Carrera Valve Guides/Seals?

[smross]

I just bought an '87 Carrera with 60k miles and it smokes for 30-60 seconds only if it's been sitting overnight. If I'm driving during the day and making stops the car does not smoke when started. I've read about 3.2's having guide/seal issues and I'm wondering if I should be concerned or if this is normal on these cars?

I'm located in Mass. Any ballpark figures on what it costs to do guides on these cars?

TIA

[timmy2]

Check oil consumption over a few hundred to a 1000 miles. A little white smoke at startup is completely normal for these cars. Usually it is just condensation burning off. If it is blue smoke on hard downhill deceleration, then you have worn guides.

[john walker's workshop]

oil consumption is what tells you it's time for a top end job. a qt in 1000 miles is perfectly normal. in 500 miles, it's getting close and at 300 it's time.

[whiz05403]

Pics of said vehicle??

[smross]

Thanks for the replies. An addendum to my original post. Turns out when the shop changed the oil on the car, they added 13.7 quarts to the sump/tank while the car only requires 10.5 quarts during an oil change. They realized the error of their ways when the car REALLY smoked on start up. They drained the excess and the car smoked less and less at start up and now does not smoke at all, even after having sat for two days. I will, however, continue to monitor oil consumption.

[Drisump]

Since you are a new owner I'm just going to share some pretty much universal wisdom from this board. Try to keep the oil level in the middle of the hi and low lines (at idle,on level ground), these cars seem to burn off oil beyond this level. There is two quarts of oil between those lines so don't concern yourself with there being an inadequate amount of oil in the system. My car with 97k miles on her doesn't consume even a quart in a season (say around 3-5k miles)...and that is with a fair bit of near redline action. Cheers

[4flyboy]

I've been on this forum for years and didn't know that little tidbit....thx S.

[kodioneill]

Originally Posted by Drisump

Since you are a new owner I'm just going to share some pretty much universal wisdom from this board. Try to keep the oil level in the middle of the hi and low lines (at idle,on level ground), these cars seem to burn off oil beyond this level. There is two quarts of oil between those lines so don't concern yourself with there being an inadequate amount of oil in the system. My car with 97k miles on her doesn't consume even a quart in a season (say around 3-5k miles)...and that is with a fair bit of near redline action. Cheers

Just to add to drisumps advice make sure it's at operating temperature when checking the oil level.