Judge the severity of 1990 oil leak, buy anyway ?

[walterj]

I am wrestling with whether or not to buy a 1990 964 w/ mid-70k mileage. It has no real history before the current owner, but, the current owner has fixed many things... clutch, flywheel, ignition issue, cam seals, cam followers, etc. and the car runs/drives very nice. But.... it has a very slight oil leak that does not drip but leaves the bottom of the engine slightly wet. After driving the car for an hour it had not visibly increased.

I have had people warn me away from the 1990s because of the cylinder head gasket issue (not sure where it is coming from but, worst case...) but even if that were the source of the leak is this enough of a reason to walk away from an otherwise solid package? I own two BMWs that leak a little oil and have for years... I've never owned a 911 so I need a little help judging the severity of the issue.

Out of curiosity... what is the cost to repair the cylinder head issue if I deliver the motor to a good shop?

[kurquhart]

A little weeping oil is usually not a major concern; drips on the floor are more to be worried about.

I have a 90 C2 w/o the head gaskets and have no problems; same with many of my peers. IMO, this issue is blown out of proportion.

A top end rebuild will probably start around $6k and go up from there, depending on what parts need to be replaced, machined, etc.

[walterj]

I guess I was just looking for the answer to... a little or a lot - what is the effect on driveability?

Does it progress to total failure? Does it leak into the cylinder/intake/other? Does it get on the exhaust and cause a fire... worst case scenario... I buy a 1990 with a leaky head, can live with a few spots on the driveway but _____________

If the blank is filled with "Nothing... it just drips a little, check the oil more often" then I see it as a negotiation point not a dealbreaker.

[Don Plumley]

Best case it is a nuisance.

Worst case 1: It (or the debris it attracts) clogs up the cooling fins, causing premature and/or uneven engine wear, valve guide wear and/or mortal overheating.

Worst case 2: It starts a fire.

You would certainly want to watch oil consumption/loss closely and keep the engine clean.

[FRED/LI]

The car is 18 yrs old, it is air cooled and it is going to leak or weep oil. As long as there is a sufficient supply of oil and you have good oil pressure, it is going to run.
And.....there are a dozen possible sources of a leak. Half of them are relatively simple fixes. Find a few others and peer under them. Perhaps there are members here who are in your area?