Reiver

3.2's wear their valve guides faster than 3.0's due to higher lift cams. That's high mileage for original valve guides from what I've read.
BTW, you can still have high oil consumption without 'seeing' blue smoke. Take it up to 4-5 grand in 2nd gear, watch the rearview side mirror looking low, then back off quickly....I'll bet you see smoke.

race911

3.2s do? Or maybe because we were into most of the 3.0s from out-of-warranty to ~60K because they were still puking tensioners, thus you had to replace bent valves. Therefore the guides. Most of us had a hotline to Lukes and Shorman for bulk orders............. And no one I knew in the business were fixing one or two cylinders, and sending the car back down the road. At least on the "new" cars.

Anyway, cams are the same across the 3.0/3.2 normally aspirated cars. the 8.5:1 3.0s did have a different cam timing spec, and of course the chain sprocket fastened in a different manner (bolt v. nut) on the 3.2s. (The 3.6L NA cam IS of slightly higher lift on both intake and exhaust.)

Ultimately, and back to my original comment, I don't get paying full retail for a high mileage car that WILL have to have the engine tended to by someone, sometime. And it's not a $1.99 fix. I've got a 3.2 in inventory, 170K original and about 15K from a comprehensive $13K build by one of the top 3 Bay Area shops. Amazingly, they determined the P/C set was still within spec, and reused. But those are still Mahles. The early G50 era crapshoot with K+S sets are a whole 'nother deal......

pcarhiway

Just purchased a very nice 86 Carrera back in September (9/11) to be exact. Had always been a G50 adherent previously. The car had 119,000 miles on it and now has 123,000 miles. Very fun to drive. My humble opinion ... FWIW, 86 Carreras are a real sweet spot in the 911 lineage. You will enjoy the car assuming everything checks out on your PPI.

Reiver

I learned something, thought the 3.0 and 3.2 had a dif cam spec.
The valve guide wearout is what I've heard from two local shops on the 3.2. Early valve guide wearout is how they put it actually.

race911

Timing spec yes. Again, between the up-through-'79 8.5:1 engines, and the 9.3/9.8:1 '80-'83 + 9.5/10.3:1 3.2Ls.

Who are the local shops? If either are Don Jackson or Stuttgart Southwest, hi to DJ and Jack. (DJ helped me get Ruby tech'd + exhaust changed out last spring for that AMP DE. Funny that I got to use my old alignment lift out back for the job that he ended up with.)

Reiver

I've been to both, the only two shops I'll go to in the Phx area. DJ did the PPI on my car and Jack test drove it for me a month ago when we were talking rebuild time. Jack told me to come back in 50k miles or 5 years (275k miles or so) for another check. Honest guys that do good work.