It's ARRIVED! My new (to me) 987.1 - I'm already getting to work on it - with more to come!

Loved reading this back and forth discussion … you all really understand Caymans . Thanks to all.

I run my Ohlins at 10 clicks front and back for street driving. But most of my street driving is on reasonably smooth roads and not very long distances. I would probably soften a bit more if I used the car as a daily or had rougher roads. Quite honestly, I like the firmness of 10 clicks on the road because of the braking behavior - less squat and dive. There is something about a car maintaining composure during braking that feels amazing to me. On the track I go to 5 clicks. In terms of camber, it might not be possible to get much more negative front camber with your OEM control arms. I would try to get as much as possible and then adjust the back accordingly. Having -2 on rears and only -.5 on fronts might lead to a bit too much understeer. So once the front is maxed out, you might adjust the rears to be within 1 degree of the front. Many folks run a bit less negative camber on the rear than front. It's a personal preference of course and also depends upon what is done with the sway bars if they are adjustable. Your car looks perfect at that height with those HRE's. Do you like how it drives? Have you taken some spirited drives? After I got my Ohlins and suspension upgrades, I smiled each time I drove her. Completely transformed the precision and personality of the car.

My shop, Cantrell Motor Sports, could only give me with OEM setup -1.6 degrees on one side and -1.4 on the other before I changed to Tarett Race LCA's. I did have them cut a little more obelong opening on the lower number side to give more camber to -1.6f. The rear was maxed out at -2.1. I tried 10 clicks for 9 months before I read a P9 article of a guy who used 19 or 20 both f and r but he was running 20 inch wheels and 35 side walls. So, I settled on 17 as I have many expansion joints in the concrete freeways and bridges. I also use as low of pressure as the tire recommendation provides. With RE71RS, I use 28 f and r, with Michelin PS4 's I use 30. I use my bicycle pump to add a couple of lbs every month to those slow air leakers. The dash is within a pound of actual tire pressure. I like the rear ride height as low as possible to get the best center of gravity readings and drive out of the corners. The issue is the half shaft billows will block the access to the golden Ohlin control knob on the bottom of the shock body. My thumb just fits that space to adjust the valve. I do have a Wavetrac LSD that reduces the torque to the unweighted side under power and helps stabilize the rear end in threshold brakeing.

This may be a dumb question and if so, my apologies in advance… I have recently traded my 987.2 BS for a 997.2 S Cab. The suspension on my car can use some updating as it a 2012 with 93k miles … one owner never tracked (that I know of or can determine). The front control arms were worn and I replaced them, now considering other mods to the car. Planning to put a Fabspeed center muffler delete. Also have a COBB Accessport , and am considering loading a 93 tune. Thinking coil over shocks may also make sense. But I digress … Back to the suspension question, does anyone in this thread have comments for an OG (old guy) rookie in terms of how to best upgrade it? ps - Ok to ignore this question if it’s a buzz-kill on a great thread!

Hmmmm - I think when sping comes along and i have (hopefully) most of my mods done: TPC turbo, engine mount insert, etc. I'll take it back to the alignment shop and see if they can dial it in a little better re: fronts vs rears. I know there wasn't a ton of room for them to play around with due to the Ohlins/drop and the stock LCAs - but I'm kind of hoping not to have to swap more out of the stock suspension. Guess we'll see. As far as driving it - I'm in the depths of winter here in Vermont, so other than a veeeery careful drive to the alignment shop the other day, there hasn't been (and won't be) any opportunity to drive it. I just have to be patient to spring and then I can start dialing things in. I will say - in just the wee drive the other day - it felt solid, no clunks or crashes, planted and good... I'm just a little excited for spring.

So - I got some very helpful advice from the guy at Terett when I ordered up my set of Ohlins. He suggested I start there as bang for buck it's such a significant upgrade. And then he suggested I live with them for a bit - see how the car feels on my local road (no track for me), see what I like, love, hate... and then to slowly go from there. He said so much of the suspension upgrades are personal preference and use profile, that it makes sense to do it in stages rather than rush in willy nilly. Particularly as, if you make multiple chages right off the bat, you won't know which thing is influencing what you like and don't like. Rather, by taking things one step at a time, you can make a change, live with it a bit, and then see if you like it or not. For me? Street car means getting more performance, but avoiding NVH at all costs. I'm not racing - so I want a car that is both tight, but also still refined. The very slight experience I have with the Ohlins seems like they're going to be absolutely perfect - such a quality product - I particularly like the adjustibility of them, as well as the fact that the height adjust has no impact on spring preload. Plus the car just looks right lowered 20mm. Like it always should have.

Great advice … I like following a design of experiments format and changing one thing at a time … I will get in touch with Tarret. Thanks!

Lovejoy- You are asking Cayman owners to refer to you a 997.2S owner. These are different cars as the 987 is mid engined and yours is rear engined. I do have Ohlins R&T which I have owned for 5 years without any issues. So, it comes down to the kit you order as they most likely have different spring rate and valving than the Cayman model. If I were you I would ask this question to the ******** crowd as they have a large number of 911 members, who would gladly give you a better car specific answer. The Tarett crowd can also answer this question. One member of the P9 membership recently upgraded from 987.1 to a 991 i believe. He had some ST coilovers on his 987.1 before he traided it in on the the 991. You certainly could give him a PM to discuss the difference in cars and how Ohlins could have features and benefits to the 997. https://www.planet-9.com/members/gt3twenty10.95611/

Yeah … I know all that … as my post mentioned I formerly owned a 987.2 Boxster S which, as you know, is the same platform as the Cayman . I am well aware that a 997. 911 is a rear engine vehicle. 😆

Ahem... @Apex1 and @Lovejoy .. Ahemm.... cooler heads and all that. And I'm going to move this thread. It's not really a chat any longer, nor is it an intro thread, so I think I'll find a tech area to put it in.

Over and out …

Ok... I'm moving on to the next stage! I received my Numeric Cables and new coils and plugs... so I got to work on those. After pulling the interior apart and loosening the shift cables from the OEM short shifter - I had 2 epiphanies. 1: that the plastic parts of the OEM shifter just didn't seem ideal long term. I love a "mechanical" driving experience and just feel the plastic bushings and connection points of the OEM short shifter are lacking. So - I ordered up a Numeric Racing Shifter assembly. I'll put it in - if its overly "notchy" I can always go back to the OEM short shift. 2: Many of the things in the way of getting to the shifter cable attachment points on the transmission are things that I'll be needing to remove to do the TPC Turbo install. So - while I have not yet received my turbo kit - I did ask TPC to send me their install instructions ahead of time, and I've been studying them. So - I took a pause from the shifter cables and got to work on stripping out some things: belly trays, suspension braces, belly pan, pan bracket, rear sway bar, transmission bracket, wheel well panels, and the exhaust : Then I got to work swapping the coils and plugs out - pretty easy and straightforward with the access. Then back to work on the Cables. The reverse cable (passenger side) was quite straightforward to get in, then lined it with the insulation wrap. The shifter side (driver side) took some finessing and maneuvering to get it locked into place, but really wasn't that bad. I think the extra room made it all easier. Look ma... No Cables! The new Numeric Cables are in - I just forgot to get a pic. I'll take a pic when the shifter gets here and I get it in... Next will be to put in the new AOS I have... seemed like the opportune time to freshen that up while things are still good and I'm deep anyway. Per TPC - the turbo kit should be shipping this coming week. I'm excited to get to work on it. I might spend some time this weekend prepping the front end for the center mount radiator (remove the bumper cover, cut some holes...) That's the update. I love this car... and I haven't really driven it yet.

How much info has TPC sent you regarding protection of the piston skirts, piston rings and cylinder walls. What wt oil is their recommendation using their DT40 or 50 products. Do they recommend an additional oil cooler. When Slakker Racing came out with the Hartech pan kit for the M97 engine , their testing provided some interesting results. Besides oil pressire, oil temperature has been found to be an additional key in keeping the rod bearing oil film active. The same with the piston skirts and top oil rings (along with the ring grooves). The turbo puts a lot more stress on these parts so the boost knob is all important. You are going to add the third radiator and I would also recommend a 996 oil cooler as well. Its about 25% more capacity and one model actually fits our car The question is with the turbo installed there may not be any room for its larger bulk.

hmmmm... well, I don't have the complete set of instructions from TPC yet, that will come with the kit. However, in conversations I've had with them, they did not state that the kit needed any boost to the oil system: sump, cooler, etc. At least not for a "street" build. I am not including in an boost controller - but rather will go with the TPC spec and leave it at that... again: street build. I expect plenty of power. I have included a blowoff valve. I have a case of Driven DT-40 to go into the car when I'm done - but haven't really confirmed that with them. I'll be speaking with them this week to (hopefully) finalize the shipment of the kit. I'll be sure to ask them all your questions on oiling, etc. Thanks so much! So helpful!

What do you plan to do with the car once you get done changing? (Which probably won't be soon) It certainly won't be anything like the car you purchased.

ha - that's an excellent question. Honestly... I'm going to enjoy the s*&t out of it: Vermont country and mountain roads, Adirondack drives, maybe even a road trip or two. The car sits at the perfect nexus for me: I LOVE the project - I've always loved cars and collected, bought and sold many. But over the past years I sold my collection and focused more on teaching myself the mechanical "fun" of doing projects: I supercharged a 1999 Chevy Tahoe; rebuilt suspension, steering, brakes and then added a T5 transmission with hydraulic clutch on my 64.5 Mustang... and was looking for a new project. Years ago I did the Porsche Driving Experience with my brother down in Alabama... spent a weekend driving everything Porsche had to offer at the time on the track (it was glorious), but my absolute favorite was the Cayman of the time (987). Mid-engine, light, balanced... so fun. My only criticisms were that for the money it was a tiny bit soft handling and a little under-powered. Over the years I have always kept the Cayman in my "some day" bank... I love Porsche (and have owned a few) - but feel these days they're just priced at ridiculous levels, and I don't love the bloat of the new ones, nor am I a fan of electric steering for a "toy" (it's fine for daily drivers). As I started contemplating a new project - I realized that 987.1 Caymans may be the perfect car right now... exceptionally undervalued due to a few mechanical gremlins... but possible to find a perfect car with a little work. Dollar for dollar I think it may be the single best performance value right now. Sooooo much car, design, performance, and heritage for so little money, if you do your due diligence and find the right one. When I found this car, with this level of maintenance, love, care, low mileage, etc. for such an unbelievably great price - from a really fantastic owner... it was too good to pass up. At the low purchase price of the cars right now - everything came together: perfect car, with industry proven modifications to address the suspension, and power. Plus a deep community of owners/modifiers to learn from. Lots of available parts and potential. At the end of the day, I'm going to have an epically good street sports car... and even with all the extra money I'm throwing at it, it will be way below the cost of any modern car of similar performance and pedigree... and it's light, and mechanical (hydraulic steering, 6 speed)... and it's glorious to look at... and I get to have the fun and satisfaction of doing and learning all the work. I don't see a world where this car doesn't increase in value, especially as there will be fewer and fewer low mileage, high quality examples. So that's a win! On top of all that - the mods I'm making are either the important upgrades to preserve the car long term, or completely reversible. While I don't see a world where I would choose to remount the stock suspension or strip off the Turbo System... I always CAN, and that's fantastic and a huge plus. Everything else (shifter cables, AOS, coils, etc.) are all just smart upgrades to preserve the health of the car. Whoo... I was planning on just a quick answer to you question. But then I got rolling. I'm having too much fun!

I love the passion and capability you bring to your projects. There are several on this forum who can do the type of mods you’re doing to your Cayman , and unfortunately, I am not counted in that group. I am relegated to paying one of two local indie’s to do my mods, so I have typically done only bolt-on performance upgrades to my projects, along with the typical cosmetics (wraps, mats, tires , wheels, etc). Thus I am truly enjoying reading about your Cayman build! Also, the same exact sentiments about your choice of the Cayman apply to my choice for a 997.2 S Cab, which I bought one-owner from specialty dealer (who knows the owner well). So, while I won’t do all of the mods you’re doing to your 987, I will have a ton of fun with my usual bolt-ons for exhaust , suspension, tune, interior (doing black and white pepita houndstooth seat inserts and refinishing the soft-touch parts). May add some black and chrome 19” Fuchs wheels also. FWIW, the only issue I had with my 2009 987.2 S Cab was the lack of a back seat to carry our grandkids (9 total in groups of two) on trips to the frozen custard drive-in ... I got 1/2 way into my bolt-on/cosmetic build on the Boxster and realized that I had the wrong platform, and really needed the jump seat in a 911 . So, I went on a search and found my ‘12 997,.2; as you can see in the picture they are virtually the same car in size, color, etc except one is middie and one is rear powered. Sorry for the personal digression, but I enjoy the back and forth of these threads.

Not a digression at all. Thanks for sharing. I find, the more I work on cars, the more it becomes apparent that almost everything is a "bolt on" - it's really just a matter of gaining access and having the right tools. Things look intimidating from 20,000 feet, but when you dig in, it starts to be pretty clear what needs to be done.

Agree … takes the confidence born from experience … i had to have the high pressure fuel pump replaced on my 997 a few months ago. The indie had never replaced one and he just dove in. Had to pull the engine to get it on. And it runs perfectly.

Ok You got the time and money to do all this, great. As far increasing value, NO it will never be worth the money you are putting into it. It will be worth more but a fraction of your investment. I built a super 2006 Cayman - 3.8 x51 , coil-overs, GT3 nose and wing, exhaust , shifter, radio/sound system, seats, belts, etc. It sold for $39k. It cost 3 times that. Also had 2004 BS that I did from top to bottom. It was a difficult sell at $17k, probably had 50 including the 13k purchase price in it. Do it, enjoy it, but don't think you are going to get any where's what you spent on it back.

Oh no question! The only person who makes money off of a modded car is the second owner. My statement wasn’t really clear - I meant that the underlying car should appreciate. But all the add-ons? Nope. Not a chance. I have my eyes wide open on that. This is not a financial investment in any way. I do have the time and money - and there’s no better way to spend both!

DriveVT-Make sure you add all your mods to your cars description at at the bottom of the page. That's the only benefit besides the driving result.

Let me know the next time you sell something😉

Keep us posted when you sell your next project car! 😉

uh oh... I have absolutely no idea how to do that... is there a box?

It's available by clicking on your picture in the top right corner of this page, then In my account, Settings, in my signature. Add as much stuff as you want others to know you did to your car.

Next steps... Numeric Cables and Shifter assembly are in. I was able to get everything adjusted nicely so I can easily shift with just 2 finger tips... I can't get it out for a test for a while - but am super pleased with the shift activation just in my garage. I just didn't love the plastic in the OEM short shift - seems like "play" waiting to happen. I also found the plastic "post" for the reverse cable was misshaped and the numeric cable end wouldn't fit over - an easy fix with some sandpaper, but still - kind of speaks to the inanity of their use of plastic. It does amaze me where they chose to cut corners/costs on such a premium brand. I'll keep the OEM short shift on the shelf with the OEM original shift in case I fall out of love with the Numeric ... but I doubt that'll happen. Also swapped out the AOS , cuz why not?? The old one actually looked pristine and clearly was doing its job effectively. I'll keep it on the shelf in case of emergency need. I hate those pinch hose clamps - so I went with screw tightening clamps... I know that's anathema to "purists" - but looking long term if I ever need to swap the AOS again - my life will be so much easier. I can always put the stock "clamps" back on when I'm competing the car at Pebble Beach. Still just waiting for my turbo kit to show up...

DriveVT After a few months of burning up the inside tire around corners, you may want to look at Wavetrac LDS. With the new torque from the turbo, you would find a very planted rear end.

Yeah - I’ve been looking at those for sure… it’s high on my list - I’m just a little intimidated - I understand it’s a beast of a job swapping that it. I need to do some more research as to the process - but it’ll likely be my “ next ” project after the turbo.

Question... I'm looking at Oil Sumps/Baffles - because though I have no track plans - I figure, I'm draining the oil and making "quality upgrades"... The Hartech Sump appears to be unavailable but also is very expensive and hangs low. Does anyone have thoughts/experience with the: FVD Bombacher Motorsports Oil Pan w X-51 baffles? Seems like it would be more than enough protection considering I'm a street car on street tires (honestly - I think the stock pan is probably just fine for me... but I'm going in deep, so why not?)

DriveVT, the sump issue is does the baffles and sump do their job or not? Slakker Racing has tested a few of these as well as the OEM product, find that the Hartech is the best at keeping adequate oil pressure in long high G corners as well as braking. They have graphs etc. I have the LN 2 qt sump installed now and am waiting for a time slot to get the Hartech sump installed, which is sitting in my garage. Both of these products work well enough, but if I am pushing the car in long high G turns, which one of my local tracks have, I want that additional protection, The amount of oil in the sump is also important, as the LN shows that 1/2 additional qt above 10 qts makes a difference. The problem is the windage plate where the return head oil hits is flat and does not control the oil from going up the side wall of the sump due to high G loading. The result is a flooded AOS through a hole in the top of the sump. Hartech sump does not have this problem when using 10.5 qts of oil. So, if you are changing the sump, I would recommend either LN or Hartech. I also run a LN skid plate under the engine. The engine ER is 80 for the Hartech and 70 for LN. They tested OEM, and a couple of others that did not fare well in the ER scoring. So why bother if the product you are choosing is not much better than OEM. LN and Hartech are a step above the rest in protecting the M 97 engine from engine oil instability. You can find this on Google search 996 engine oil stability P9,

Thanks for your quick reply! I get that the Hartech and the LNE sumps are the 'ideal' for the most aggressive applications (high G track) - but I guess my question is more: considering that my car will be street only; and it looks like the Hartech is unavailableand considering how much more expensive the Hartech and LNE are; and already having lowered the car and not wanting a deep sump (even with the guard)... Is the FVD system a worthwhile investment to add a more robust system that will protect against any potential street based problem? If there's real benefit, it seems worth the cost. Or am I better off just staying stock

Interesting, the hartech sump isn't even listed on the slakker website anymore. Wonder why that is. I was planning on the FVD sump before I learned about the hartech sump. I feel that it's a good route, I wouldn't hesitate to do it. That being said, it still hangs lower than the oem flat pan, so if you're going to install one at all, then get a skidplate/sump guard. Honestly though, if you're not tracking the car, don't get a deep sump imo.

DriveVT, I think with the turbo, you need additional oil, like the LN sump. It's 10.5 qt.s. So even if you are just using your car on the street, the modification of a turbo changes the whole concept because the turbo can do harm from running the engine at a high rpm for any length of time. So the bigger oil reservoir the better. Who knows how many step hills you will climb in the summer, where that additional oil will protect best.

Agree, good call. My last post I forgot about the turbo plan. 100% get a deep sump of some kind.

ok! I’m in! Can I get away with the FVD? I just would like to keep as much clearance underneath if possible. But if it’s worth it I can step to the LN if absolutely needed. I’ll put in a few phone calls tomorrow as well - talk to TPC, LNE, etc I really appreciate the input!

You're just trying to increase oil capacity. Any of them will work, but get a skid plate.

Just to let you know that my skid plate has no marks on it and my car is lowered about 35 mm. My point is that the Ohlin's springs do their job well in keeping the car off the nasty old roads. In your driving situation, I would say the FVD sump would work as its task is to load as much fresh oil (lower temperature oil) into your engine.

Ok... spoke with TPC. They're adamant that the Turbo on the street does not add enough temp to need oil supplementation (they have documentation showing temps for NA cars on the track vs turbo cars on the street) and that without the high G forces of track speeds and tires , there's no need. That being said... in the slight chance of an "anomaly" and the even more slight chance I may find my way to a track day at some point - they agreed that there's no reason not to add some protection "just in case". So... Just ordered the FVD pan and X51 baffle - and, as I'll be replacing the plenum with the TPC provided one as part of the turbo kit - I ordered up a 997.1 Oil Cooler to swap in to add that extra bit of 'cool'. Mostly I just feel it's the responsible thing to do as I'm working to balance added performance (turbo) with added robust-ness to the engine. Also... turbo kit ships today! (well... maybe tomorrow)

That's what I;m talking about with this web site, just a little more protection on those long up hill climbs. Your project is great.

Gah - I’m getting impatient for the Turbo to arrive… spent some more time prepping: Pulled the front bumper cover and cut the vent holes in the bottom (found a template/measurement set on line), desnorkled the side vent, decided to color coat the side vents black to match the other trim (stock they have a silver border - slightly different tone than the Arctic Silver of the car) using Plasti-Dip so I can remove it if I don’t like.

You just described a Porsche, a car that’s tight but also refined 🏎

What kind of rims do you have on your Cayman ? They don't look like original Porsche rims, but I could be wrong so I wanted to ask. I need new ones for MY 2008 Cayman S (ours look IDENTICAL with a few small variations), and was looking at $4K for OEM Porsche rims - and I'd LOVE to own them - but $4K?!?! Hope to hear back form you!

Love your car!! I’m running 19” HRE FlowForm FFO1 rims - (the previous owner sourced them) - I swapped in Porsche Crest Center caps I think they really work with the car and while, traditionally, I’m not a fan of blacked out rims… they just work so well against the Arctic Silver and black trim of the car.

That's amazing brother! The two Porsches that I own now are my third and fourth in my lifetime (my Cayenne S will pass anything but a gas station but my Cayman doesn't get any better mileage, which is why I believe the secondary air pump needs replacing) and while I've been able to slowly migrate towards repairing certain mechanical things on mine by myself, I still have a long way to go to get to a point where I can do a project like you are doing. With that said I'm going to keep following you on this project, it's totally blowing my mind, and it gives me hope for the future! Thank you by the way for your help on the rims, I may just go ahead and get something similar and swap the caps like you've done. My Cayman S has 19s on the rear and 18s on the front, is that what yours are,....? I know you mentioned yours were 19....? Using aftermarket rims will save me quite a few dollars and give me more room on some other things I'd like to do, but am curious as to the rim sizes on yours....

19" all around: 19 x 8.5 front 19 x 10 rears

Thanks for that info, would you say I could run the same on mine (2008 S)..?

Absolutely! That’s OEM standard sizing for the 19” rims. Honestly - you could get away with wider if you want to mess with the offsets… or spacers (I have a set of 7mm front and 14mm rears that I’ll try on… just to see).

Well that's good to know that I could run 19s on the front and the back so I think I will look for rims that accommodate that. About the offset on the rims, that's one of the problems with the rims that are on mine - there's no offset, so the tires actually sit inside, a bit, from the outer edge of the fender well. It looks goofy even though the tires are wide in the back they're not out far enough and I don't like it that way, so I want rims on it that already have an offset so that the outer edge of the tires sit all the way to the outer edge of the fender well - at least. It would be pretty awesome looking, as you somewhat noted, if the tires were even a little farther out than that, but not much. Thanks again for the input! Invaluable!

You might consider getting your wheels refinished at a local wheel shop. The cost is typically under $200 per wheel and the results can be amazing. I have a local shop in the Chicagp area called Crown Custom and they can do pretty much any color or combination of colors on stock wheels. I had them take the wheels on my 2009 Boxster and do a black and silver combo on them that came out nice. The cost was $800 which is a far cry from $1k/wheel for new. You can also buy BBS wheels for $600 or so from Tirerack .com. In terms stance, or wheel position, I also recommend buying high quality aluminum allow spacers. I ran 10mm on the rear and 5mm on my Boxster S and the result was nice. Will post a pic below.

Ah yeah - @Lovejoy those look fantastic... and @PastorJames - no question the OEM stock wheels on German cars always look too "inset" - I'd heard (and this is total scuttlebutt - so maybe someone can chime in and confirm or disprove) that there was a German regulation that stated wheels need to be inset enough to allow clearance for winter chains, hence the fact they always look so "tucked". Your recourse is either spacers with your existing wheels (and I second the high quality aluminum - you absolutely get what you pay for) or aftermarket wheels that have been formed to fit better. The HREs I have sit far more flush than OEM wheels. When I put the car back together I'll try out the spacers I have just to see how the car sits - but it might be overkill.

@Lovejoy I'll have to second @DriveVT when I say your rims look fantastic! I absolutely LOVE them.... What brand etc are those and model, do you know? After thinking about it for a while, I believe that I would like the front and the rear to both be 19s and pretty much line up with the outer wheel well edge. @DriveVT I never really liked the look of the tires in the front, because they were smaller then the rear tires, so I am even happier about the fact that I can put 19s on front and back - and bring them even with the wheel well, it'll look so much better! Again, many thanks on my tire/rim issue, I'm sure that I'll have plenty more questions coming, if you don't mind me asking the expert! 😉

These are the stock 19” OE wheels that came with the car new. I just had them refinished from a matt silver to a base coat of Gloss Arctic Silver (body color match). After the wheels were masked off, the ribs were painted gloss black. I also had them paint the vents gloss black as well. The rears are wider than the fronts and I ran conti extreme contact all seasons all around. The rears are 275mm wide and I can’t remember the aspect ratio but I think they were 35’s. The fronts were 245mm x 40 and were about 3/4” smaller in overall diameter so it gave the car a slight back to front rake but not too much. The spacers were subtle and moved the tires out just enough to give it a good stance. I ended up selling the Boxster and buying a 997.2 911 Cab S in almost the same colors (Platinum Silver over black). When time and money allows I will be on the hunt for a 987 Silver Cayman so let me know when you get tired of yours!

You definitely sound like you know your stuff, @Lovejoy ! For instance, the 'back to front 'rake'' that you spoke of, I have ZERO idea what that is....can you enlighten me? And I will surely let you know when I have some new rims (and tires) picked out and on the car! Thank you for your indepth info!!!

@DriveVT and @Lovejoy , this is the exhaust system I am wanting to upgrade my Cayman S to, I believe it will be awesome! Do you think this would be a nice upgrade? Next to bottom pic shows the associated headers, which are also available and which I will also probably get (another $999 - https://circuitwerksusa.com/products/05-08-porsche-cayman-boxster-987-1-headers-high-flow-catted-exhaust-header ) Also shown, very bottom pic, is the same exhaust system with BURNT TIPS (!!!) Very Cool looking (for an extra $20 - https://circuitwerksusa.com/products/05-08-porsche-boxster-cayman-987-1-catback-exhaust-system-with-burnt-tips ) 2005-2008 Porsche Boxster Cayman 987 Circuit Werks Catback Exhaust 987.1 SKU: EX-PS98705 (PG3-058) POL - Regular price $349.99 USD https://circuitwerksusa.com/products/2005-2008-porsche-boxster-cayman-987-circuit-werks-catback-exhaust-987-1 This is an Authentic Circuit Werks Exhaust system and OURS is the ONLY one that is PROVEN to fit. Ship out of Dallas, TX. As we improve the fitment and currently on our 4th Jig Fixture since 2013 for the 987.1 Exhaust. 4th Revision was 2019 Buyers beware of the knock offs or cheaper ones, that would waste your time and not to mention installation cost. Circuit Werks latest 2005-2008 Porsche Boxster & Cayman 987 (AKA 987.1) Dual Muffler Exhaust System w/ Polished 3" Tips. Fits all 2005-2008 987 Base Models and S Models. (Will not fit 2009+ models, which we do sell in another listing). 3"/ 76mm Rolled tips. These are the newly updated tips compare to our competitors multi-layer tips. Fits perfectly between your rear bumper. Bolt on to your OEM headers with our supplied hardware and gaskets. The Polished Tips will be exposed from your rear bumper giving it the Sport unique look. Also available in Burnt Tips By installing our Circuit Werks High Performance exhaust system, you will not only improve dramatically the sound of your Boxster/Cayman, but you will also gain the horsepower where you would normally drive the car. Like to a local car meet, to work, or weekend cruising around town. The sound is very subtle but once you step on it, you can hear the deep sport tune exhaust tone. Comes with a limited warranty from the purchase date. High polished stainless steel, all are hand built to meet our high quality standard, then T.I.G. welded together. Header System Exhaust system with burnt tips

As you know, RWD Porsche’s run staggered width wheels. They also have different width of tires rear to front. Additionally the aspect ratio of the tires (% thickness is compared to width) can be different, or it can be the same, depending on the stance you prefer. Some like a flat stance and some like a slight downward slant rear to front. (rake) So i typically will pick the size of the rear tires first, in say 275/35/19 and then pick the front tires in say 235/35/19. This combination leads to an overall diameter of 26.6” for the rear tires, and 25.5” overall diameter for the front tires; this give the car a slight downward, rear up stance or rake.but if I wanted to run a flat stance I might pick a front tire in 235/40/19 which is only .2” different in overall diameter. The picture of my Boxster actually has the flat configuration. That said the raked configuration on a Cayman is actually more common (I however like the butt to drop under full acceleration and stay down as long as possible). Michelin Pilot Sports in either Performance Summer (over 40 degrees) or AS (all season) as are various Bridgestone, Pirelli and Continentals. Hope this helps!

I can't really say I can contribute to this... exhaust is such a personal choice - one guy's glorious sound is another's incessant drone. I would do some solid research and see if you can find videos online of people who have put it on the car and demonstrate the tone? There are so many variables. If it works for you - that's all that matters. I'm not familiar with this company. Sorry I can't be more help.

I'm also not heard of this company, but the stainless muffler can be seen out the back end of the car. I use Milltek which has the same look as your proposed muffler. I'm not a big fan of the blue on the outside though as the tips get a dose of carbon soot from the engine between car washes.

@Apex1 , just read your full build list in your signature block. Wow. Amazing attention to all details. Your car is truly a supple leopard.

Thanks, competition helped move the needle. NVH is not an option with this car. Will be my son's project soon.

Ok... FVD oil sump and baffle arrived and is in! Oil and oil pan were really clean - thanks to the previous owner and all went in very easily: adapter for the uptake, baffles, new pan magnetic plug . At the same time I put in a LN Engineering screw on filter adapter and a new filter.

In other VERY EXCITING NEWS... The TPC TURBO has arrived! (Well - mostly arrived, they're still waiting to send me a few more bits and pieces - hopefully that all will come soon.) The good news - I was able to dig in and get started: I tapped the threads for the oil return line (maybe the most nerve-racking part of the whole thing - one chance to do it right) and it went really well and I placed the fitting: Then I climbed up in the car to remove the breather lines, plenum, MAF sensor, and air intake tubing: So... I hope to get some more done by this weekend - but the bad news (well good for me!) is that on Sunday I'm off to New Zealand for 3 weeks for some work and fun! So, the project will be on hold for a bit. When I get back, I should have all the rest of the parts needed and the real adventure begins. The TPC instructions are... good, not great. I understand how and where and why everything goes together, but the actual doing of it will be slow and steady and need some deep thinking to make sure things work right. All doable - but not a detailed set of steps. Still - it's pretty straightforward... now that the oil return fitting is tapped - I don't see much that will be terrifying... just a fun puzzle to work on. So fun! I'll keep posting as I go - feel free to give me feedback: more details... fewer details... no details...????

You can’t give us too many details! One question, Chiefs or 9r’s??

Ummm… I live in Vermont. I have no idea what you’re talking about

Love it.

Give us all the details.

There is another benefit, but you won’t learn it from anyone here. That is, the ability to list them all when you sell it, and then warn interested parties “no lowballers” and “I know what I’ve got” as you demand retail value for all of it. (This is most effective if your selling forum is somewhere like Craigslist or Facebook Marketplace.) 😂🤣

Its not Craigslist as it is more of how to enjoy your investment to the max. Especially if you know how to use a wrench and a jack.

I had some time to work today: Drained the coolant - normally I wouldn’t have had to do this for the TPC turbo - but as I’m going to swap in the larger 997.1 oil cooler (I’m just waiting for the O rings to show up) it needed to be done, and honestly by disconnecting the central coolant lines it made it easier to get to the motor mount nuts. Which is what I did next : jack under the car, mount nuts off, I lowered the front of the engine - it comes down about 3+ inches. I climbed up into the trunk - not a ton of space in there - and got to work on the left topside of the engine: airbox cover and filter out, bolts holding the box off. Then took the fuel rail out/ disconnecting the electrical leads to the injectors, and then the bolts on the manifold. Accessing the front bolt definitely triggered some significant swearing… you can see it and see how to get to it, but there’s just so much in the way. I disconnected the crossover hose and was able to thread an e10 down on a long extension and get it out but it was a challenge. I’m a wee bit nervous about getting it back in - but know it’ll go. Getting a wrench on the bolt holding the gas tank vent valve on the underneath side of the manifold is a contortionist delight too… but doable. Disconnect the flap solenoid, the aircon wire and the manifold comes right out. I stuffed some clean towels into the intake holes to keep debris from falling in. Some reconnecting and capping of vacuum lines per TPC (the right side flapper solenoid isn’t used) and it was on to cutting a piece of the airbox off (I’ll be modifying the box further for the turbo) and pulling it out of the car. On to the right side - no need to remove the manifold - just cap the flapper solenoid, take out the bolts holding the fuel rail and pull the rail and injectors up… easy. Buuuuut… the rail only comes up a few inches and there’s no real room to manipulate it, so back to full on contortionist mode to pull the electrical leads and then to wrastle each injector out (having removed the retaining clips). Turning the infector 180 degrees and pushing down on the piece that the electrical line connects to with a screwdriver did the trick - with more swearing. Pulling the injectors from the left side was easy as the rail was “free” without the manifold in place - that made it super helpful as it gave me a baseline for how much force I needed to generate to get each injector out. I then installed all the new TPC supplied injectors into the rails and remounted the right side rail into the engine. And that’s it until I’m back after my trip. I need some oil feed and return lines to arrive from TPC before I can rebuild the left side. I’m hoping the O rings for the oil cooler come tomorrow and I can get that swapped out before I go. I’m off to Nee Zealand… everything’s ready for me to start “building” the Turbo into the car when I get back - I’m sure the remaining parts will have arrived by then. Up to now it’s been all removing and prepping - I’m excited to see things start to go back in! But - that’s going to have to wait until I get home. Only 2 pics today: what the engine looked like at the start of my day: And at the end of my day (left side): A couple of things I learned: 1. if I had been patient, since I had to drop the engine anyway, it would have made changing the coils and plugs much easier (not that it was terrible) and would have made doing the Numeric Cables easier as well. 2. The single most important tool for this project is an extension magnet - it would not be possible to remove and replace bolts without it (glad I had one). 3. Don’t use your stool on wheels as the step to climb in and out of the trunk (obvious… doesn’t mean I’m always the brightest bulb - it only took 2 times with it rolling out from underneath me before I switched to something else).

Loved the part about the stool … great writing also. Really enjoying your turbo saga. Can’t wait see/hear how it changes your Cayman .

Well - I finished packing, and as the O-rings arrived I rewarded myself by installing the 997.1S (3.8) oil cooler and the oil feed fitting for the Turbo!

Sounds like you're a fast? learner. Keep us posted.

As a quality of life thing, LED bulbs in the interior (and trunks) will make the interior a nicer place to be.

DriveVT, Depending on how your turbo does, I may duplicate your efforts. I'm sure you will be close to 400 hp for your romps through the country side. Can you keep those plastic piston skirts coating cool enough. One author a few years ago said that down shifting after a major throttle push will throw a lot of oil on those skirts and walls to help reduce the heat soak. Scott at Softronics can help keep the spark at exactly the right timing as well. You can actually talk to him and he will build the system that works for the M-97 with a Turbo. It's about trying to keep the 11.5 to 1 compression under control when applying 5 lbs of boost. A Porsche turbo compression is about 8 to 1. So, top flight gas is necessary, 93 octane and a octane booster can as well. No visits to the mom and pop store out in the hills for gas. Aviation gas is the best for your application. so check with your local airports for this service. I used 8 gallons per important races. It takes the ECU a little time to adjust, which means the travel time to the event is very important to advance the spark. This is what Scott can help you with. You can ask about "micro welding top ring" part of a thread I read from Mahle Motor Sports. Maybe that Scott can adjust your fuel mixture to more rich, which can add a bit of cooling to the pistons crowns and top ring. But not too much as raw gas at start up is really bad. The Softronic ECU map is 10x's larger than the oem one, which means that at every throttle level, there are 10x more target spots, meaning much smoother operation.

Oh you’ll know how it all goes for sure. Per TPC - I should be looking at 400-415 hp at the wheels! I have no plans to Dyno it - just will go by feel. So far, in the install I’m really impressed by the engineering and design of the kit - it all (so far) really seems well thought out, well engineered and smart. Plus - such a strong heritage of performance at TPC. They’ve had the right and ready answers to anof my questions. I’m optimistic things are going to work well… that being said: **** happens. You definitely have to go into these things with eyes open to the potential for calamity. I’ve done what I can to prevent problems: low mileage, super well maintained and inspected car, blow off valve, oil sump, oil cooler, Driven Oil, Driven additive… I’ll follow all the rules of startup,warm up, oil change frequency… but life is full of risk. It’s part of the fun. I still have no plans to race or ‘event’ the car… so I’m not really focused on prepping it for that. But I love the idea of a conversation with Softronics - I’m always up to learn more from an expert. I do have a case of Driven Fuel additive poised and ready for adding to the 93 I get out of the pump. Anything to keep things running efficiently and clean. thanks for the thoughts!!

I really like the way you are moving this project along. Some additional thoughts, max out the oem camber to -1.5 f and -2.0 r. 9 in wide 18 in wheels f and 10.5 X 18 in r. RE71RS 255 f and 275 r summer tires to get the torque to the street. Tarett GT sway bars f and r. Later. Tarett LCA GT3 spec. to -2.6 f and -2.4 r camber. You may find this camber does not erode the inner shoulders but adds grip around the corners to go with the added torque of the engine. Lastly a Wavetrac LSD to keep the torque evenly distributed to weighted and unweighted tires preventing wheel spin and unwanted understeer.

I hope I'm not spoiling the conclusion, but if you were to ask me, an 06 CS with stage 2 TPC is a blast. 400hp is fun to say, but something like 100 extra foot lbs of torque at 2500 rpm plus is delicious. If you don't love it I'll need you to help me understand why. Self install, used kit. I bought it from Cantrell back in 2018 and then finally got around to installing spring 2023. Retirement really opens the schedule. At install conclusion it started immediately (right after I charged the battery ...).

Ah yeah! I was hoping a turbo owner would chime in. I’m glad you love it - I have no expectation of anything other than love for me as well. I love you did your own install as well - I might have to call on you when I get back to work if I hit any brick walls.

Subscribed. Looking forward to this as a prospective owner.

Hopefully you can reach out ahead of any brick wall impact, but either way I'd be glad to help. Kind of like all the others around here.

Welcome! I’ll be back to work and updating this after March 2 when I get back home!

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Hi, just about to start a self install of tpc 2 turbo kit myself. Like your idea of a larger oil cooler from 997.1s would you happen to have the part no for this pls. Will keep watching your progress, rgds.

Caymanz - welcome to Planet-9, the Home of Porsche owners who want to put a blower on their engines.. When you have a chance - please visit https://www.planet-9.com/forums/new_members/ and introduce yourself and your Porsche - sounds like you're planning some interesting modifications..

Sure - I sourced part number: 997-107-025-02-M6 This is an OEM cooler by Behr for the 997.1 S (3.8L)

@CAYMANZ - shoot - I forgot to mention to make sure you order the o rings (2 each of 2 sizes) for the cooler as well - as they’re sold separately. Anyone who sells you the cooler should be able to call up the part numbers for the the rings as well. You’ll want to replace them when you swap coolers.

That cooler should have been OEM for the S in 2006-08. I've had no problems with this cooler and it works both to keep the oil cooler in the summer as also to heat up the oil in the winter helping keep bore scoring at bay. @CAYMANZ , did you also order a larger 10 qt oil pan from LN? That would be an item to have, although Slakker Racing makes a great pan from the Hartech design. its more expensive but it keeps the oil pressure up in high g corners as well as braking and acceleration. If you track this car, I would highly recommend the Hartech sump for a twin turbo TPC conversion. Did TPC sell you any internal upgrades for keeping the engine in one piece? LIke pistons, connecting rods and rod bearing? Also did you spring for the adjustable boost kit?

@Apex1 I might have the wrong PET but the one I have for the Cayman says the part is: Part#: 996-307-017-01 Compared to the one @DriveVT recommended: Part#: 997-107-025-02 If they are different, how much larger is the 997.1? Porsche Transmission Oil Cooler Genuine Porsche 996-307-017-01 996.307.017.01 996 307 017 01 99630701701 | Pelican Parts vs. Porsche Engine Oil Cooler Genuine Porsche 997.107.025.02 997-107-025-02 997 107 025 02 99710702502 | Pelican Parts

Porsche Transmission Oil Cooler Genuine Porsche 996-307-017-01 996.307.017.01 996 307 017 01 99630701701 | Pelican Parts vs. Porsche Engine Oil Cooler Genuine Porsche 997.107.025.02 997-107-025-02 997 107 025 02 99710702502 | Pelican Parts

TPC had recommended the 997.1 S (3.8L) cooler as the best upgrade for the Cayman… so I went with that. I believe it’s larger than the 996 one you’re listing?

I would use the 997.1 S oil/water exchanger at this point. Side by side it may be larger but the big issue does it fit the mounting holes, per DriveVT and TPC it does. So that will be my number 997-107-025-02-m6. If the mounting feet work and the height is ok, then all is well.

Yep - mounting points and o rings work perfectly.

I wouldn't stake my life on this, but close enough for familiarity or a starting point if you're considering a 3.4 upgrade: 98710702501 987.1 3.4 oil cooler L x W x H = 163mm x 82mm x 81mm 99610702559 996 3.6 oil cooler L x W x H = 163mm x 82mm x 108mm << I have this 99710702502 997 3.8 oil cooler L x W x H = 163mm x 82mm x 123mm << wish I had 99630701701 tiptronic atf cooler Note: 99610702559 = Mahle CLC39000P Note: 99710702502 = Mahle CLC61000P To keep my 3.4 happy (it goes to the track), both pre and post TPC turbo, I've added: Aftermarket oil pressure/oil temp gauge << this imho is key 99610702559 996 3.6 oil cooler LN deep sump LN re-usable oil filter Smaller crank pully (aimed at keeping the power steering fluid from boiling) Power steering fluid catch can (ask me how much I enjoyed PS fluid across the top of the engine) Numeric cables (if they ever ship!) Elongated shock tower slots for camber help TPC stage 2 More to come eh?

libecki086, Picture of the 996 oil cooler installed please. Turbo top of engine and bottom of engine pictures as well as the car in a flat stance. We just want to see what is happening. We want to compare those 996 vs 997 oil cooler body heights installed between you (108mm) and DriveVT (123mm). I just want to see how much space is above the 123mm version and the intake system. TPC knows it fits so now the world knows. Pelican Parts do not even have a picture of the 997 cooler in their catalog and its over $200 more. I would have ordered it if it were available on Pelican 4 years ago as I really wanted that track/Turbo oil cool. Now we are talking, guys if you track your 987.1 car, order this oil cooler now. The oil and temp gauges are good but this one item protects the cylinder walls/piston skirts/piston rings and rod bearings. So now, 3 radiators, 997 oil cooler, Hartech or LN deep sump and great track oil, XP9 or Motul Competition 300 V2 15W-50 (3X2 liter cans) @ $275 on Amazon , using LN spin on metal wire re cleanable filter.

My understanding is that the 997.1 cooler will not fit with the stock intake plenum. It’s only viable with an aftermarket plenum such as the one supplied by TPC or the IPD. I don’t believe there’s enough space for the taller cooler with the stock system.

DriveVT, did you hear that from TPC or others? I was wondering where that extra space came from. It didn't. So for those of us running the OEM induction system, the 996 oil heat exchanger with a height of 108mm is tops. Any other info regarding this is welcome as I would love to order the 123mm model with 15 mm more space needed to clear the above induction system.

TPC said - “as you’re swapping in our plenum, you’ll have space for the 997.1 cooler” - which prompted me to do some digging online and found some old conversations about cooler sizes/swaps. I was able to confirm from those that the 997.1 would fit with the aftermarkets - but not the stock plenum. The TPC and IPD plenums don’t use the vacuum activate diversion flaps as the stock plenum does - the mechanism for this sits off the bottom of the stock plenum and is what likely conflicts with the 997.1 cooler.

So what is needed here is if one member has a IDP 82mm induction system, he could use the 123 mm 997 oil heat exchanger. The issue here is; does the IDP system bring anything to the 987.1 S M-97 engine, with a red line of 7000 and a flat torque curve at 3500. I use the Softronic manifold plenum that retains the flapper valves and uses a 78 mm GT3 throttle body . it barely clears the top water return of the 996 oil heat exchanger. I've added Softronics language from their 987 Race kt. You will see the top of OEM oil heat exchanger in the lower right corner The hardware you see above is just the tip of the iceberg. To make use of these new high flow intake components, Softronic has developed an exclusive all new Motronics software tuning flash. This new software flash targets the higher volumetric efficiency of the intake and engine by completely retuning the remaining intake resonance valve, Vario Cam Plus, Ignition, and Fuel delivery maps. The results: Never before seen tire roasting increases in mid range torque and a nice extension to high RPM horsepower,all files are tested with 93oct and exhaust recommended. That intake resonance valve is in the second large induction tube across the motor. How IDP gets away from using this valve, I have no idea, but the oil heat exchanger fits under the main induction chamber on the left side of the motor. Below on the bottom right side of the picture is the top of the OEM oil heat exchanger.

I have the UAOS to consider as well which currently just clears the stock oil exchanger. Might need to rearrange the furniture.

Howdy, I've added pics and words. ############################################################## Installed 996 3.6 108 mm oil cooler with tpc. Orange and frosty white hoses are turbo bov and intake to AOS ############################################################## View from air cleaner box to throttle body. Full length black object is vertical portion of intake runner ############################################################## Left side intake manifold from rear of engine compartment looking forward over oil cooler, the intake is the black object between 3" and 4" marks. The curved coolant hose, vertical on left turning to horizontal below the 3" marker, runs from the oil cooler's top nipple. The top of nipple to bottom of intake runner gap appears to be the tight spot. The clearance under discussion decreases to approximately 2.5" from oil cooler top to bottom of horizontal intake runner. The tape measure is resting on the oil cooler top. ############################################################## Similar view as above, caliper low point is imagined nipple top of 108mm oil cooler. Gap displayed = 40mm or 1.5" ############################################################## SWAG conclusion: The 996 3.6 108mm oil cooler installed on my tpc car has headroom for a larger cooler. The 997 3.8 123mm unit, 15mm (.6 ") taller than said 3.6 unit, should leave roughly 25mm or .9" clearance. The 25mm gap between a taller 3.8 oil cooler's top nipple and the bottom of the intake manifold runner should allow mounting of the coolant hose to the nipple. To my eye, and for my configuration, that hose attachment appears to be the point of concern. TL DR: I wouldn't expect a problem using the 3.8 oil cooler with my tpc 987.1 configuration. Plus tpc said it works! Also, the 996 3.6 and 997 3.8 coolers are available on multiple sites, using the Mahle part numbers may ease your search. I grabbed the specs for each off rockauto.com. I ordered mine from amazon. Thanks for reading, let me know if correction/clarification needed.

Whelp... it came! 2006 987 Cayman S , Arctic Silver, Black Interior. 6 speed. Sport Chrono . Bose . Sport Steering Wheel I found it on this forum and bought it from the second owner (who owned it from 2009 and 3,000 miles) he took immaculate care of it! Only 24,500 miles from new, oil changes every 2,000 miles... all services done. Inside and out it looks brand new. I had a full and thorough PPI done by a specialist: bore scope all clear, rear seal all good... everything as it should be! The previous owner was a joy to deal with and we're still in touch - nothing better than making new friends through cars. He'd done a few mods: HRE Flow Form 19" (I have the pristine 19 original Lobster claws in boxes as well). EVOMS intake. Porsche Short Shift Kit. Black exhaust tips. Rennline Pedal set. Car came to me looking like this: I couldn't help myself and had already ordered a few cosmetic mods: Spyder Side Vents, Black Spoiler lips, new fog surrounds (I blacked them out), black headlight "trim", new taillights. I also put in a new Stereo Head Unit (sony), replaced the HVAC switches, and stuffed the Bose Subwoofer. It now looks like this: I have more to do... I have a Pedal Commander Throttle controller ready to go in. I have a set of Ohlins R&T coilovers in their boxes ready to go in - I'll likely start working through that this week. And I'm super excited to have a TPC Turbo kit on order - should be here by the end of the month, plenty of time for me to work through the winter getting ready for spring. I have a box of Driven Oil, a screw on filter adapter and new filter to go in/on when I do the turbo. And Driven fuel additive as well. Normally I'd say I don't like black rims - but the HRE's are just perfect on this car - they (and the black trim) just make the Silver Pop! I wasn't planning on buying a silver car at first - but this one was just too good to pass up. And now I couldn't be happier with the color. It just suits the curves and body lines. The PO sent some wheel spacers in boxes with the car, I'll put them on when I do the Ohlins. Things I'm considering but going to wait until I have some real miles under me: possibly a Numeric Shifter and Cables - however, the PO put in the Porsche short shift kit and It seems great. I'm going to live with it for a while. And, there are so few miles on the car, I'm not concerned about the cables (yet). I'll likely get there eventually. I'm also holding off on any more suspension mods other than the Ohlins until I have a better sense of how it handles and where I want it to go. This is a road car only - I'm in Vermont with fantastic mountain and country roads... that can be bumpy - and there isn't a good track locally. So everything I do will be focused on road pleasure. But - down the road I might consider some Tarett Sway Bars, drop links, etc. So... my question for the forum: what have I forgotten? What else should I do? Thoughts? Suggestions? As to the Ohlins - my plan is to do the "standard"/recommended height setting they come with - my understanding is that should drop the car 20mm. I wouldn't mind it a little lower, except for the roads, bumps driveways here in VT. Thoughts? I've been dreaming of a 987 Cayman S project for years and years... especially with the Turbo! But it wasn't until recently that I felt the value of the car had dropped enough to justify the full cost of car and mods. I also love that everything I'm doing to the car is reversible and I can always put things back to stock if needed (though I can't imagine I'd ever want to). I'm so excited to be here now. I've owned a lot of different cars over the years: German, Italian, English, American. Dollar for dollar - this may the best one of them all. Dave

That's a great looking Cayman , although I'm a sucker for a nice set of LC's! So nice to hear of a positive interaction with another P-9 member. Enjoy in good health!

Welcome great car!! I had one. if you don’t like the wheel color but like the wheels have them powder coated… worth the 800.00

Big fan of HRE wheels. Also a big fan of Boston whalers, a great boat.

Thanks - but actually - while I don't normally like black rims - on this car in this color I think they're perfect!

ha - yep - love my whaler, just the perfect boat for where I am.

Very nice looking Cayman . You might need some rear toe control arms as the stock ones don't have enough adjustment once the car is lowered with the Ohlins . Tarett makes some.

thanks for the advice - I did speak to them at Tarett (I sourced the Ohlins from them) - and they actually talked me out of buying anything more than just the coilovers for now. Their thoughts: I'm only planning on doing the standard drop (approx 20 mm) for now - as I have to exist with Vermont roads - and will not be tracking the car. They felt that the 20mm drop keeps the car within stock settings for the re-alignment and they find most times the rest of the OEM suspension works really well. He did say, very occasionally with this setting, the Toe Control Arms in the rear might need to be swapped - but to wait and see if the alignment shop can't dial things in to stock specs. I do have to say - I always appreciate a business that suggests NOT buying things from them... I feel like it builds the trust and community I look for in my projects. No questions that as I want and need to do more - I'll be calling them back.

Front Ohlins are in - will be hitting the rears soon. Here's a shot with the fronts done, and rears at stock height to show the difference in height. I think it's the perfect amount of drop - I'm not a huge fan of the "slammed'' route. I have compression/rebound set at 17 clicks out... any thought on that?

Compression/rebound settings will need to be tuned for your specific use case and taste. As you drive with it you'll get a feel for how it behaves. My preferred method for suspension tuning is to eliminate as many variables as possible. Choose a driving route that emulates your use case as best as possible. Bumps, turns, potholes, whatever, but it has to be a repeatable route. Pick your initial setting, say full "soft" (zero clicks), and go for a drive. Change the setting to full "stiff" (max clicks) and go for another drive. You'll feel the difference. Start adjusting from there, and keep record of your changes. You're at 17 clicks, so go for a drive, then try changing to more clicks (or less), record the click change, and how it feels. You should be able to discern a preference, and come to your ideal click setting. If you have separate compression and rebound knobs it becomes more complicated, but the method is the same. Love the car and build vision. The HREs look awesome. Can't wait to see you get the turbo kit installed. Please detail the install as much as you can.

Doe the car have the center radiator installed? If not, that might be a good idea, particularly if you are contemplating any engine mods.

I have a TPC Turbo kit on order - I spec’ed it with the center radiator to mount.

DriveVT- I have used Ohlin R&T for over 5 years since they were released to the US market. In the install manual Ohlin provides you with compression/rebound settings to match your intended use. The closer you go to 0 clicks the stiffer the compression and rebound. 20 clicks from stiff is the softest shock ride. I use 17 clicks from stiff for the street. I have used 2-4 clicks for a very smooth track but found that 5-7 is the best race setting. Keep in mind though I do have Tarett GT sway bars, which adds to the spring rate of the coilovers. So after a few months of canyon driving, you may decide that the Terett GT swaybar and down links are the way to go to reduce car roll. I like a lowered car to reduce the center to gravity, so mine is about 15 mm lower than your setup. I do need those additional suspension parts, like down links, and rear Elephant adjustable toe links with bumpsteer adjustment. I added Elephant adjustable front steering links with bumpsteer adjustment. With the TPC Turbo kit, I would highly recommend you invest in a Hartech oil sump (Slakker Racing Development) to prevent oil pressure loss in high G force corners. This sump will also give you an additional 2 qts of oil capacity to help reduce oil temps. The swirl pots in the head oil return to the sump also helps pull out air bubbles which are troublesome potentially causing rod bearing failure. The turbo changes the air/fuel compression mixture so be very careful not to use excess boost. At least 2-3 members per year ask questions about boost and engine noise. Then change their oil and find piston skirts parts (skirts are covered with a plastic like coating that can easily be worn away). Not good as rebuilds cost $25k for your application. So, run very high viscosity oil like Motul Competition V-300 10W-50 and change it every 3500 miles. I also use a 996 oil/water heat exchanger as they have 25% more capacity. Lastly, I would recommend a Wavetrac LSD to keep the power going to the weighted wheel. No clutches to rebuild every few years and minimal understeer with power on.

As always - really great advice - and I truly appreciate your time! I have a case of Driven DT-40 waiting to go in when I do the turbo conversion. my plan is to stick to TPC specced settings for the turbo/boost - I believe that’s around 6.5 ft/lbs (don’t quote me on that - I don’t have the kit yet) to minimize potential stress - it’s a road car so I don’t need to overdo it. That’s very helpful info on the Ohlins - I think I’ll start with them “centered” at 10 clicks and see how I like it - I love that I can adjust it to taste.

Finished off the coilovers - rear Ohlins are in. Approx 20mm drop - looks just right to my eyes. Wasn't too bad of a project - I enjoyed it for sure! I'll be getting an alignment as soon as the roads clear enough here for me to get it to the shop. Here's a pic, all 4 corners done.

Are you using 10 clicks to start with? leaves plenty of room for a softer ride to maybe 17 clicks which is my favorite for the street.

I am starting with 10, as it’s right in the middle of the Ohlin’s manual setting of 0-20. I’ll likely adjust from there as I get a sense of ride, handling, stiffness.

For your next alignment I would max out the front camber to -1.5 and leave the rear alone. Check the rake to assure you are not lower in front than the rear. These cars need weight it the rear and look better when flat. Just check the top of the sidewall in front to assure both the inside and outside shoulders are wearing about the same. I would recommend slight toe out in front. Not much but some. You possibly will need a Wavetrac LSD to control the extra thrust from the turbo out of the corners. I will tell you that mod is deffinately worth it. No more inside tire spin around corners and rear end wiggle when stopping. The car simply is locked up on the road like never before. Wavetrac does not produce understeer as the clutch styles often do. It allows some inside torque to happen, so its much more balanced coming out of the corners.

+1 on the front camber. Not sure how much you can get but on our old 987 with PASM I ran with -1.0f/-1.5r settings which were the best I could get. On the 981 w/x73 suspension the max was -1.75/-2.0. More is better and the there was no abnormal tire wear with either setting.