the drive-shafts can leak, specifically the casing of the CV joint. So i asked the sales rep to lift the car on a ramp and i can't be sure of what i found (pics attached) Please chip in with any thoughts.
2. I hear that the front intercoolers (pertaining to the AC?) can get stone chipped easily. The ventilation was strong when stationary but it wasn't blowing particularly cold air (i didn't think to check it while driving). The rep told me that the car needs to be moving for the condenser to spool up. Attached pic of one of the intercoolers. Thoughts on this please.
3. What a nice engine this car has. However i noticed a veery slight metallic sound as the revs climbed above 4000rpm. It could very well be how the engine sounds, i'm not sure. But i thought i'd throw this in here just in case.
Side note, i'm cross-shopping between this and an ND2 Miata which is super fun to throw around at town speeds and an M2 Competition which is much more manic but has much less finesse (strange list, i know, but i can get a great deal on the M2C). Thoughts on this too if you have any.
Any advice is hugely appreciated because i am rather afraid of a second hand Porsche in terms of maintenance and running costs. It's not a common brand in my part of the world.
I'm not a mechanic, but it looks like those are all leaks of some kind. There are lots of cars in the world so if you have any doubts on one, move on to the next.
Looks like it’s rusting a bit but depending on where you are, it might not be too big of an issue. Depending on the year you’re looking at, it was likely going to happen sooner than later. The radiator looks fine, aged but fine. Lastly, if you can get into a M2C at a price that has you cross shopping a 987.2, why aren’t you just buying the M2C?
@elgato13 Thank you for the answer. There are a few things to like about the 987.2 over the M2C. Hydraulic steering (even though it doesn't turn in as well), that naturally aspirated engine is so nice to rev out, it's lighter and it feels like the more delicate instrument. I guess i'm hoping to find someone who's driven them both properly to share their thoughts
It may simply be a shadow, but to me, the lower right-hand third of the radiator looks wet, much as if it is seeping coolant either from a hose or the radiator itself.
It may simply be a shadow, but to me, the lower right-hand third of the radiator looks wet, much as if it is seeping coolant either from a hose or the radiator itself.
It may simply be a shadow, but to me, the lower right-hand third of the radiator looks wet, much as if it is seeping coolant either from a hose or the radiator itself.
I had an ND1 before my Cayman. It’s an awesome car but…the Porsche is a Porsche. The ND doesn’t feel special. It does feel (and is) a lot lighter though, and as you said has lower limits and is more fun to drive at lower speeds. Parts and mods are vastly more affordable as well.
As for the pics, I’d get a PPI from an experienced shop and see what they say.
I had an ND1 before my Cayman. It’s an awesome car but…the Porsche is a Porsche. The ND doesn’t feel special. It does feel (and is) a lot lighter though, and as you said has lower limits and is more fun to drive at lower speeds. Parts and mods are vastly more affordable as well.
As for the pics, I’d get a PPI from an experienced shop and see what they say.
Originally Posted by schell
Just get a PPI from a good independent shop, I track my car and just recently had both axle shafts rebuilt, not really that expensive.
Thanks for the input guys.
I was thinking back on the drive i had with is and remembered one more thing:
4. When i first started the car, i thought i caught a glimpse of an ABS fault. It didn't show up on subsequent restarts though. The car hadn't been driven in a while so it still had it's winter tyres on as well as a bit of rust on the rotors. So i did a hard brake test to clear the rust and see how the brakes performed. I locked up the front tyres too easily, didn't feel a hint of ABS intervention. I'm guessing ABS sensors could be problematic or dead completely. Would I be wrong on that assumption, how does the ABS usually behave on this model?
And BTW what kind of mileage can i expect from this car? city / highway ?
Last edited by Felixd87; 09-03-2021 at 09:30 PM.
Reason: Added mileage question
I'm not a mechanic, but it looks like those are all leaks of some kind. There are lots of cars in the world so if you have any doubts on one, move on to the next.
+1. Not sure where you are located but I’m about to list my guards red 987.2 base Cayman 6MT for sale soon and it has none of these issues. I’m in the Northeast. Pm me if interested.
08-26-2021, 06:05 PM
Potential 987.2 Base Purchase
