What's your take... replace old parts now or wait till it fails??
 

Recently bought a well kept '87 coupe with 142k. Got most records indicating fairly regular service and nothing major requiring attention yet. Given that it's 25 yrs old now, are there parts you would go ahead and replace regardless of whether or not they are ailing for peace of mind or just wait till something craps out?

Now I'm not talking about "deferring maintenance" and ignoring routine work but rather replacing parts that will sooner or later die. I'm thinking specifically like the fuel pump, starter, alternator, window motors, fan blowers, etc. This is my decent weather daily driver so I have another car should the 911 need work.

Just curious to other's habits when a car starts getting "old". I did buy this to tinker with so I do expect it to need work unlike a brand new vehicle.

Get yourself a spare fuel pump ... mine let go at 140K in May on my 89 coupe !
It started buzzing when the tank was below 1/2 and it let go suddenly ...

A spare alternator and coil will be on my shopping list as well as new crank sensors !

Cheers !
Phil

I'm slowly collecting parts as they come up on the classifieds or sometimes e-bay.
New fuel pump, New alternator CIS stuff, a Bitz kit...etc...

I'd collect stuff you will probably need in the months or years to come. Put them on as required.

Another thing to consider is what if a particular component fails 300 miles from home in the middle of nowhere? Would it be just an inconvenience or a "holy crap, NOW what am I gonna do" moment?

When I'm near home, I don't worry about anything - just fix something if it comes up. I drive a lot, way far away from home, and in areas that most from the populated areas of the US would consider close to the back side of the moon. In those situations I carry a spares kit that fits in a very small duffel (about a gallon or so capacity). If you have a spare fuel pump, a piece of wire and some duct tape, you could probably McGuyver something together to get out of trouble if you had to. If in cel phone service areas, AAA is only a call away.

If there is an decent electrical shop in your area, I would have the Alternator rebuilt over the winter. Should cost about $100.

I am a firm believer in preventitive maintenance.

I am a firmer believer in not paying for tow trucks. :)

These cars, when maintained, rarely fail without notice. Windows slow, headlamps dim & brighten, fuel pumps sing, wheel bearing moan...so if you have a good ear you should notice the warning signs. I would keep a spare DME relay...they are a silent killer...

I wouldn't really worry too much about the alternator and fuel pump. You might want to have a spare fuel pump just in case, but they'll tell you when they're going to fail.

You should however start taking a look at all the rubber bushings in your car. Chances are they're getting worn & dried out if they haven't been replaced already.

Why fix what ain't broke?

Wait for the failure, or, the near failure as most things will give fair warning.

I run things until they break and try to keep an eye and ear open to predict. As others have mentioned, most systems don't die a sudden death.

That said, there are occasions where I do replace things that are not broke. It is when they are easily accessible and labor to get to them would otherwise be gruesome. These are the "while you are in there" things. An engine out situation is generally such an occasion to replace stuff that ain't broke on a 911.

For example I had the engine out of my car for a trans rebuild. I replaced the clutch that was not quite at end of life, I also did a new pressure plate and all other clutch components... I had the fan off for an RS pulley mod and bought a new alternator while I had it in my hands anyway. The left bank had one lifter make a noise, but I had all lifters replaced - left and right. It isn't easy to get back in there a month later if the next lifter (with the same mileage) goes. You get the idea.

G

Another thing that might be a good idea to consider, especially if you have a 3.2 Carrera are the fuel lines in the engine compartment. It would kinda suck if the quarter century d rubber lines sprung a leak and started spraying gas over hot engine parts...

what's the fix for slow windows?

I have an 87 Carrera also. I was glad I had a spare voltage regulator on hand (was in the garage, not with me) when mine started overcharging the battery and boiled it. That and a spare DME that so many folks mention is about it other than a shelf of the normal maint. spares in the garage and a bag of simple tools in the car. Windows don't keep you from driving and you can bump start if the starter fails. I had to do that for 2 days from Upstate NY to NC last year, made for a memorable trip. Got my starter rebuilt locally once so good for another 25 years. Hadn't considered a spare alternator or fuel pump.

Suspensions and brakes are areas where you want to replace old parts before a failure.
Sometimes it is what you can't see that will kill you...:(

You would not replace just the worn brake pad, but the whole set for both sides of the car.

So I apply the same logic to lots of other bits as they come up for replacement/repair. When one rear wheel bearing makes noise, I replace them both, since they have probably done the same distance.

Same for Front bearings, bushes, ball joints etc. One wheel alignment rather than multiple.

Anytime my engine is out, for any reason, the clutch and seals get checked.

Tim

Crank faster. :D