What to value more when looking at used 987's...

I'm hoping you guys won't give up on me with newb questions. My previous thread looking for Carfax help wasn't the best. I'm struggling in my research to find what features I should value most when looking for a 987. I'm open to both a Boxster or Cayman . I'm leaning more towards Cayman but wouldn't pass up on the write deal. Within a couple hours of driving from me, I've located 3 cars I'd like to look at. If they were close it would be a no brainer to go see them all, but I need to rank them and go see the write one first. 2006 Boxster S - $22k with 62k miles, triple blue, 6spd. clean carfax, supposedly it has great service records. From the pictures, this car will need some paint correction. Asking $22k. 2006 Cayman S - $30k with 27k miles, silver with black interior, 6spd, 2 owners, clean carfax, new headliner, battery, tune up with/ plugs and coils at 26k miles in 2019, some PPF, no other mods. 2006 Cayman S - $35k with 64k miles, black on black interior, 6spd, clean carfax, One owner, new alacantra headliner,. Drive belt, plugs done 47K mi, oil changes and air filters regularly, PPF, new Kenwood radio, still has stock one. Thule roof rack (not a sellling point), and has a rear window wipe (not deal breaker but it hurts the look). Where to start?

I think once you get over $30k you're into 987.2 territory, but not /S territory. You should be able to find a Boxster base with less than 60k miles on it for $30k or less. My WAG - somewhere around $27k would be the start. Porsche did a pretty good job of addressing most of the 987 issues when they did the .2 version. It will simply be an easier to live with car that doesn't leave you laying in bed wondering about IMS bearings... Cayman 's do bring more $$ than Boxsters. I'm not certain of the reason for that except they're more popular for a track car. I prefer my Boxster , but then I have history with quite a few roadsters so I might be the outlier. If you're undecided between a Cayman and a Boxster - you are likely to get a better deal on a Boxster . Once you are looking at .2 cars you might want to check out cars with the PDK transmission. That expands the field of cars, and personally - I find the PDK just fine, I have very little desire to row my own gears after about 50 years of doing it on and off. With the flappy-paddle steering wheel the PDK leaves very little on the table against a 6-speed. Instant shifts and no chance of a money shift. Plus 1 more speed.

"On Paper", especially when shopping, all the various options and value equations can be daunting. But a 987.1 - 987.2 Era Boxster or Cayman is not the same as most other makes/models. What I mean by that is when actually sitting behind the wheel, the basest of the base is an amazing driving experience. I bought an IMPULSE purchase of a Base 987.1 Boxster . When I came across it I was unaware of all the options available, nor was I nearly as informed of the various value equations of those options as I am now. I only knew that the Base Boxster 5-speed manual 2.7 flat 6 looked fairly pristine, only had 47,000 miles, and 2 owners over the 15 year span. And the price just seemed so reasonable at $18k. I've owned it for a few months now. I drove it to work and lunch today. My alternative vehicles are a well sorted 2016 Miata and a 2021 Platinum F150. Each choice tickles my fancy in one form or another, but that little Base Boxster owns the mantle of analog magic. Porsche built an amazing car(s) in that Era. The depreciated well kept example is an amazing bargain, even at the current hyped prices. I guess what I'm saying is go test drive a few so you have more than "on paper" analysis to work with. You might find that you don't have to find the perfect Porsche . You just have to find a Porsche . One that "talks to you", of course. Sent from my SM-G988U using Tapatalk

Thank you gentlemen. I have no problem going with a base model. I'm not dead set on an S only. I do think I'd like to row my gears. My daily is a 2021 Ram Laramie. I would love a 987.2 , they're just far and few between. I remember reading the production numbers somewhere and was shocked how many fewer there was of that gen. I believe it was primarily due to the last recession.

You didn’t mention how each car is optioned, so I would definitely look into that a bit. There’s pretty good Porsche vin decoders online that will tell you everything the car came with. You’d be surprised at how much stuff was considered an “option” by Porsche , like cruise control, TPMS, etc. Also, some premium options, like PASM or the Bose stereo, can be good or bad depending on your desires. Without knowing any of your desires there, the 30k Cayman seems like the best deal, so long as it was properly stored during it’s obvious periods of disuse. It’s likely to be the most pristine, given the low mileage, and it’s 5k less than the other. The that 5k could easily be how it’s optioned. 22k for the boxster seems like a decent deal, though, given the current market; again, depending on options. But if you’re leaning towards a Cayman , you might as well look at those first.

Door No. 2.

Look for engine number 61504715 and higher. It is said that engines in this range have more robust IMS bearing set ups.

Sorry if this was previously mentioned, but just in case: This website has a "buying guide".... (3) 987 Cayman and Boxster Buying Guide | Planet-9 Porsche Forum This website also had a great writeup of all the 987.1 options that were available, complete with information of benefits/drawbacks of each. I unfortunately can't find that page now. It might have gone offline when the site did a technology switch.

Funny that both Caymans ("Caymen"?) had new headliner. My headliner is held up with pins while I decide what to do. One option on the 2006 that became standard in 2007 was the TPMS (tire pressure monitoring system). I guess it's nice to have, and mine has been fine so far, but some people find them more trouble than they are worth. Seems like you are looking for a manual. Yay! You will probably find that most 987.1 are manual and most 987.2 are PDK . The PDK was introduced with the 987.2 and it so improved on the old automatic that it became a very popular option. Since you already have an alternate vehicle with large hauling capacity, you won't need to rely on the Cayman 's surprisingly flexible storage options. Still, onlookers are sometimes impressed by the Cayman 's ability to easily take 2 sets of golf clubs in the back.

I agree door #2. I would look for PASM option which lowers the car 10 mm, adds electronic damping in 3 stages, which also allows you to upgrade to TPC's DSC controller and SC, that's Sports Chrono option, which adds a little throttle response, and a stop watch. These are the two options that give you a little more used car for your dollar. The 987.1S has many more available than the 987.2S and are more affordable. So pick the one you like best. I personally drive a black 2007 Cayman S . I have up graded all sorts of suspension parts, motor mounts, transmission mounts, Numeric shifter cables, Numeric short shifter, added WaveTrac limited slip differential, Ohlin R&T coilovers, Tarett, LCA's, Swaybars and down links. I also added GT2 brake ducts f and r and a lot of engine modifications to make it sound better than OEM and go faster. So chose the one that talks to you best. Its a journey that puts a smile on your face at each startup.

And the round exhaust pipes for that 987.2 look! Have you thought about the very easy upgrade to clear side turn signals? That's something I did because I thought the amber clashed with speed yellow.

Well two of these in my original post have sold. The only one left is the black Cayman for $35k. Barring my covid tests comes back negative and I'm not a breakthrough case, I plan to do see an 09' Cayman S that came up for sale. 64k miles, $32k. Clean carfax, two owner car.

That's a bargain on paper Sent from my SM-G988U using Tapatalk

And the round exhaust pipes for that 987.2 look! Thanks, SunnyvaleCA, The Milltek polished stainless tail pipes and mufflers were installed in 2007 by the initial owner.

You better get a look at that 2009 quick. A 987.2 at that price will be gone fast. Assuming everything is ok with it.

Good luck with the Covid test. A 987.2 "S" with 64K miles for $32K? As noted by others above, that's a great price. Heck, these days it's a good price for a base model.

I would get an over rev report on the 987.2 S, I assume for $32. its a manual, which actually is a good thing as they are now more sought after in the used market due to low supply numbers when new. It's really hard to know how well a car is kept up without the receipts. Most car dealers trash the receipts as they do not want to be responsible for any past repair workmanship. You buy at your own risk. If you do get receipts even better. Check how often the oil was changed. These motors can live a long happy time if cared for properly, especially if the oil changed every 4000 miles. Mine does not burn any oil between changes.