Mod my c6 or buy a 987.1

I've had my c6 z51 for two years now and I'm flirting with the idea of selling it for a 987.1 cayman base. My vette is decently sorted with lower miles but the thing feels like a boat. I'm split between moving onto a cayman or throwing some mods at the c6. I'm worried I may miss the tq going to the P car. Is it worth throwing some bushings and coilovers on the c6 and keeping it or is it better to swap to the cayman? If anyone has experience in these cars I'd love some guidance as I'm hopelessly indecisive in this decision. For reference the car is mostly used for canyons with a track day here or there. Vette is a manual cayman would also be a stick. I'm worried about the borescoring in the S hence the 2.7 being my preferred engine choice. Thanks in advance 

I'm something of a Porsche apologist but I have a hard time recommending anyone a 9x7.1 car unless it's basically free, for all the various engine issues they have. I'm not really sure the s is any more of a risk than the base model, but either way, push the budget a bit and at least go 987.2. Whether you'll miss the torque only you can really judge, find one to test drive and see how you feel about it.

My approach would be to make the decision on which car you like better, and like dps214 I would really suggest going to a 987.2 unless you get the .1 cheap enough to treat the engine as a consumable.

They are very different cars, to the extent that they answer probably should be "why not both?"

Seriously, drive a couple of Caymans before making any decision.

I had a C5 Z06. It has so much performance per dollar. After a couple of years I wasn't as enamored with it anymore. I've not driven a 987 so I can't say for certain, but I'm pretty confident it would tickle my fancy more than the Corvette.

Do you like apples or oranges?

Do you prefer a sledgehammer or a scalpel?

Would you rather dance with a ballerina or be an MMA fighter?

Those are the questions you have to answer and then decide what you want.  Those two cars are vastly different and comparisons don't work.  They're both fantastic, just go about their business 180 degrees apart.

There are a lot cooler cars out there for 30k than a Base Cayman.

C6 is a pretty awesome car to Modify and long run upkeep might be easier. 

Don't forget that your C6 doesn't have springs. If you do coil overs, that's a much more substantial conversion. 

What are your hopes and goals for this slot in your garage? What do you want out of this? 

Rent one on Turo to get a better idea of the experience. Then decide. 

I've had a few vettes and Porsches, many the Z and GT variety...

If a C6 Z51 feel like a boat, I'm not sure you will enjoy a 987 any better. They are more precise, but most have worn suspension and they won't be tight without some $$ in refreshing. My 986 for example is way boatier than my C5Z was, both felt like mush vs my GT4 and GT3.

For 30k, both the GR86/BRZ can be had...brand new with warranty. The GR86/BRZ will run circles around a 987.1 and will feel lighter/tighter than anything around that price range. ND2 can be made better than all of them, but based on your selections it looks like verts are out.

If you can find a 987.2 at 30k(they exist but rare)I don't think you would regret it, plus you could sell it at anytime for little to no loss, but these cars are 12+ years old now. Even well kept versions are approaching rubber suspension bit needs.

If you are looking at 20k then I would just stay with the Vette and freshen it up. Can't beat the $/performance and the aftermarket is as deep as the ocean.

If you prefer a jetski over a boat, recommendation would be to buy a jet ski (Elise), not a slightly less boaty boat.

I have driven Corvettes, and the shove they give you is intoxicating for sure. I have drive the Cayman S and it is about as close to driving perfection as you can get. It telegraphs every intention into action, it shrinks around you, its weight and balance are perfect. It's an apples to oranges - maybe Asian plums to jalapenos - comparison. When I imagine driving both on my local track, I know the Corvette would carry more speed through the kink, but I don't think I possess the cajones to keep the pedal to the floor. The speeds I have seen other people hit in a Corvette would scare me. At my age, the Cayman might be slower, but I I would enjoy it more and be safer. 

brandonsmash said:

Don't forget that your C6 doesn't have springs. If you do coil overs, that's a much more substantial conversion. 

What are your hopes and goals for this slot in your garage? What do you want out of this? 

Eh, pulling out the leafs is NBD.

I'd probably see if you can get a ride in a car with a suspension and see what you think. The corvette lower trims really are setup like GT cars. Coilovers and bushings like you said take a lot of slop out of the car. Also get some better seats. I wouldn't say my c5 feels like a boat at all after suspension work.

so i asked this very question a number of years ago: https://grassrootsmotorsports.com/forum/grm/upgrade-or-replace-c6-corvette-vs-alternatives/163696/page1/

since that happened, I decided to keep the c6, it's still mostly stock but now has ride tech shocks, z06 springs, and stiffer sway bars, upgraded radiator and oil cooler.  This past fall I purchased some interior upgrades (buckets, harnesses, MGW shifter, auto blip) and i'm currently debating some Apex wheels and tires to put a bit more rubber on it.  

Now comparing the Corvette to an M97 Porsche, I can't help you on the 987 but I do own a 997.1.  The Porsche is almost as quick, the steering is nearly telepathic compared to the corvettes, the shifter is vague and the transmission doesn't like to be shifted quickly until it gets a decent amount of heat in it... 

I look at it this way, the 2 most important things about track days is time on track and limiting risk.  The financial risk of a mechanical failure is much more managable with the corvette.  The single most expensive thing that could break on the corvette is an engine.  A replacement LS3 brand new can be had for $10k and can be ordered to arrive quickly.  replacement M engines are not available, rebuilds take a long time and cost $20k+.  For $20k i could rebuild the entire corvette driveline (RPM transmission + diff, rebuilt torque tube, and blueprint crate engine)

I'm pretty sure should something happen to my corvette, an ND3 miata club would be what replaces it.  It isn't as fast but what I give up in absolute speed I pick up in run time costs, age, and a bunch of other benefits.  

ClearWaterMS said:

I look at it this way, the 2 most important things about track days is time on track and limiting risk.  The financial risk of a mechanical failure is much more managable with the corvette.  The single most expensive thing that could break on the corvette is an engine.  A replacement LS3 brand new can be had for $10k and can be ordered to arrive quickly.  replacement M engines are not available, rebuilds take a long time and cost $20k+.  For $20k i could rebuild the entire corvette driveline (RPM transmission + diff, rebuilt torque tube, and blueprint crate engine)

Yah. That's at least half the reason I got a corvette. My entire build cost less than the engine in my old m4. My buddy blew up his engine and spent close to $30k getting it running again. Depending on ingenuity you can get a serviceable LS for under $1000. Its simple enough to do in a garage over a weekend. It doesn't require a dealer computer to fix. If you have a minor incident the body panels all bolt on, so super easy to fix a few cracked panels. Miatas cost even less, but for a higher power car, its a fairly inexpensive platform.

theruleslawyer said:

ClearWaterMS said:

I look at it this way, the 2 most important things about track days is time on track and limiting risk.  The financial risk of a mechanical failure is much more managable with the corvette.  The single most expensive thing that could break on the corvette is an engine.  A replacement LS3 brand new can be had for $10k and can be ordered to arrive quickly.  replacement M engines are not available, rebuilds take a long time and cost $20k+.  For $20k i could rebuild the entire corvette driveline (RPM transmission + diff, rebuilt torque tube, and blueprint crate engine)

Yah. That's at least half the reason I got a corvette. My entire build cost less than the engine in my old m4. My buddy blew up his engine and spent close to $30k getting it running again. Depending on ingenuity you can get a serviceable LS for under $1000. Its simple enough to do in a garage over a weekend. It doesn't require a dealer computer to fix. If you have a minor incident the body panels all bolt on, so super easy to fix a few cracked panels. Miatas cost even less, but for a higher power car, its a fairly inexpensive platform.

also given the power of the platform, they are not terribly hard on tires the double wishbone suspension gets good dynamic camber insuring you don't scrub the outside edge of tires like you might on a strut type car.  It's built to be a sports car (to be fair so is the cayman)

ClearWaterMS said:the steering is nearly telepathic compared to the corvettes, the shifter is vague and the transmission doesn't like to be shifted quickly until it gets a decent amount of heat in it... 

That was the biggest surprise on the Corvette, I expected the steering to feel like the Miata but it's relatively slow.

On the other hand, the shifter in my '08 C6 is great... it's almost as good as my favorite, the TR7.  That shifter was direct and smooth as silk.

My .1 S is about to hit 100k miles. We boroscoped the cyls this past summer and there is very very minor lines in the bore, like maybe two indications and not even a 1/4" long and not deep at all.

The problem with a lot of the horror stories about this car are from cars that are not driven. Mine has been. The more it sits the more that will go wrong with it.

triumph7 said:

ClearWaterMS said:the steering is nearly telepathic compared to the corvettes, the shifter is vague and the transmission doesn't like to be shifted quickly until it gets a decent amount of heat in it... 

That was the biggest surprise on the Corvette, I expected the steering to feel like the Miata but it's relatively slow.

On the other hand, the shifter in my '08 C6 is great... it's almost as good as my favorite, the TR7.  That shifter was direct and smooth as silk.

Last season I took an autocross ride in a friend's C5 that's pretty heavily built for CAM-S. Admittedly it was on tires that weren't great at multitasking, but the thing accelerated and braked like crazy but the steering was basically a loose indicator of what direction the car was eventually going to move towards, in comparison to my lightly modified 981S. It was fun but pretty much broke me of any interest in a corvette for anything other than pure acceleration (which to be fair is a valid reason). And the crazy part of that is that the cayman steering feels like a turd compared to a stock GR86. Porsche likes their slow on-center steering ratios for high speed stability, I'm pretty sure that's the cause of that.