[Terry563]

Hello everyone, glad to be here, and looking forward to meeting and talking with new people about these awesome cars here.

So, I just purchased a 2014 Cayman 981 Base, 17k on odometer, PDK. It didn't have much available maintenance history as I purchased it from a non-Porsche dealership, but did have a clean car fax. I have had an indy Porsche mechanic take a peak at it, and he said it looked pretty clean and said that if you just keep up on the maintenance schedules they are pretty much bullet proof. This is a huge change for me, as I'm coming from a Jeep Wrangler Rubicon JL. But, I have been drooling over this car for quite some time now, so I thought why not! Tell me if this a mistake or not, but as of now it is my only car and will therefore be my daily driver year round. Also, just looking to hear what others have experienced with this car as far as reliability and daily driving? I have read a bunch about this car, vast majority good, but it does seem there are some people that will say not to keep these cars a day beyond like 50k. Is there any substance or truth to this thinking? I was hoping to keep this car a very long time.

Thanks everyone!

 

[ELCID86]

Congratulations. You can expect solid reliability. Keep up with maintenance.

Keep an eye on door cards (warp), drooping head liner and crazing headlights.

Drive that thing!


Shawn in VA (USA)

 

[Rican]

I have a base 2015 with the manual transmission. i bought is used from a non-Porsche dealer.

No problems to date. 23,000 miles.

It is not my daily driver, I put on about 4000 miles/year in a snow belt state. Only replaced tires since buying it.

Have a blast - you’ll love it.

 

[Vegas981]

wow congrats and thats really low miles! I have the same year but bought mine with 40k miles. so far no maintenance issues and just oil changes. I only drive it maybe once a week but whenever I do, it typically ends up being the best day of the week. lets see some pics!

 

[Terry563]

Congratulations. You can expect solid reliability. Keep up with maintenance.

Keep an eye on door cards (warp), drooping head liner and crazing headlights.

Drive that thing!


Shawn in VA (USA)

Oh, yes..unfortunately that just reared its ugly head a few days after I got it. Its very mild right now, but it has appeared on both doors...on a day where it was like 103 degrees. So, that definitely sucks, but unless it gets worse I'm not going to worry about it for now. Any idea on how it can be fixed if it does get worse? (Without paying 2k for new door inserts?)
Thanks!

 

[Terry563]

wow congrats and thats really low miles! I have the same year but bought mine with 40k miles. so far no maintenance issues and just oil changes. I only drive it maybe once a week but whenever I do, it typically ends up being the best day of the week. lets see some pics!

Nice! I hope I have the same luck. Yeah, it's a blast to drive...Im still in that "I can't believe I actually have this car" phase. Lol

 

[Terry563]

I have a base 2015 with the manual transmission. i bought is used from a non-Porsche dealer.

No problems to date. 23,000 miles.

It is not my daily driver, I put on about 4000 miles/year in a snow belt state. Only replaced tires since buying it.

Have a blast - you’ll love it.

Are all season tires adequate for winter driving? I live in midwest, so it definitely snows here, just not all the time. I'm really trying to avoid the whole 2 tire/wheel setup if I can.

 

[OttawaSteve]

Congrats on the car. All season tires are a compromise - they aren't as good as high performance summer tires in the warm weather and not great for driving on snow or on ice. If it will be your only car, I strongly urge you to get a second set of wheels with proper winter tires. Otherwise, I would leave it at home in winter unless the roads are dry

 

[ELCID86]

Oh, yes..unfortunately that just reared its ugly head a few days after I got it. Its very mild right now, but it has appeared on both doors...on a day where it was like 103 degrees. So, that definitely sucks, but unless it gets worse I'm not going to worry about it for now. Any idea on how it can be fixed if it does get worse? (Without paying 2k for new door inserts?)
Thanks!

Sorry to hear. Mine are like that too. Not quite bad enough to send to Pedro’s garage in FL. Reasonable price, great work, fast turnaround.

Shawn in VA (USA)

 

[Terry563]

Sorry to hear. Mine are like that too. Not quite bad enough to send to Pedro’s garage in FL. Reasonable price, great work, fast turnaround.

Shawn in VA (USA)

Yeah, you almost cant even tell, but of course I can. Do you know what the cost is to fix it in case it gets worse? Thanks!

 

[Terry563]

Here she is 🙂

 

[Terry563]

Congrats on the car. All season tires are a compromise - they aren't as good as high performance summer tires in the warm weather and not great for driving on snow or on ice. If it will be your only car, I strongly urge you to get a second set of wheels with proper winter tires. Otherwise, I would leave it at home in winter unless the roads are dry

What are your recommendations for best winter tire and best all season? Thanks!

 

[ELCID86]

Yeah, you almost cant even tell, but of course I can. Do you know what the cost is to fix it in case it gets worse? Thanks!

Door Panel

Iirc There is a FB group that offers a discount.


Shawn in VA (USA)

 

[CinciOH]

Tell me if this a mistake or not, but as of now it is my only car and will therefore be my daily driver year round. Also, just looking to hear what others have experienced with this car as far as reliability and daily driving? I have read a bunch about this car, vast majority good, but it does seem there are some people that will say not to keep these cars a day beyond like 50k. Is there any substance or truth to this thinking? I was hoping to keep this car a very long time.

Congratulations! If it helps, for myself, things only got better and better - I still love this car 6 years and 50,000 miles later. Maybe even more than the day I got it because I know it so much better now and can enjoy it more.

I am 6' 3", relatively old and not fit. When I go to the racetrack and enter/exit mine and similar cars dozen + times a day, I do feel it and then some. Every other consideration might pass (low, no space, noisy tires, noisy cabin ...), but entering and exiting for a daily driver is definitely no go for me. Plus, you have to account for the ginormous door opening to fold into the car and even more to exit. I don't know where you live and what is your situation, but consider that as well.

For the peace of mind, you could try and get a quote for 3 years extended warranty but I am afraid that these days it is probably insanely expensive. I wouldn't listen to 50,000 miles crowd, really. I am at 49,000 and change and this car feels (and is) as solid as it was on day one with 8 miles.

"Midwest" is a very, very wide description. If you live in Cincinnati and are willing to chance it that you might need Uber two or three days in a calendar year, all season tires would be more than fine. Cleveland? Not really, you would need snow tires. I can attest how far they developed performance-leaning all season tires when it comes to gripping in hot weather, but snow is still a challenge for them. Also keep in mind that these cars spin like tops and I can also attest that nannies will not save you in snap oversteer. Long story very short : find a beater for winter, but if you must drive the Cayman, get appropriate tires for place where you live AND find a way to curb your enthusiasm when it comes to throttle application.

 

[Terry563]

Congratulations! If it helps, for myself, things only got better and better - I still love this car 6 years and 50,000 miles later. Maybe even more than the day I got it because I know it so much better now and can enjoy it more.

I am 6' 3", relatively old and not fit. When I go to the racetrack and enter/exit mine and similar cars dozen + times a day, I do feel it and then some. Every other consideration might pass (low, no space, noisy tires, noisy cabin ...), but entering and exiting for a daily driver is definitely no go for me. Plus, you have to account for the ginormous door opening to fold into the car and even more to exit. I don't know where you live and what is your situation, but consider that as well.

For the peace of mind, you could try and get a quote for 3 years extended warranty but I am afraid that these days it is probably insanely expensive. I wouldn't listen to 50,000 miles crowd, really. I am at 49,000 and change and this car feels (and is) as solid as it was on day one with 8 miles.

"Midwest" is a very, very wide description. If you live in Cincinnati and are willing to chance it that you might need Uber two or three days in a calendar year, all season tires would be more than fine. Cleveland? Not really, you would need snow tires. I can attest how far they developed performance-leaning all season tires when it comes to gripping in hot weather, but snow is still a challenge for them. Also keep in mind that these cars spin like tops and I can also attest that nannies will not save you in snap oversteer. Long story very short : find a beater for winter, but if you must drive the Cayman, get appropriate tires for place where you live AND find a way to curb your enthusiasm when it comes to throttle application.

Thank you..great information! I do live in Cincinnati..good guess!

 

[Rafiki]

Congratulations!! Fantastic car. I have a 2015, 981 Base Cayman w/PDK that I ordered in late 2014, with delivery in February of 2015. Currently have 83K miles on the Odometer. I still love the car as much as the 1st day I drove it home.

I have only had 2 issues:

1. Cooling Line leak at the Gasket Connection by the Water Pump. Known issues @ Porsche as they had designed a special cooling bracket to better hold the connection.
   
   
   
   
   
   
2. Headliner Fabric just started to fall/sag last month. I'm still thinking about how to repair or replace.

Regarding All Season Tires; Michelin makes their new Pilot Sport 4 All Season tires in a size that will fit the 981 with 19 or 20" rims. They are OEM spec on the new Corvette and get good reviews, so give them a look for a tire you can run year round.

Great Car. Wish you the best with yours!

 

[Terry563]

Congratulations!! Fantastic car. I have a 2015, 981 Base Cayman w/PDK that I ordered in late 2014, with delivery in February of 2015. Currently have 83K miles on the Odometer. I still love the car as much as the 1st day I drove it home.

I have only had 2 issues:

1. Cooling Line leak at the Gasket Connection by the Water Pump. Known issues @ Porsche as they had designed a special cooling bracket to better hold the connection.
   
   View attachment 282520
   
   
   
2. Headliner Fabric just started to fall/sag last month. I'm still thinking about how to repair or replace.

Regarding All Season Tires; Michelin makes their new Pilot Sport 4 All Season tires in a size that will fit the 981 with 19 or 20" rims. They are OEM spec on the new Corvette and get good reviews, so give them a look for a tire you can run year round.

Great Car. Wish you the best with yours!

That's awesome to hear regarding the minimal issues you have experienced. I definitely like hearing stories like this!
Regarding those pilot sport all seasons, do you know if they're good enough to run in mild snow (like 3 in and under)? Thanks!

 

[Rafiki]

......Regarding those pilot sport all seasons, do you know if they're good enough to run in mild snow (like 3 in and under)? Thanks!

Sorry, I don't have any direct experience with these tires in the snow. I have a set on the rear of our 911 Targa, and they run just fine. Yet we live in the south where it snows only a few inches per year and we drive other cars if we need to go out.

 

[Rican]

Are all season tires adequate for winter driving? I live in midwest, so it definitely snows here, just not all the time. I'm really trying to avoid the whole 2 tire/wheel setup if I can.

I’m sorry, I don’t have any experience with all season tires on the Cayman.

 

[Chris(NJ)]

Congrats on the car! Regarding the door panels; I just went through this and used Pedro. Overall experience was ok, but keep two things in mind.
1-Mention the FB/PCA discount before anything. He refuses to apply it once you place the doors in the mail, even if he didn't start the work yet.
2-Recommendation only, but ship it yourself. He will provide a UPS label, but it's not any cheaper than using a shipping service like BikeFlights. Actually exact same cost. Anyway, should something happen in shipping he wants you to send him the panels again. In my case, I was able to make an easy fix but Pedro will not fight for a refund for you. I assume he wants to get paid again as opposed to giving you money back for any inconvenience. At least if you ship it yourself you can handle any claims through UPS yourself and pursue reimbursements.

Lastly, if you plan to have the dealer service your vehicle, it's worth asking if they'll do a good-will replacement. Explain that you just bought it and plan to use the dealer for all service. Maybe they'll help you out and get you new panels free of cost. It can't hurt to ask!