Grassroots Motorsports
Issue link: http://grassrootsmotorsports.epubxp.com/i/501675
Grassroots Motorsports 172 TECH: 2006-'12 PORSCHE CAYMAN TIPS Meet Our Expert: JOHN TECCE BGB Motorsports Group, LLC 6C W. Tower Circle, Unit 102 Ormond Beach, FL 32174 bgbmotorsports.com (386) 672-3336 The Porsche Cayman is sexy enough for the street, but it's also the cheapest dual-purpose, late model Porsche out there. If you're budget-conscious and the car will primarily see the street instead of the track, I'd suggest any frst- generation Cayman S or even a base car. People who aren't horsepower freaks can do fne with a frst gen car–known as a 987.1 and built from 2006 to '08. These frst-gen cars don't handle track abuse as well as the later, 2009-'12 Direct Fuel Injection equipped cars–known as the 987.2. Thanks to a revamped oil delivery system, DFI cars don't require the pre- ventative engine oiling modif- cations before going on track. If you're going on track in a 987.1 car, money is best spent on a redesigned oil pan and baffing system along with an upgraded air-oil separator from the 911. This upgrade typically costs $2500 to $5000 with parts and labor and increases oil delivery and capacity while miti- gating aeration and starvation. If you are a track junky and you don't do that stuff on the early cars, you'll likely show up on our doorstep with a bearing failure. If the failure is cata- strophic, nine times out of 10 it destroys the engine entirely, leaving the car valued at near $15K. Early cars can be had for $25,000, while the DFI cars are $40,000 to $50,000, but the reliability improvement differ- ence is worth the extra money. On the DFI cars, the oiling system was redone so that oil is delivered with input from the lateral g and engine load sensors. As a novice DE or autocross Cayman owner, there's really nothing you do to a second-gen car's oil–just change it. At the club racing level, you'll want to add the fac- tory third center radiator and increase ducting through the side radiators. In the $70K-ish market for track cars equipped with cages, seats and bolt-on parts, the Cayman faces competition from the BMW M3, Camaro, Mustang and even Corvette. When we all go to Palm Beach International Raceway, over a really long run the Cayman does lap after lap while most everything else sits is in the pits coughing and perspiring profusely. It's kind of the Miata of the Porsche line in terms of reliability. It's pretty phenomenal considering that you just throw brakes, tires and gas at the car. Brake pads and steel braided lines are a good initial upgrade path. The cars' most basic necessity is camber–up front you need over 2 degrees and can only achieve 1.5 with the stock parts. A two-piece control arm lets you get more camber out of the car. A set of nice billet alu- minum monoball control arms runs about $1100 and is one of our most popular sellers. It's MID-ENGINED MAGNIFICENCE TIPS FOR YOUR PORSCHE CAYMAN story by scott r. lear • photo courtesy porsche