Snagged a 2013 Cayman 981 s - Page 2 - Boxster/Cayman - PistonHeads UK

After looking for a few months I managed to find a cayman that ticked almost all the boxes for me. It’s a private sale, full service history (2 at main dealer and 2 at specialist), 32k miles and 2 owners. The compromises were at just over £37k it was top end of my budget and it’s basalt black and I was after white or yellow. As well as the below is has full set of zunsport grilles fitted and Michelin PS4’s all around. I collect it in 2 weeks and can’t wait! Spec is: Black leather interior - extended leather. • 20-inch Carrera Classic wheel • 2-zone automatic air conditioning • Bi-Xenon lighting system with Dynamic Light System (PDLS) • BOSE Surround Sound System • Cruise control • Digital radio (DAB, DAB, DMB) • Floor mats • ParkAssist front and rear • Porsche Active Suspension Management (PASM) • Porsche Communication Management (PCM) including navigation • Porsche crest embossed on head restraints • Porsche Doppelkupplung (PDK) • Seat heating • Sport Chrono Package with dynamic transmission mounts • SportDesign steering wheel • Sports exhaust system (incl. sports tailpipe) • Sports seats Plus (2-way, electric) • Telephone module for PCM Stu

stuno1 said: After looking for a few months I managed to find a cayman that ticked almost all the boxes for me. It’s a private sale, full service history (2 at main dealer and 2 at specialist), 32k miles and 2 owners. The compromises were at just over £37k it was top end of my budget and it’s basalt black and I was after white or yellow. As well as the below is has full set of zunsport grilles fitted and Michelin PS4’s all around. I collect it in 2 weeks and can’t wait! Spec is: Black leather interior - extended leather. • 20-inch Carrera Classic wheel • 2-zone automatic air conditioning • Bi-Xenon lighting system with Dynamic Light System (PDLS) • BOSE Surround Sound System • Cruise control • Digital radio (DAB, DAB, DMB) • Floor mats • ParkAssist front and rear • Porsche Active Suspension Management (PASM) • Porsche Communication Management (PCM) including navigation • Porsche crest embossed on head restraints • Porsche Doppelkupplung (PDK) • Seat heating • Sport Chrono Package with dynamic transmission mounts • SportDesign steering wheel • Sports exhaust system (incl. sports tailpipe) • Sports seats Plus (2-way, electric) • Telephone module for PCM Stu Well done Stu, sounds like a great spec and I'm sure you'll love the car! Just the waiting game now.......

Almost the worst part!

Congrats, Stu, that looks like a loaded 981S. I'm sure you're going to love it. Post pics when you get it In fact, was this on AT? I've been hunting for an S or GTS for a bit and this one - or at least one very similar - did stick in my mind.

david-j8694 said: Congrats, Stu, that looks like a loaded 981S. I'm sure you're going to love it. Post pics when you get it In fact, was this on AT? I've been hunting for an S or GTS for a bit and this one - or at least one very similar - did stick in my mind. Will do! It was on auto trader, yes. Private sale.

Congratulations. Spec leads me to question though, why list ‘floor mats’. Show me a modern day Porsche without floor mats.

julian987R said: Congratulations. Spec leads me to question though, why list ‘floor mats’. Show me a modern day Porsche without floor mats. I know that’s the list given the current owner when he bought it. First owner was a lawyer for Porsche. The list also didn’t include extended leather which it has and included wheel caps!

stuno1 said: julian987R said: Congratulations. Spec leads me to question though, why list ‘floor mats’. Show me a modern day Porsche without floor mats. I know that’s the list given the current owner when he bought it. First owner was a lawyer for Porsche. The list also didn’t include extended leather which it has and included wheel caps! Sounds like a peach. Congratulations again. I have that extended option in my CR and it is really nice. Horses for courses, its not essential, but very nice to have. Still find the floor mats an odd thing to list though! (of them, not you!)

I recall looking at a 2013 launch S in 2015 with huge option list at £40k. They don't lose much then! NB. No extended warranty available whilst Zunsports fitted.

DJMC said: I recall looking at a 2013 launch S in 2015 with huge option list at £40k. They don't lose much then! NB. No extended warranty available whilst Zunsports fitted. Both Porsche Colchester and east london said having zunsport grills fitted would fail the 111 inspection and would invalidate the warrant. Seems daft to me.

Take them off for warranty then put on again and if you have a reason to claim remove ,a hassle but will get round the warranty issue.

woodysnr said: Take them off for warranty then put on again and if you have a reason to claim remove ,a hassle but will get round the warranty issue. ...unless a warranty issue puts your car in a ditch and you in hospital. Then you'd have no opportunity to take them off and thus no claim. Think rear axle carriers. Think insurance fraud too.

DJMC said: woodysnr said: Take them off for warranty then put on again and if you have a reason to claim remove ,a hassle but will get round the warranty issue. ...unless a warranty issue puts your car in a ditch and you in hospital. Then you'd have no opportunity to take them off and thus no claim. Think rear axle carriers. Think insurance fraud too. In which case his car isn't going to be going anywhere near an OPC for a warranty claim is it? Sorry sir we take no responsibility for the known rear axle carrier issue on the basis you fitted 3 small pieces of plastic into your front bumper openings...LOL. I would be even more surprised if the Zunsports survived any kind of impact, they go missing while cruising down the road in most cases. Indeed i've known many 981s to have new condensers fitted under warranty with mesh grills fitted. The recent policy wording has also toned down a bit on the modification side of things.

DJMC said: ...unless a warranty issue puts your car in a ditch and you in hospital. Then you'd have no opportunity to take them off and thus no claim. Think rear axle carriers. Think insurance fraud too. What tosh. Insurance and warranty are two entirely separate things. If your rear axle side carrier let go and your child was killed, your lawsuit will still be valid, grilles or not, believe me. What fraud? My 981 was warrantied with these grilles fitted by OPC Portsmouth. My insurance know about them, too. Imagine that?

I appreciate what people are saying but the two closest Porsche centres to me (Colchester and east london) were adamant zunsport grilles would fail the 111 point check and invalidate the warranty. Yes I could remove them for the check but I don’t think I’ll bother. The cars seem reliable apart from engine mounts and exhaust actuators. I’ll squirrel money away and use that should I encounter issues.

Or just put the 1600 quid over 2 years into your maintenance fund? I certainly don’t plan to extend the warranty on mine… It’s already had new engine mounts, and that’s about the only thing I envisage going again - at a replacement cost similar to a 2 year warranty. I’d rather save 500-600 per service at a good indy (I’m oop North) and put that towards said slush fund. I may consider the warranty for a PDK, just in case - the stories are out there, but probably blown out of proportion online. If yours is under warranty already, I’d just put the grilles on and remove for service. One of mine already took a big hit which would’ve undoubtedly caused damage to the condenser behind it. It also stops general debris (wet leaves, twigs) from embedding themselves in the heat exchangers and rotting them. Revolution, a well-known indy in Yorkshire, also do a warranty type of deal; 80 a month, which includes labour and servicing, so in essence you just pay for parts. So 1900 for 2 years, inc service, plus the cost of the replacement parts. A 2 year run on an OPC warrantied car would be 2600ish. Could be worth exploring if your local indies offer something similar.. Labour is the killer with OPC work if you’re not under warranty. Edited by Royal Jelly on Friday 10th December 10:58

Royal Jelly said: Or just put the 1600 quid over 2 years into your maintenance fund? I certainly don’t plan to extend the warranty on mine… It’s already had new engine mounts, and that’s about the only thing I envisage going again - at a replacement cost similar to a 2 year warranty. I’d rather save 500-600 per service at a good indy (I’m oop North) and put that towards said slush fund. I may consider the warranty for a PDK, just in case - the stories are out there, but probably blown out of proportion online. If yours is under warranty already, I’d just put the grilles on and remove for service. One of mine already took a big hit which would’ve undoubtedly caused damage to the condenser behind it. It also stops general debris (wet leaves, twigs) from embedding themselves in the heat exchangers and rotting them. Revolution, a well-known indy in Yorkshire, also do a warranty type of deal; 80 a month, which includes labour and servicing, so in essence you just pay for parts. So 1900 for 2 years, inc service, plus the cost of the replacement parts. A 2 year run on an OPC warrantied car would be 2600ish. Could be worth exploring if your local indies offer something similar.. Labour is the killer with OPC work if you’re not under warranty. Edited by Royal Jelly on Friday 10th December 10:58 The car doesn’t have a warranty on it and I won’t be adding one for the first 2 years as the Indy service was only just done. I am unsure if I would want to use Porsche or a Indy going forward. I have a couple of good Indy garages near to me.

anonymous said: [redacted] Not heard of any PASM issues to be honest. Dynamic engine mounts are the only real Achilles' heel of modern Caysters and 911s.

stuno1 said: The car doesn’t have a warranty on it and I won’t be adding one for the first 2 years as the Indy service was only just done. I am unsure if I would want to use Porsche or a Indy going forward. I have a couple of good Indy garages near to me. If your indy Porsche specialists have a good rep like my local ones, I wouldn’t think twice.

We need someone with a shed to get their hands on a failed mount and come up with a fix. Mines just had an advisory that my exhaust bolts are in the process of disintegrating, on a car that's rarely driven in the wet, issues like this is guaranteed to occur and no warranty will cover it anyway. Edited by testdrive on Friday 10th December 19:04

Had a Pre Purchase Inspection undertaken and it appears to be a very good car. Very few paint chips, one scratch i need to get sorted, the current owner is putting on a new windscreen dur to it having a crack. Front brake pads and discs have 50% wear and rears have more. All tyres are Michelin Pilot Sport's all with 7MM left. Interior is spotless wheels are spotless....very excited and glad i got the PPI done. I have also decided not to go down the Porsche warranty route and have identified a well regarded indy i will use going forward who use Porsche parts. Sleeping is getting more difficult as the collection on the 18th approaches.

Royal Jelly said: What tosh. Insurance and warranty are two entirely separate things. If your rear axle side carrier let go and your child was killed, your lawsuit will still be valid, grilles or not, believe me. What fraud? My 981 was warrantied with these grilles fitted by OPC Portsmouth. My insurance know about them, too. Imagine that? Non disclosure, i.e. taking grilles off to get insurance (aka warranty) then putting back on, then taking off if you wish to claim. Tosh? I've been an insurance broker for 34 years. My 981 was warrantied with Zunsport grilles fitted too. Then 2 years later refused a warranty and OPC mistake led to refund of first warranty fee. It's the taking off to get the warranty (insurance) which is the fraud. Nothing to do with your car insurance.

Stu, are you still happy with your purchase, or are there any lessons learnt you can share? Hol

Hol said: Stu, are you still happy with your purchase, or are there any lessons learnt you can share? Hol I am indeed still happy. My initial thoughts are on the video I made below. I would definitely get a pre purchase inspection. If warranty is a concern and you only want Porsche warranty, ensure the cars last service was done at an OPC. Be prepared to pay for a 111 point inspection from Porsche and any potential part changes to make it compliant with Porsche parts. Even fitting protective grilles to the front bumper is an issue for Porsche. As a result I did research and went down the 3rd party route. The cabin is louder than I expected with tyre roar and the pse system. I turn up the music on motorway jaunts to compensate. It’s a bloody lovely car to be honest. No regrets at all. https://youtu.be/r_ZrlPWzMvQ

stuno1 said: I am indeed still happy. My initial thoughts are on the video I made below. I would definitely get a pre purchase inspection. If warranty is a concern and you only want Porsche warranty, ensure the cars last service was done at an OPC. Be prepared to pay for a 111 point inspection from Porsche and any potential part changes to make it compliant with Porsche parts. Even fitting protective grilles to the front bumper is an issue for Porsche. As a result I did research and went down the 3rd party route. The cabin is louder than I expected with tyre roar and the pse system. I turn up the music on motorway jaunts to compensate. It’s a bloody lovely car to be honest. No regrets at all. https://youtu.be/r_ZrlPWzMvQ Lovely video, looks like a great car - awesome! Also like the watch SOTC too

Swine Enthusiast said: Lovely video, looks like a great car - awesome! Also like the watch SOTC too Ha cheers! I’m hoping to stop selling watches now and grow the collection. I definitely better understand my likes and dislikes.

stuno1 said: I am indeed still happy. My initial thoughts are on the video I made below. I would definitely get a pre purchase inspection. If warranty is a concern and you only want Porsche warranty, ensure the cars last service was done at an OPC. Be prepared to pay for a 111 point inspection from Porsche and any potential part changes to make it compliant with Porsche parts. Even fitting protective grilles to the front bumper is an issue for Porsche. As a result I did research and went down the 3rd party route. The cabin is louder than I expected with tyre roar and the pse system. I turn up the music on motorway jaunts to compensate. It’s a bloody lovely car to be honest. No regrets at all. https://youtu.be/r_ZrlPWzMvQ Cheers Stu, The car looks nice, especially the dash. Don’t let your wife hear the part where you talk about the rear storage areas.||

Tommo87 said: Cheers Stu, The car looks nice, especially the dash. Don’t let your wife hear the part where you talk about the rear storage areas.

I agree. That does look like a fantastic buy. I am just a little bit torn between the 3.4 and the 2.5 718. You aren’t helping..

Hol said: I agree. That does look like a fantastic buy. I am just a little bit torn between the 3.4 and the 2.5 718. You aren’t helping.. I think that’s a tough call and the same one I had to make. Ultimately the engine and associated exhaust won the day for me. Younger me would have bought the 718. It’s newer, tunable to be quicker, will have more low down grunt, will be more modern and handle better. Then I watched reviews of the 981 and every review… every one mentioned how capable it is. Also, I have leaned 4 ish seconds to 60 and 170 ish top speed is all I need for U.K. roads. This coupled with the sound won the day. I personally need the sound. The smile it gives me is priceless.

stuno1 said: Ha cheers! I’m hoping to stop selling watches now and grow the collection. I definitely better understand my likes and dislikes. I need to retrofit a new garage door and got a quote from a company that told me I cannot have an outside roller box, has to be inside (meaning the width is pretty tight for my 981 GTS) - considering a second opinion as I am not sure they do external box rollers......who did you use?

Swine Enthusiast said: I need to retrofit a new garage door and got a quote from a company that told me I cannot have an outside roller box, has to be inside (meaning the width is pretty tight for my 981 GTS) - considering a second opinion as I am not sure they do external box rollers......who did you use? That’s odd. I used Essex roller doors. Maybe they don’t stock the door needed. https://essexrollerdoors.co.uk/

Swine Enthusiast said: I need to retrofit a new garage door and got a quote from a company that told me I cannot have an outside roller box, has to be inside (meaning the width is pretty tight for my 981 GTS) - considering a second opinion as I am not sure they do external box rollers......who did you use? I don’t understand why the width is reduced. I have an inside roller door and the opening width of the garage door is not reduced.

Mark-ri571 said: I don’t understand why the width is reduced. I have an inside roller door and the opening width of the garage door is not reduced. This explains the predicament I had and how I sorted it. https://youtu.be/cjYcr8VFbk4

I now understand. A very neat job. A pic of mine

Mark-ri571 said: I now understand. A very neat job. A pic of mine Nice. I wish the light on the control unit was brighter on mine. Other than that. No complaints.

I think my light is the same as yours.

Car looks shiny in the update Stu, with that coating. Now that you highlighted that seatbelt buckle, I have noticed other people commenting on the same thing in 981’s and 718’s. I will be copying your fix.

Hol said: Car looks shiny in the update Stu, with that coating. Now that you highlighted that seatbelt buckle, I have noticed other people commenting on the same thing in 981’s and 718’s. I will be copying your fix. Cheers, the ceramic coating is amazing stuff. It feels so smoooooth. The noise of the seatbelt buckle banging around Was very annoying! Such a simple and cheap solution that thankfully is outside my line of sight! Prior to this I left it buckled up.