[night_rider]

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I looked at a Cayman yesterday that presented some new questions I'd not seen before.

1. Buyback Title

The car was a manufacturer's buyback in California but I can't get any details about the buyback. I've called California MVD, the last Porsche dealer to service it before the buyback and Porsche NA. No luck. How concernced should I be about a buyback title that's in the dark like that? The dealer just took it to the local Porsche dealership for a going over and they installed a new throttle body. That was all they found. If my mechanic does a PPI can I feel assurred about the condition of the vehicle? Before a PPI I usually try to settle on price and I'm not sure how a buyback note on the title, I checked and it's on the new title, will effect resale value and the amount of my offer?

Of course the only reason I'm still looking is to get into a potentially good Cayman at a much lower price.

2. Body Irregularities

The Carfax is clean for accidents but I found two irregularities in the body. In the pictures above, one picture is of the underside of the frunk. I was looking for the options sticker and it's not there. What I found looks like overspray that I've not seen on a Porsche frunk before. The hood looks fine from the outside. No dents or road chips but the overspray leads me to believe it's not the original hood. Can anyone confirm that the overspray I'm seeing is not normal for a factory hood?

The other irregularity is that the back hatch must have been off and put back on as it's not aligned and has scratched the paint off on the body where the hinge meets the hood on one side. Does that make sense? As the hatch goes up or down it's been rubbing near one of the hinges.

I don't want to be overly cautious and miss a potential deal so I'm looking for a bit of perspective from some eyes that have seen a few Cayman over the years. Thanks.

 

[husker boxster]

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How long do you realistically plan to keep the Cayman? 2-seater sports cars are life-style purchases - if you get engaged, or have kids, or have to move you may suddenly have to sell. Not good with a sketchy buyback title. Potential buyers will wonder what's up. If you plan to keep it 4-5 yrs and put a bunch of miles on it, the buyback title starts to become a non-factor at resale time. Something you need to think about very diligently. You'll take a bath if you suddenly have to sell.

There's nothing wrong with saving money or finding a bargain but if you need to buy a budget Porsche, the brand may not be for you. Maintenance is not cheap, even if you do DIY projects. An oil change will run you $90 in oil and filter if you do it yourself. Add another $40 if you have someone else do it for you. Tires run $800-1000. Brakes run $170. If you buy a Porsche that's been neglected on maintenance, you can quickly spend $3K getting it up to snuff.

Not trying to dissuade you, just bring up some points to consider...

 

[night_rider]

Your attachment links are not working.

How long do you realistically plan to keep the Cayman? 2-seater sports cars are life-style purchases - if you get engaged, or have kids, or have to move you may suddenly have to sell. Not good with a sketchy buyback title. Potential buyers will wonder what's up. If you plan to keep it 4-5 yrs and put a bunch of miles on it, the buyback title starts to become a non-factor at resale time. Something you need to think about very diligently. You'll take a bath if you suddenly have to sell.

There's nothing wrong with saving money or finding a bargain but if you need to buy a budget Porsche, the brand may not be for you. Maintenance is not cheap, even if you do DIY projects. An oil change will run you $90 in oil and filter if you do it yourself. Add another $40 if you have someone else do it for you. Tires run $800-1000. Brakes run $170. If you buy a Porsche that's been neglected on maintenance, you can quickly spend $3K getting it up to snuff.

Not trying to dissuade you, just bring up some points to consider...

I've no intent to keep it long. Plan is to move overseas in the next year but the country I'm moving to has 100% import duty on Porsche immediately doubling the purchase price so they're hard to find and expensive when you do. The timeframe is a good point

It's less the money than the scarcity of Cayman here. I just need to recoup my costs as much as possible in the next year

 

[3G3T7I]

I would leave this one to someone else. Maybe you can find reasonably priced Boxster with a service history and still get the Porsche experience. If you are only keeping the car for a year it's hard to imagine you would be able to recoup your initial cost.

 

[Tremelune]

Where overseas? Don't bring beach to the sand...Maybe they have TVRs and Skylines and V8 wagons with clutch pedals...

 

[JPS]

18K is cheap, but with 95K miles and an automatic, may be priced right. Have you looked at Carmax? Looks like they have a similar one with 56K mile for 25K, may be the better car.

 

[night_rider]

Where overseas? Don't bring beach to the sand...Maybe they have TVRs and Skylines and V8 wagons with clutch pedals...

Thailand. Easy to buy domestic though as they have a large auto industry including BMW. But if I want to experience Porsche ownership now may be the time.

 

[Tremelune]

Unless Thailand is the last stop for you, I expect you'll have way more opportunities at Porsche ownership than, say, tiny-4WD-van-with-a-clutch-pedal ownership.

That's what I'd what I'd pick up in Thailand, anyway...When in Rome. Save the Porsche for when you're back in the states and Caymans are all $10k.

 

[night_rider]

Overspray Issue?

Rubbing hatch

Hopefully these come through. Still considering this at the right price but it would have to be a steep discount. Better examples a short plane hop away.

 

[husker boxster]

That one has too many issues for your needs. Who knows what else is lurking? There could be expensive items that need attention and massive amts of $$$ to rectify. A yr from now you'll have a ton of trouble trying to sell it because of the title, potential damage repair, and your short ownership. Do yourself a favor and buy a 987.1 S. They hold their value better than base models. It doesn't have to be top of the line but buy a nice one with less than 50K mi, no issues or stories, documented history and you'll have fewer headaches a yr from now.

There are plenty of good Caymans out there. If you can't afford a $24-30K 987.1S, then you're not ready for a Porsche.

 

[night_rider]

There are plenty of good Caymans out there. If you can't afford a $24-30K 987.1S, then you're not ready for a Porsche.

I wouldn't go that far. First, what I can afford is not at issue. What I'm willing to go into my wallet for is. I have what I have as I don't part with a buck willingly. Sad if folks are living at the edge of what they can afford

As far as being ready for a Porsche I was quite surprised by the Boxster. It is not at all a lesser Porsche by any means and it's a reasonable entry point for anyone looking at Porsche

I began looking at 911s then Boxster then Caymans. It was never about price but value, market availability and my own learning curve. I've bounced around mostly trying not to go outside my immediate market which may have been a false limiter

 

[Poorsche x]

I vote, keep looking. That car is not a great deal and if its not going to be a keeper you need an easy sell, not just an easy buy.

 

[night_rider]

I vote, keep looking. That car is not a great deal and if its not going to be a keeper you need an easy sell, not just an easy buy.

Fair point

 

[husker boxster]

First, what I can afford is not at issue. What I'm willing to go into my wallet for is. I have what I have as I don't part with a buck willingly. Sad if folks are living at the edge of what they can afford

Good to know and thanks for the clarification. I jumped to that conclusion based on your comments in earlier posts about it being less than other examples and you being drawn to it even with some issues. People new to the brand think they can beat the odds by buying a Porsche that's been neglected for a low price. What they don't realize is the price of ownership is not cheap and suddenly their reach into Porsche ownership stretches their budget too thin. It's priced low because savvy Porsche folks know what it will take to get it up to proper condition and the owner has to entice someone with a low price.

The cheapest Porsche you buy will be the most expensive one to own.

 

[night_rider]

Good to know and thanks for the clarification. I jumped to that conclusion based on your comments in earlier posts about it being less than other examples and you being drawn to it even with some issues. People new to the brand think they can beat the odds by buying a Porsche that's been neglected for a low price. What they don't realize is the price of ownership is not cheap and suddenly their reach into Porsche ownership stretches their budget too thin. It's priced low because savvy Porsche folks know what it will take to get it up to proper condition and the owner has to entice someone with a low price.

The cheapest Porsche you buy will be the most expensive one to own.

That's a good point.

No if I made an offer on that it would be a low ball offer allowing for future maintenance and that following a PPI from the mechanic I've used for 20 years. But I don't just set aside a deal because there are issues. If the price for the hassle is low enough to warrant I may go for it but not his model. I do think that resale in 12 mths we be prohibitively difficult with the note on the title that it was a buyback.

The car was rough around the edges but drove well. Dealer just put a new throttle body on it. Not for me. It is literally the only Cayman in my local market so I'm taking a road trip Monday to drive about four others nearby.

At this point I'm looking for an 06-10 Cayman, manual, clean with preference for PASM, Zenon, heated seats, Zenon. I've never owned an automatic transmission and was considering a compromise on availability but decided I won't. I'll just keep looking for what I truly want. Though it's possible I'll end up with a 911 anyway. I have been won over to the mid engine configuration after driving the Boxsters and now Cayman.

It's a journey. A learning curve.

 

[night_rider]

As I continue my search I continue to refine my requirements. Previously decided I would not settle for a Triptonic in favor of a manual. To that I add the Sport Shifter. Not a must have for purchase as I can add it later but absolutely an option I want after driving one yesterday. Those short throws feel like a natural extension of my arm.

 

[Tremelune]

For what it's worth, it took a year of looking nationwide to find my Atlas 987.1 Cayman S with PASM and a clutch pedal. I think you'll have a much easier time finding something to fit your needs. In terms of a $20k car, a weekend spent getting it isn't all that expensive if you're looking for something specific.