Perfect cars

This week features three cars that will test your decision-making process. A stunning 981 S that is a home run if you ignore the miles. A Speed Yellow beauty (rare and for the bold) with paperwork baggage. A 997 S coupe that represents everything you want and everything that worries you about 997 ownership.

We all want a perfect car. What's often out there instead are cars that aren't perfect, but are good enough if you can forgive some of their faults. Accepting the scratches in them (and in ourselves) can help us enjoy the ride instead of endlessly searching for something that doesn't exist.

I'm leaving you with that thought while I go update my LinkedIn to 'Porsche Life Coach' and get a laminated membership card for it.

Onwards!

—RF

Where manual dreams come true

2014 981 Cayman S | 6-speed manual | San Gabriel Valley, CA | Asking: $44,500

Stunning car and movie-like background. The pictures in the ad just stop you in your tracks!

And then the seller seals the deal. They went to a Porsche dealer for a complete inspection before listing and no maintenance was recommended. They upgraded the suspension but kept the OEM parts. They handled all the annoying cosmetic bits: headlight lenses replaced, door cards re-glued, new headliner installed. A++ effort.

Who needs a brand new $130K 911 when you can have this for a third of the price? Same California sunset, same flat-six noise, plenty of money left for gas.

🔗 California knows how to party

Market Report

Manual 981 models are genuinely rare. It’s estimated that only 15-20% 981s sold in America had the manual gearbox. Cars & Bids has only traded one manual S in 2025.

What You (and Your Mechanic) Should Know

981s are bulletproof. No IMS issues, no bore scoring concerns. Water pump is the main known weak point around 60-80K miles. But the fact that a Porsche dealer found nothing wrong after a complete inspection helps with your peace of mind.

The difficult conversations

2008 987.1 Cayman S | 6-speed manual | San Gabriel Valley, CA | Asking: $18,900

Listen, I like my titles like I like my dishes: CLEAN. And I suspect you do too.

BUT. After looking at hundreds of ads, I keep bumping into really cool cars that, if you look past the rebuilt title, are genuinely interesting. They all follow the same pattern:

• The accident described sounds minor (fender bender, side scrape).

• The seller went above and beyond to bring the car back to former glory, with details and documentation to prove it.

• The car looks great, with no weird panel gaps or mismatched paint. In fact, they often look better than the average car with clean titles.

This Speed Yellow Cayman checks those boxes. Recent clutch and brakes, and new Michelin Pilot 4S tires. When someone spends real money maintaining a salvage title car, you know this was their pet project.

So the question I have for you: is a rebuilt title an absolute deal breaker? Or would you look past it if the car and seller checked out?

🔗 When you believe in second chances

Market Report

987.1 S models trade for slightly less because of widespread bore scoring fears. The salvage title creates another discount layer, but the Speed Yellow paint is genuinely rare so it commands a premium and partially offsets the salvage stigma for the right buyer.

What You (and Your Mechanic) Should Know

Given this car's recent clutch work and overall maintenance attention, the fundamentals appear solid. The IMS bearing is less of an issue in 987.1 Caymans use the more robust design with very few reported failures. The real concern with any 987.1 S is bore scoring, A pre-purchase inspection is essential to check for metal particles in oil and engine knock.

The Sport Chrono silver bullet

2005 997.1 Carrera S | 6-speed manual | Houston, TX | Asking: $46,850

Almost 40% of you are in the market for a 997, according to your answers to the 2-minute survey (fill it up if you haven’t yet). After weeks of featuring Boxsters and Caymans, here's what many of you have been asking for: a proper 997 coupe.

This 2005 S model features the more powerful 3.8L engine, Sport Chrono package, and what looks like minimal wear for a 19-year-old car.

Finding a decent 997 under $50K has become genuinely difficult. Most sellers are asking $45K for beat-up silver automatics, and clean examples quickly push into 991 territory. This Houston S challenges that pattern.

🔗 A rare 997 S waiting for one of you

Market Report

997.1 Carrera S coupes typically start around $42K-43K in rough condition, with clean examples pushing $50K+. This one sits right in the sweet spot: high enough to indicate quality, but not so high that you're paying 991 money for 997 performance. The manual transmission alone adds $3K-5K over PDK examples, and the Sport Chrono package was a $2,500+ option when new.

What You (and Your Mechanic) Should Know

The 997.1 S brings strong performance, but known reliability risks including IMS bearing failure, cylinder bore scoring and rear main seal leaks. A pre-purchase inspection is essential since engine repair costs can be substantial if these issues go undetected.

Mixed Signals (new section!)

Listings that defy all logic

You've never seen a 996 this trashed in your life. And yet, by the end of it, Hank, the seller, will make you doubt your own perception of reality.

When you see his wall of text you will think "basketcase." DON’T! I refused to read the novella at first too, but when I started, every time things get batty, Hank pulls you back in with extremely knowledgeable, sensible bits!

By the end, I've let confusion envelop me like a warm fuzzy blanket.

So this week, grab a good coffee, give this your full attention, and let me know how it went after you’re done reading this journey.

🔗 Hank, I salute you and your early 1999 996 ~ (Backup)

Porsche Problems

Quick Input Needed

Hit reply and tell me:

➡️ CLEAN ONLY (feature cars with clean titles only) or REBUILT TOO (feature cars with rebuilt titles if the opportunity is right).

Takes 10 seconds, helps me bring better content next week.

See you next week with more affordable picks!

Take care,

—RF