DO I REGRET FIXING MY BORE SCORED PORSCHE CAYMAN 987? 

Yeeeeaaaahhhhh………I definitely would’ve changed the oil after the run in. I’ve read online that there are even particular oils specifically for run in. Seems like whoever sold that car had to have known it was scored. No way it went from OK to full blown scoring in 3 months. Live and learn though. But good on you for rebuilding it and giving it a second life. What you paid is half or less than what quality rebuilds cost over here in the US.

Great vid Joe. The PPI is an absolute must do and your advice is solid there. I have owned my 07 Boxster S for a few months now. I did have a PPI done for peace of mind but from all the research I did before buying, I have to admit that every funny sound I hear makes me anxious. Can't help myself though, I had to have one and if I cooked my engine tomorrow, I wouldn't hesitate throwing thousands at it to get it fixed. We know why, hey?

Totally agree. Porsche should hold there hands up and admit it, it’s a definite weak point in the car. Glad your happy with the car now, enjoy!

Subscribed to the channel as I was considering a Cayman 987 - splashed out and ordered a Alpine A110 last week instead! Will stay subscribed, great content and still love a Porsche 👌

I think you have to accept you could have huge bills with any premium car such as Porsche. They also hold their value incredibly well over time and are so iconic. Great cars. Thanks for the video 👍

Beautiful Car! I can see why you fell for it when you saw it. Since you did the hard part, I think you should keep it forever!

Love these videos. I think I am overly paranoid about by 987.1 but its running fine. Also wondering if I should get out while its running and then upgrade to a newer model, but I love the changes I made to my car.

Joe Im so pleased you kept the car, love your honesty, I hope that my comments on previous vlogs have also helped people…….without shadow of a doubt the best drivers car…….wise words at the end of your vlog Joe, very wise words…….enjoy

Hi joe love the channel and the informative information. Will be looking into buying a 981 gts or 718 2.5 in the near future so all the help from you will be appreciated.👍🏻

That's why I bought a base 2.7. Didn't want to have to worry about bore score, and performance difference is minimal. The 2.7 is bulletproof.

Agree with you. Had the exact same problem in Los Angeles with my 2006 Cayman S.

Terrific job, we all go through learning experiences and you handled it like a champ. This is a valuable video too all. Thanks!

Agree about buying with your heart. I drove my to end of the road and knew I had to have it. Personally with a £10k bill I would of sold it for as much as I could get and put the £10k plus sale of old cayman towards the newer 981 cayman but once you are in a whole it’s difficult to see the best way out

The problem to bore scoring is really putting un-necessary ethanol in the gas. These cars were meant to run on 5%. RUN non-ethanol gas is BEST! If bore scoring has not already happened. Glad you restored a Cayman back to glory!! Enjoy!!!

Everyone keeps saying Porsche should stand up on this. Not possible and stay in business. Since the first 911 was built, Porsches have been beset with engineering problems. 944 dash/overheating, I’ll just say etc from there on that whole front engine series. No experience, but I hear the 968s were terrific. the list goes on, oil leaks, RMS, IMS, bore scoring, head failures, water leaks, all, ALL GT3 engines a few years ago. For years I thought my 2013 981 was bulletproof. Now my doors are delaminating. Ugly, just ugly. And, the dreaded tick. Now, I may just be paranoid, because, surprise, the dealer doesn’t hear it. I have owned a ‘79 SC, 944, 996 (my favorite)2010 Boxster, 2013 Boxster and a Macan I sold with 10000 miles on it because my wife preferred her GMC pickup-she’s from Montana, I should have known better. Have not even scratched the surface as you all know. German engineering is incredibly overrated. They can build a race car for their racing customers, but the sports car public--no, nyet, nein nada, zed, zero. Thank goodness it’s a great driving car. This 2013 will be my last as much as I love it. Just don’t need any more $400 oil changes.

Yep, definitely brought mine with my heart 😂😂😂

Another good vid Joe, I have one of your pistons in my collection and on display. i have since changed my 987 to a 997.2 4s to eradicate most of those issues, but feel the bore scope does not really help as you know how quick yours came on, like an MOT it only shows the condition of the engine at the time of the inspection but 3 months later could be knackered. My 987 had 55000 miles on the clock and was always warmed up before it went anywhere and always checked the oil at least once a week, i am in touch with the lad that bought my car and he watches your vids and nearly 9 months on it has used next to no oil. So i think what i am trying to say is if you go and buy a 987 you want to look at how its been used if its only done 1000 miles in say 12months i would question that or if you go and view one and the owner jumps in from cold and revs it before warm that would ring alarm bells. Mine did not have any puff of smoke on start up only condensation as i am sure after the rebuild yours has not, again maybe a sign that all is not well and maybe then a bore scope would confirm all not well

I bought a 2.7 986 six months ago and no real issues. Here in Christchurch its a bit different to the UK. This was the only 986 I saw for sale unless you went to the north Island which is a 15hr travel time. I bought mine in the thought of it being a project car no matter how good it looked as little choice. I have done plugs, coils, gearbox service, new from pads and rotors, water pump, thermostat, serpentine belt, headlight switch, ignition switch and will be more. These are known failure points so more of an insurance and common sense to address before they brake. Bore scoring not so much of an issue on this engine and the same with IMS but will do the IMS at some point.

Same as you Joe no ppi seen it loved it bought it 4 and half years later still love it do wonder tho did you get the ims bearing done on the rebuild

I agree with you entirely about blaming Porsche. They chose to use weaker materials in the engines (when nikasil liners were already available) and they also chose to extend service periods to 2 years. Complete muck up in my view. I spoke to a specialist about this and his opinion with this engine (3.2, 3.4, 3.6 and 3.8) its not IF the engine goes but WHEN. Its just a matter of time. He gets one car out of his garage after a rebuild and immediately gets another call about the engine making the ticking noise. Something about cars in that era seems to suggest a lot of cost cutting was happening. BMW and their timing chain is another example. Glad all is well with yours now, its just a shame you've had to fork out £10k on a £14k car.

I feel from your experience this pushes me to get the 2.7. Apart from that the smaller engine is slightly more economical but also cheaper on tax and less incident of bore scoring and IMS failure

Beautiful car…

Hi Joe. After watching your video, I do plan to buy a 987. But my major concern is the bore scoring. Does the computer/ diagnostic system in the garage able to find this bore scoring problem ？Thanks alot

Good update and useful Joe. I'd be interested in knowing whether the recommended oil type is different with your rebuilt engine please? Porsche recommend 0W40, which is what I use in my 987S, however I have seen many forums suggesting 5W40 is better owing to the increased viscosity and lower potential for bore score. Can you confirm please?

I bought my 987.1 S about 6 months ago. It sounds like if mine blows I should get the 2.7 engine to replace it, if that is even an option, did you check that option out? Thanks for the vid

I own a 2006 cayman s. It definitely has bore scoring because the oil consumption is roughly 1 litre every 500miles. That’s about how much I drive the car every month so topping up a litre is not a hassle. Aside from this, the car drives great..it pulls hard, no knocking, no odd sounds. Just wonder how long I can keep going this way before a rebuild/replace situation?

I'd really like to know what it takes to get and how easily it is to get a car pre inspected before purchasing. It's never been something I've considered doing. I know it's quite common in America to get a third party to inspect a vehicle before purchase but in the UK I just don't think it's done as much. I got lucky on my 987 and I think the day when I can finally get a full 911 I would be looking to getting an inspection. I have no idea where to start 😂 are they local? Do they cost much? Does it make sense to get a garage to do it? Do they have to take the car somewhere? All interesting stuff

It was your experience guided me in my choice to buy the 987.2 Cayman, I now have to deal with intermittent smoke 💨 on startups after changing the AOS. Enjoy your rebuilt engine and I hope it gives you peace of mind.

has anyone had the bore scope check done and found it to be worth the cost?

In your position I probably would have done the same and saved the car, at the end of the day they're future classics and it's as if you have a new engine now. However, especially given the unanimous praise Porsche seem to get from the automotive press I think it's pretty shocking that this is such a common issue.

its kinda like a brand new Porsche for 24 grand with the new engine. thats still a pretty good value.

I'd really like to know what causes the bore scoring and what Porsche did to fix it. Is the rebuild supposed to prevent any future scoring Joe?

2.7 ….. (manual) all the fun you can possibly have within legal UK public road limits.

I find it inexcusable in a modern car that the engine fails like this with full service history, leaving the owner with a massive bill. Avoid these engines at all cost. Joe, you really should not have had to pay for the repair, you could have rejected the car under the 6 months cover of the Consumer rights act.