Run it until my luck runs out? Range for ‘91 in excellent condition but dead engine?
Planning to buy a ‘91 with 114k miles from single owner who has meticulous records and has only put premium fuel in it. Body and interior are immaculate. Engine inspection (2.1 WBX, water cooled) flagged one cylinder with 115psi and 65% leakdown, but it seems to run smoothly and keeps cool (the other three run 150-170, with 15-20% leakdown). I hope a valve adjustment solves the issue, but that’s TBD. I’m hopeful we get at least 200k (with continued preventative maintenance), maybe even 250k+. Local weekend adventures, no huge cross country road trips.
When the time comes to replace the engine, I don’t know that I’ll be able to stomach $30k (that’s what two local shops have quoted). Who knows, I might be so in love with it at that point I can’t part with it - but for now, that’s not my plan. So, I’m thinking we enjoy it while it lasts, but when the engine goes, that may be the day I sell it to a new owner who wants to tackle that project / cost.
My questions:
Given the cylinder pressure issue, how would you proceed? How big of an orange / red flag is it?
What’s the going rate for a ‘91 with an immaculate interior and body, but a shot engine? Can I still expect to recoup $5-10k? I’m in the PNW.