1985 - Coupe - How many miles is too many

[MrBonus]

Originally Posted by Jay Jones

seem to me that there are two basic philosophies regarding the need to 'fix' cars. ...the air-cooled engines consume oil, and there's a lot of focus on that as a problem. what I've seen that a high mileage car can easily pass smog (significant for those of use here in CA) even if it consumes oil in the 500 to 800 mi/qt range. and run fine, just smoky at startup if it sits unused for a week or more.

so we have
1. those who are trying to recreate a 'near new' experience
2. others who are happy to drive their cars and not be obsessed with the 'fixes' that may not be needed to enjoy a spirited drive on a twisty road.

I'm not aware of any catastrophic problems/ failures. Certainly nothing like a IMS/RMS failure on a water pumper.

Of course. How many people have gone about replacing functioning suspension, transmission, and engine bits because of a little creaking, oil consumption, or mushy shifting?

People have money to burn and it's easy to justify spending it when you know something is 100% perfect. I know I've done it before.

[COLB]

Originally Posted by MrBonus

Of course. How many people have gone about replacing functioning suspension, transmission, and engine bits because of a little creaking, oil consumption, or mushy shifting?

People have money to burn and it's easy to justify spending it when you know something is 100% perfect. I know I've done it before.

This is why I put "need" in scare quotes. A lot of engine & transmission rebuilds seem to get done because people want to do them -- either for added performance or "peace of mind" -- rather than through absolute necessity.

As a new Carrera owner, the first thing that slaps you in the face on the message boards is "valve guide" issues. Then you dig deeper, and there isn't even real consensus on what constitutes "factory spec" oil consumption. Then you find threads where guys are going to replace the clutch and oil leaks, and decide to do the top end since they already have the engine out.

I wonder if there is some bleed over from the 996/986 world where former boxster owners (like me) initially equate worn valve guides to IMS issues. Matt and I discussed something similar on the board before -- that premature valve guide wear happens, but may well be over reported -- or maybe is just less dire than some assume. A 25 year old engine burning a little oil is not the same as a motor grenading with 50k miles on it.

[seamore2001]

Originally Posted by Matt Monson

I'll drive it until it drops. Didn't buy it for value. Probably stuck with it near forever.

Word. My '84 had 121K miles on it when I bought it late 2011, and now has 141K. It came with reasonably complete reciepts and as far as I can tell, has had one clutch replacement and the engine has never been cracked. It burns about one quart per 1K miles and aside from appreciating double-clutching and needing shifter bushings replaced, it's treated me very well. I replace the oil every 3K and do whatever maintenance comes up. I intend to keep putting the miles on it and am really not concerned about whether it continues to appreciate in value.