dsmith

what i think is that if motor and trans have not been attended to before purchase, then this is standard work, if the car is kept for a length of time. i just see it as the car only losing $10k-$15k in depreciation over a few years instead of $40k in depreciation for a new car.

Peter Zimmermann

Louis: I don't know who you're dealing with, but I can safely encourage you to find another shop! First, you don't replace studs with steel, you put the latest generation of o.e. 993 studs in (it seems as though your "mechanic" has forgot about something called thermal expansion). That's a twenty-five hour job. 25 x $100/hr = $2500. Add a few hundred for studs, gaskets & oil, you're still just over $3K. The heads are on the bench at that time, do a valve job and put the engine together. $4500. Ten grand, surely he's kidding! Even with a clutch and the two engine compartment fuel lines you're still under $7500. 75K mile 3.2 Carreras just don't need a lot of work, without high oil consumption I would even bet that your heads are probably in pretty good shape. Get another opinion. Can you tell if the valve covers were removed, cleaned and replaced?

Re: Your clutch. Is your clutch pedal hard to push in? If yes, the car might need a clutch. If the clutch is light and smooth, the clutch has more than likely already been replaced by the PO, and doesn't need one. Do you have records? Can you call the PO and ask about the clutch? The reason that I bring this up is that most Carreras of your year, that have your mileage, have already had the clutch replaced - you surely wouldn't need another one.

J. Brinkley

louis, find another guy. Pete is right.

short and sweet
that is totally insane

mnmasotto

1) Pete knows his stuff!!! Take his advice to the bank!

2) However, I have a 87 Carrera with 75K. My car was burning alot of oil (one quart every 800 miles) so my car needed a valve job. By the time the work was done, new rings, head work, misc odd and end I was up to 10K. Remember, the car is twenty years old. When you get in there, other things will need replacing, if you want to do it right! I talked to three shops in So Cal. They all wanted 40 hours labor??

P.S. Pete thanks for all the advice. I have read your book over ten times!

louis hong

thanks for the replys. I will seek 2nd opinion for this. What Pete says makes a lot of sense. My clutch is not hard to press. In fact it is very smooth and feels very good. Would you recommend any mechanic for me in Monterey County, Santa Cruz County or Santa Clara County?