Is this Cayman S project worth it.

I have a gut feeling on this but would like to hear other perspectives. 2006 Cayman S , 48k miles, scored cylinders, $19K asking. I can do my own wrenching, dropping the motor etc. Is it worth it? I figure a LN 3.8L kit for about $6600. Other parts $3400 (if I am lucky). Concerns: Why was the cylinders scored at 48K? Was the car abused, oil starved? Would there be other severe damage (crank,bearings etc) when opened up? How much could this end up costing total and is the effort worth the risk? Pros: Cosmetically the car is very nice and the rest is probably in very nice shape. If I am very lucky with the old engine am I looking at a 3.8L Cayman S for under $30k? Personally I think $19K is too high. What price would make this a no-brainer if I can get it talked down?

A 987 with a 3.8 is a beast of a car. That’s my passionate brain talking. In the grand scheme spending $30k plus for the 987 platform with 3.8 power is definitely worth it. Of course, negotiating the price down a bit is always helpful. Good luck. I doubt you will regret it if you move forward with it.

Hello. I would look to see and understand the extent of the bore scoring. Do you have pictures. Have you seen the car run? Is it already ticking and smoking because of the scoring? That would mean that there is likely a good bit of debris spread around the engine. This would impact the level of rebuild required. All of these m97 engines are going to have some boring scoring as it is inevitable. I would rather start with a car that doesn’t already have big signs of bore scoring. The scoring is likely due to how the car was used and maintained, even with only 48k miles. Ask the guys at LN and J.Raby, they have all sorts of amazing info, including entire classes and dvds on how to rebuild. Paul I.

Here are some pics. There is smoke at start and cold idle. Smoke gone after about a minute of running. When its warmer and the snow storm here is gone I can give it a more extensive look.

I personally think you are looking at this the wrong way. Sure, you might get lucky and rebuild the engine for the numbers you are thinking about. But it is pretty well know in the community that an engine rebuild runs $20K. Check completed sales on BringATrailer but perfectly good running Caymans , including S models, sell for $25K all the time. I think with known bore scoring, the car is worth about $5K.

I agree, but.....that $25K BAT Cayman might turn into a $5K car 10Kmiles after I buy and need to spend the $20K rebuild or get rid of it. At least with the LN Nickies, the scoring problem would be a thing of the past, supposedly. Maybe I just won't do either....

Kudos to the seller for documenting the bore scoring. I'm just saying that $19K is not realistic. Not even close. There are "budget rebuilds" for the 987.1 engine. But if you go that route, you should pocket the difference, not the seller.

It is very hard to hold the line on costs when you tear down one of these engines. If you are going to keep it, not flip it, you will ask- what do i need to replace while I am in there. Quickly you will realize- clutch, water pump, injectors, rod bearings, main bearings, all seals and gaskets, rubber hoses, air/oil separator, hoses for AOS , and on and on. These cars are worth the extra effort but you can't pinch pennies. BTW, regarding the displacement bump, they are plenty of fun in stock form.

Yup, I know that from personal experience with my 944 and even a Volvo I am re-ringing..... Edit: Maybe I will keep my eyes out for a base. Less issue with scoring I hear.

What are the specs for this Cayman S ? color (inside/out), PASM ? , Sport package, leather, wheels, trans type, etc. Has it already been modified? These are also things to consider when it comes to value. I just looked on cargurus and found many sub $30k. I would still look for a model which does not already have severe bore scoring (the one you showed has it bad -the worst part is at the bottom of the cylinders which cannot be seen when viewed from the spark plug end). Piston material circulates throughout even prior to being filtered. One other option is to look at base 2009+ models ( 987.2 ).

From my view the Math doesn't Math. Unless this car has emotional impact on your life (like it was your Dad's car) I wouldn't fall into this black hole. Buy the best example you can almost afford. It will save you money and you will never have to second guess your intelligence. Speaking from experience here.

In some ways this is like deciding on remodeling part of a house. The math rarely makes sense. Even for the most financially attractive rooms, the remodeling gives you about 50 cents on the dollar. But a lot of folks do it anyway because of the satisfaction it provides. And the important parallel between the remodel and the engine rebuild is how long you will keep it afterwards. In both cases it starts to make a lot more sense if it becomes a long term endeavor. While I have not rebuilt my engine, I’ve put a good amount of money into various mods. I could never recoup even 40% of my investment. But I absolutely love what the mods have done to transform my car. I could be wrong, but I’m guessing that a 987 with a freshly rebuilt 3.8 would be a very wonderful car to drive and track. Your brain may not like the finances but your heart and seat of the pants will be very pleased.

Any premium car purchase has problems with the math. My son purchased his first car. He is also cost conscious and was struggling with a car that he loved and a close second that checked less boxes but was a few thousand dollars cheaper. My sage advice was that you are likely NOT going to regret paying more for a car you really want. But you may regret spending close to that amount for a car but regret not having the one you really wanted. I got similar advice in some of these responses.

From the Why beat a dead horse when you can beat a live one... How much is a scored 3.4L engine worth as a core? A seller has a Cayman 3.4L with 44K miles, leaked down tested and boroscoped no scoring(from the top) for $10K. Also with a "warranty".... A good Porsche shop will install it for $1800.

Based on my recollections of other forum posts where they went with a used engine, the $10K price is typical. See if they will include the dual mass flywheel (about a $500 value). At 44K miles, you may be able to put off some of the routine stuff that seems to pop up around 75K miles. Regarding the value of the core, you could contact Brandon at Slakker Racing Development for an estimate of value. But I would guess 10% to 25% of the price of that known good used engine you are looking at. BTW, probably not an issue for you but the cylinder heads, valve covers, and various camshaft bearings are all match drilled and uniquely numbered. So never buy these items as "loose parts" unless the seller can verify they all have the same numbers stamped on them.

The ebay seller will "gurantee" the engine if its installed professionally. So the siren call of this project is not totally dead, maybe it should be. If I can get the scored car for $12K tops, $10K better, I would be looking at: $12 55K mile roller. (I will drop the engine) $10K for the engine (+ freight) $1.8K professional shop install -$1K core rebate ~$23K for ~50Kmile Cayman S . So maybe more compelling, but maybe not that much less than a well sorted drive away purchase?

At this point, I'm the wrong guy to ask. I spent $30K to upgrade my $25K Cayman S . Not a sound economic decision!

If you can get the car for 10 to 12 k, then I would consider taking the engine apart and looking at the condition of the various engine parts to see if they can be salvaged. If all is good, then just rebuild the original engine. The ebay engine will eventually have scoring as well...just a matter of time. I don't think you are going to find a rebuilt Cayman S with LN cylinders for less than $30k.

A 2006 is not in the clear on IMS failures. Somewhere the engine numbers can be found to identify, <1% problems. So there is that.