Was planning on getting a Cayman S but....

A friend of mine is wanting to sell me his Cayman S 2006 for $15,000 (65,000 miles and the original owner). I had it checked out at a shop and they said I needed $11,000 worth of repairs: $2,400 to change the brakes, replace CV axels $3,700 and replace the struts $4,800. I balked at buying the Cayman ....but are these numbers typical of the repairs on this car?

Just let my say get a different quote, it takes longer to remove the wheels than change the pads, you can buy Textar front pads for about $100, that is the OEM brand, my guess are that the struts are fine, find a good Indy guy.

+1. I did brakes in maybe an hour. Also at the same miles. I changed because of the black Textar dust, not because they were worn out. That quote is way too high. Id be surprised if it needs all that at 65k miles. Now near 90k miles, My CVs and struts are still fine.

Yikes, get a quote without the Porsche tax! Where are you located at?

League city Texas and the shop is Christian Brothers Automotive.

That's like going to General Tire for specialist work. I would trust neither their analysis or their work. Find an old indie with Porsche experience. You can spot'em by all the carcasses on their lot.

That brake price seems high and I have not heard of people replacing axles and struts at that mileage, so definitely want a 2nd opinion by a respected shop. You also want to make sure it does not suffer from bore scoring.

I will say that $15k is a great price for that car. If you could get it for that and DIY repairs, that would be a bargain.

Only replace the axles if the inner CV boots are torn (or is it the outer boots?) Those are non-serviceable. The other ones are replaceable.

Christian Brothers isn't a place I would use for this car. You drive up in a Porsche and they see dollar signs. Brakes are ridiculously easy to do on this car. I do a 4-wheel brake job in about 45 minutes, including removing the lug nuts by hand (I haven't popped for an impact wrench). Add another 20 minutes to do a full fluid flush/bleed. You can buy OEM (or aftermarket) pads and rotors (if you need them) from FCPeuro and they are guaranteed for life. If the boots aren't ripped, but are just weeping grease, you can just re-grease and replace the clamps. This happened on my 981 . Took me about a half hour, $4 in grease, $2 in clamps and a $14 clamp wrench. Struts - I doubt it. This sounds like they are trying to make a few extra bucks from you. If you are not a DIY person, find a good independent Porsche mechanic. Check your local PCA newsletter for advertisers.

Give me your friend’s contact info! [emoji56][emoji6]

Tragedy.....with my hesitation on buying my friends car, he sold it to CarMax. I was going to go ahead and my the car myself.... thanks to all for the advice....(maybe I’ll find another Cayman S someday...)

Not CarMax!?! Oh no. Keep on the hunt (as I am).

Looks like it’s posted up for sale at International Motor Productions in Texas. 3225 Keller Springs Rd, Carrollton, TX 75006 Asking $20k Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Actually my friends car was blue and an automatic....

don't give up... it can take a while to find the right one. Took me a looonnng time to get mine. yes the cost of repairs can be a concern.... these cars are up to 10-14 years old now and there is quite a bit of wear and tear items that need replacing. I've replaced quite a few items on mine including CV covers, absorber struts, full brakes - but the peace of mind and impact to performance is readily noticeable. a few other incidentals and associated such as belts, plugs, water pump, bushes, lower arms could also need replacements. as the others have mentioned you can shop around and get some price comparisons on parts from the various websites including pelican parts , suncoast parts . perhaps your friend can also give some advice and point you in a direction of a reliable & reasonably priced shop? ultimately if you decide to pull the trigger, you'll enjoy this car and wonder why you didn't do it sooner!

Was going to say you missed out on a great deal till I read automatic. Unless you have a physical disability, please do not go with a slushbox. If you must, go with a PDK . Sent from my SM-G930V using Tapatalk

This seems excessive . I recently had an independent replace my front brake rotors and pads for about $1100. The worst quote I received from a dealer was $1700.

My 85Kmiles CV Boot Clamp Leak Fix $1: Porsche 987 CV-Boot Clamp Leak Fix 5 new items added to shared album photos.app.goo.gl

Personally, i wouldn't go with the PDK . I"ve read of $8000 minimum to replace with a used PDK , if it fails. Do what repairs you can, to avoid much of the rip-offs.

Someone is going to get a great car for a steal! Those are very easy fixes.

I'd find a good independent mechanic BEFORE you buy. You want someone to do a PPI (Pre Purchase Inspection), and it certainly shouldn't be the guy who said $3700 for CV joints/axles! My Boxster S needed them, and it was less than $1000 in central Arkansas, where there isn't much competition (he's very good, though). Also, join the Lone Star PCA group. They will have mechanic recommendations and members might even have cars for sale. As always in Houston area, watch out for flood cars.

Do most of the work yourself in your garage and it becomes a pretty good deal....none of those jobs is impossible and it turns into quality time.

Choosing (or not choosing) PDK should not be based on unknown repair costs. My Cayman has it and I love shifting it with the paddles. My friend like to row his own. It’s really a matter of personal choice.

You would have been better off spending the 15k plus repairs and purchased something newer with PDK .

If you have good mechanics ability and great tool set of SAE and Metirc - and patience with the willingness to learn - you can do the work yourself as I do and save a bundle!

Whats an oatocne ??

I have one I just rebuilt and registered that I could let go off for 20k delivered. 48k miles and i'm the second owner.

This is the reason why I sold my 2006 CS with 30K miles. It cost me $1100 for 6 spark plugs and coil packs (a Porsche defect) from an Indy shop. I enjoyed the last 10 years with the car: Let the next owner absorb the extravagant charges, whether from a Porsche Stealer or Indy.

I recommend learning to work on cars in general. In this age we have very helpful blogs, forums, and videos that walk through the most common repairs. The challenge may be if this is your only vehicle and you are short on time. I researched both generations of 987's for months before I decided to buy one to be sure this is a car I can maintain myself. What I learned is that the repairs definitely take more time than my previous Japanese cars, but removing nuts and bolts is still the same. If you can turn a wrench and follow instructions, then you can perform most repairs for the price of parts. You will need invest in tools which are typically acquired over a period of time. Completing your own repairs is very cost effective and satisfying. In addition you know that bolts are torqued properly and that nothing else on the vehicle was touched. You know the job has been completed correctly. (Big tire chain shop rotated my tires on my Tundra last year before a 1600 mile road trip. I should have checked their work because halfway through my trip I almost lost my LR tire at 75mph due to two studs shearing off. They clearly did not torque that wheel. They owned up and reimbursed the cost of repairs but that could have been a serious accident.)

Great points . I’m 56 (and am in the market for a 987). I never did much on my cars except DIY oil changes four years—Mostly Honda and Acura . I then got into E46 BMWs, had f4 between my son and I, and YouTube and online forms became my best friend I learned so much and did everything from control arm replacement to differential bushings to valve cover gasket, cooling system refresh, and Vanos seals. To me it was fun and rewarding, and as you say satisfying. There is so much knowledge and so many knowledgeable people willing to share and I thank you all for that!