Possible purchase, should I be worried???
 

about an '88 Carrera 3.2 with 115K miles with records going back 30K miles, spotty valve adjustment records prior, recent service with proper valve adjustments since, cam re-grind, SW chip and Borla.

The rest of the car is mint, jus the valve guide/ cam issue has me worried.

I should be getting PPI this week and will have compression and leak down done.

Can I or should I assume, hate that word, that all will be good for some time with these tests on suspect matenance many miles ago??

Thanks in advance!

The mint condition in my opinion speaks volumns. A PPI apparently means different things to different people. When I was looking for my car I was calling different mechanics in different towns where I was looking at cars. The price and service varied widely. Some after talking I felt comfortable with and some I didn't. Hopefully you know who's doing the PPI.

A PPI does not guarantee anything. It tells you that the major systems are in acceptable running order. It won't tell you when something will fail and something will brake eventually in these old cars. The best thing to do is keep a few bucks ready to fix the things that will brake in the next year of ownership and keep a good attitude as you are buying one of the true classic sports cars.

A compression test and/or leakdown is not going to tell you much, if anything, about the guides. You can have the mechanic try to pry against the end of the valve stem while the valve covers are off to see if there is any excessive movement of the stem from side to side, but that is about it. You can also let the car sit for a few days and then start it up and see how much smoke you get. Yes, a 3.2 will probably put out a puff or two of smoke, but if you get a cloud that persists for several minutes then you may have a guide issue. Also, if all these tests prove inconclusive, you can state your reservation to the seller and without proof that something was done to the guides and valves recently, perhaps they will factor that into the price. If you have to do it later, figure $2500-$4000 for the job.
Good luck.

Wow. Best advice I've read to date. Nothing like good old common sense.

buy it! worst case scenario you have to fix it. then the challenge begins and the post ride is awesome.

Thanks guys for the input. I guess my own reservations were pinpointed to the specific issue I have a hang up over. The PO states it does in fact smoke after start up after a week or two of sitting and it was done because "the left cam was pretty beat up".

sergeshishik,

I hear you my friend but at the $$ for the car and then a top end a year later doesn't sit well with me or the SO!

I know its either pay now or pay later, but I'd rather put the cash into upgrades than to repair the engine. Kind of like repairing your septic system, money into the ground instead of that nice family room!

I guess the internet provides so much info, bot good and bad, that we are all overly informed consumers!

I aso found a '90 C4, with the factory cylinder head fix, new clutch, cup wheels, new rubber also in mint shape that I will be inspecting further. Its only $1500 more and It has less miles and hasn't been tracked or modified as the '88 has.

I'll keep all posted and will post serious pics once its all said and done!

I'd take the 88 Carrera over the 90 964 C4 every time.

Seems like you may want "A" Porsche more than you really want either of these "TWO" Porsches.

Don't be rushed. Take your time and figure out what year you really want and why.

Then pursue only cars that reflect a level of condition, care and maintenance commensurate with a price you are comfortable with.

If you need to compromise, if at all possible , do it on price not the other factors.

Of course, I was way too impatient to take that advice myself but fortunately I was pretty lucky.

To find cars check your local PCA region as well as visit the local wrenches in your area. I think you will generally come across better deals that way.

Good luck!