Fall is in the air, family is making travel plans, and decorations are descending from the attic for the most wonderful time of the year. No, I'm not talking about Christmas: I'm talking about Cayman Transmission Rebuild Day!
That’s right: After buying this broken 981 Cayman for just $15,000 this summer and then road-tripping it across the country in fourth …
Hmmmmmmmm...
What makes a Porsche special?
Feels to me like the two things that stand out are that the car is "nice," and that it's built to a higher standard for putting up with hard-driving shenanigans than more pedestrian cars.
So that's one vote for "keep it a nice 'sport-touring' cruiser" and one for "track car."
How often do you have cause to want to drive a car to a faraway track day? Maybe that's what it can do that so many others can't or can't do as well... To be pleasant all the way there and still be worth having arrived at a track? A vehicle specific to hosting some of the GRM touring events? Oo, have those ever had the potential to become a luxury subset of One Lap?
Now your car questions are giving me event ideas...
I think that OEM+ might be a good place to start.
If modifying it is anything like the GTI, it won't ned much to be an absolute weapon.
It would be too nice for a track rat for me. I'd say keep it stock-ish.
1. You could moth ball it and "rub it with a diaper" on the rainy weekends. That way it will only go up in value (as long as it's in your own garage). So when out and about you can flash your PCA card stating you own a Porsche. :0)
2. You could drive it out to me and sell it to me! Out of state out of mind. Lol :0D
Can you wad it up at the track and walk away from it with no regrets? If it eats the engine can you reasonably afford to fix it? If not, then I wouldn't turn it into a track rat. I will also say, that every car I have enjoyed on the street ended up being less fun of a car when I changed it to work better on the track. Track cars are not fun on the street but street car cans still be fun on the track.
Do you have the garage space to park it without it constantly being in the way? If not, then you may spend as much time cussing it as you do driving it. Think Bentley. It's in the way more than I drive it. One of my winter projects is to get it out of my shop and into the front garage at the house.
With all the weekend stuff you seem to end up doing, do you have time for those weekend cruises to the mountains? If not, will just sit and deteriorate or turn into the occasional DD? Think Mustang. I haven't driven it since the last autocross. That was 2 months ago. My weekends are frequently tied up. There's always something parked behind it and I'm always running somewhere so I take what is easiest to get out. My wife has driven it more than I have because of the fuel economy for out-of-state trips.
Beyond that. Do what you want. If it's a dream car, keep it. It's only money. You can't take it with you and saving it all for old age is a gamble.
I've been eyeing Caymans for years. They're beautiful cars. But I've never pulled the trigger on one for the same reason - I don't have any need or purpose for one (and potential for insane repair bills). I've got a fleet of other cars and a Cayman wouldn't replace any of them, it'd just be another car that doesn't get driven as much as it should. Mine would be a 987.2 non-S (to minimize risk of those insane repair bills). I'm following to see what you do!
Rocket bunny tacked-on flares, giant wang, roof rack, speaker distortion and maybe some neon. Then troll PCA events.
Hey... it could be an untapped audience for the magazine.
I agree with OEM+ as a good way to go. Anything worn gets replaced with a step up, if appropriate. Keep it as a benchmark to compare other cars to, and keep the resale high for if/when it needs to move on.
As someone who also owns too many cars and doesn't have enough time or space for them, I agree with Toyman.
Do you still have the Element for soft-roadish adventures? If not, Dakar it, drive for a while and sell for big profits if the trend is still hot?
You should sell it to me for an unreasonably low price.................mmm OK outside of that.
It's sole purposes seems to have been providing interesting content for GRM; which it has done.
It seems you are not all that enamored with it; I'd flip it.
The use case for Porsches always seemed to be track capable daily drivers for me. Can do a track day and then do a road trip the next day and do both very well. if you modify them it makes them better at one at the cost of the other, so I would say unless it appeals to you as a daily driver, then sell it
It sounds like you don't really want this car. Fix it and flip it.
+1
Flip it. It's not interesting enough to continue to provide engaging content for the magazine. Build something unique: how about an amphibious car or a Gambler 500 machine?
Fix it. Drive it for a few months, and if it doesn't speak to you then sell.
Indy - Guy said:+1
Flip it. It's not interesting enough to continue to provide engaging content for the magazine. Build something unique: how about an amphibious car or a Gambler 500 machine?
They did Gambler 500 a couple of years ago, but I support doing it again!
I vote for a Corolla Cup car!
My heart, soul, brain, fellas, and every tingly nerve in my body says Stock+ and use it as a sweet DD/GT car. Go run a canyon blasting Kyuss' 50 million mile trip, fall in love with the thing, Take it on another road trip to visit friends and family. Relish in the fit and finish of it. Call it George while petting and hugging it too hard. Park it in the yard and call it art.
The one adult bone in my body says flip it.
For the record, a Cayman isn't the perfect car for everyone - but it is apparently the perfect car for me. Only 4 years in... but likely that my heirs will have to figure out what to do with this car upon my eventual demise.
I'm a fan of road-trips....idk a destination (Alaska!?!) And maybe visit/stay with grm readers along the way? I'm in middle ga and would gladly "Ford Econobox" you through ga!
preach said:My heart, soul, brain, fellas, and every tingly nerve in my body says Stock+ and use it as a sweet DD/GT car. Go run a canyon blasting Kyuss' 50 million mile trip, fall in love with the thing, Take it on another road trip to visit friends and family. Relish in the fit and finish of it. Call it George while petting and hugging it too hard. Park it in the yard and call it art.
The one adult bone in my body says flip it.
I'm here just to reiterate that Kyuss is awesome!
I'm also in the OEM+ and keep it camp. Then again, a newer Cayman/Boxster S is my dream car.
preach said:My heart, soul, brain, fellas, and every tingly nerve in my body says Stock+ and use it as a sweet DD/GT car. Go run a canyon blasting Kyuss' 50 million mile trip, fall in love with the thing, Take it on another road trip to visit friends and family. Relish in the fit and finish of it. Call it George while petting and hugging it too hard. Park it in the yard and call it art.
The one adult bone in my body says flip it.
If you sell it you will regret it for a long time. If the EV revolution actually does happen (is authoritatively legislated) you will regret it for the rest of your life.
Keep it!
It's like Tim getting the 997 and realizing, wow, these P-cars are amazing!
OEM+ all the way. I always find people regretting when they turn cars into "full track cars" because their resale value tanks while at the same time, its not that great to drive on the street. On the other hand, mostly stock/OEM+ cars are good to drive on street and drive fine at the track. It won't be the fastest, but unless you're doing competition, then why does it matter?
If it's not something you think you'll drive at least three days a week, flip it. Put the money into your race budget.
You should put high end coilovers on it and get a flat six innovations 4.0 and make it a sleeper track day fun car. Yes that's expensive, but it's also worth it. It will need nothing else.
You'll need to log in to post.
