What To Replace On a 150K Mile '88 Carrera?

[73ess]

I just purchased an '88 Carrera Cab with 150K miles on it. It's had a valve and ring job around 10K miles ago. Had regular tuneups and oil changes. Front brake pads and rotors done recently.

I'm curious what I should be watching out for in terms of parts that will need replacement soon? Or common repairs on an '88 Carrera at this mileage. I know the engine's got plenty of miles left on it. I'm thinking more of the small stuff like electrical switches here and there.

Thanks

[RANDY P]

Did they do the clutch when the top end was done? Hope so, you should be coming up soon. Other than that, struts are probably done as well.

rjp

[no substitute]

You sort of have to wait 'til stuff breaks, and I don't mean this facetiously. To my experience, most of the parts lasts so long they may never need replacing.

[lally911]

Check out the rubber torsion bar bushings both front and rear. They have probably flowed out of shape and are due for replacing. Any rubber bushings are probably good candidates for replacing. Also the rubber brake lines and caliper seals. Shake the shift coupler back and forth. If you have a lot of play you may want to replace it. The bushings in the coupler wear and crack over time.

[DanS911]

Good stuff from Keith. Just put the shifter in gear and check the play when checking the shifter bushings. There are a couple of plastic bushings in the shifter housing that can crack.

[bento]

Speaking from experience I would suggest the bushings on the torsion bars, the clutch and the shifter upgrade for the G-50, your shocks are likely toast, and find out when the last wheel bearings were done, particularly rear. aside from that, just fix as you go. ideally your 88 will treat you right.

congrats on the new buy

db

[73ess]

Previous owner had the clutch/to bearing/pp and flywheel replaced. I think there are 20K miles on the current shocks. Hmm...so wheel bearings need to be repacked? Or just replaced?

The electric mirror switch seems like it's got a problem. I've got to fiddle with it quite a bit to get the motors going in the side mirrors. How tough is it to replace this switch?

How about the alternator and starter? Actually I think my alternator was replaced 30K miles ago. Not sure if the starter was ever replaced though.

Basically, I try to think of anything on the car that rotates or has moving parts. Those are what will wear out over time.

[SandyI]

New shocks. Have the car balanced all the way around.

[on-ramp]

lubricate front and rear wheel bearings.

[real550A]

If the PO didn't already install headlight relays, you might as well order the kit.
Also, keep your eyes open for a serviceable dimmer/ stalk switch.
No need to ask me how I know!

[Beethoven]

Check the main fuel line for leaks. If it hasn't been replaced, you should do it.

[soup dragon]

The electric mirror switch is easy to replace heres a link to removing the door panel
http://www.pelicanparts.com/techarticles/bob_tindel/911_door_panel_remove.htm
make sure you mark the wires for the window switches if you completly remove the panel-you can blow things up if they are wired incorrectly (the mirror switch connector only fits one way)

[masraum]

I just recently sold my '88 targa that I had from 110K miles until 160K miles. Don't replace anything unless you know it's bad or going bad (ie starter, alternator, etc...), but I do have some things that you may want to look at.

All electric fans on the car. There are 6, I believe, on in the front for the condenser, one in the smugglers box for the AC evaporator, one behind the dash for the fresh air, one in each kick panel for the heat, and one in the rear for the heat.

All of mine went bad between 130K and 160K miles. If you have AC you'll want to add the inline fuse for the condenser fan in the very front. The dealer should have a harness that goes between the motor and plug or you can make one. When this motor goes if it siezes then you can have a fire (this motor was still good on mine). Again, if you have AC the evaporator fan is about $100 here and can be replaced without having to open the AC system (maybe a 1 hour job tops). The fresh air fan is relatively easy to get to. The fans in the kick panels will go bad and sieze, I bought some from someone here that was stripping a car, both for $100). The motor in the back is the hardest to tell since the engine noise usually drowns out any squeeling that it makes. I used the $25 motor from Grainger that someone posted here. It worked very well and was much easier on the wallet than the factory unit that is well over $100, I think almost $200. Other electrical stuff, add the headlight relay. You may need to clean the windshield washer motor if it doesn't work, and also replace the two inline valves to the windshield squirters, there are 2 and "L" shaped and a "T" shaped, they cost ~$3 each. Try to aviod replacing the window switches as the originals last a long time and the replacements seem to break every 6 months. Clean the originals if they need it. You may need to check the high beam switch and also the wiper switch and clean/adjust them.

Do the bushings, check the tie rods, check the shocks (they won't seem bad, my car rode fine and was stiff, but the shocks were shot). Replace the rubber brake lines, rebuild the calipers and flush the brake fluid (don't forget the clutch too, part of the same system). Check the two hoses from the heat exchangers to the body and the flapper boxes. Check the fuel line that runs between the fuel rails on the back of the engine, oem part $50. Also check the fuel line that runs from the filter under the intake to the front of each fuel rail, oem part $500. My recommendation if you need a new one is to take the old one to a hydraulic place and have them replace the hose only. THat should run you between $75 and $150 and be just as good or better than original for 1/5th the cost.

Check the rubber and stuff around the windows.

You probably won't need all of that or maybe any at all, but it's stuff that I would look at first. Oh, change all of the fluids, tranny, brake/clutch, etc...

[ChrisBennet]

Originally posted by on-ramp
lubricate front and rear wheel bearings.

You can check and repack the front bearings but the rear bearings are sealed units.
-Chris

[nostatic]

replace the soft brake lines (rubber ones) unless they were done in the last year or so.

With 20K on the shocks you are likely OK. Instead it will be bushings on suspension stuff. You should buy/carry a spare DME relay, and as was said above, install relays for the headlights.

Reinforce rear sway bar mounts too? At what point did they fix that?

[gduke]

Everything Keith Lally mentioned. Bought my car w/ 65000 mi. and replaced all suspension bushings. Probably the best upgrade was the Elephant Racing poly-bronze bushings. My rubber ones showed wear w/ less than half the mi of your car. And while your at it turbo tie rods, ball joints. Also, rebuild the breaks, very important.

Like I said, the ER poly-bronze busing upgrade, made my car handle 100% better. Also, a corner balance and 4 wheel alignment. Read the information on ERacing websight. Don't use the neoprean or plastic. And don't replace the rubber spring plate or control arm bushings. The factory bushings are volcanize on. So, if you replce the old one w/ rubber, you need to buy the whole spring plate or controll arm w/ the bushings volcanized.

I spent some $ on parts last winter and spent 4 months this spring putting them on but, it was well worth the time and money.

I also have stainless braded break lines.

Every upgrade made a tremendous improvement.

Good luck and I hope you enjoy your car. Take yor time desiding what you want to do. You may not want to do them all at once.

Gary

[gduke]

Forgot an important one, Shocks.

[masraum]

I mentioned shocks too apparently I didn't read carefully enough, I guess you have relatively new shocks. In that case, as no static said, you don't need those.

The rest of the stuff you've read here is good advise.

[xlr8]

Alternator brushes.

[masraum]

or, the easier way to get that particular part, the voltage regulator, $25.