engine life, are rebuilds inevitable? Options

[MiddleMan]

I'm in the market for a 914 and have a few under consideration. Something I'm wondering is, is there a rough estimate as to how many miles (or years) the engine will go before it's likely to need a major overhaul? I realize there will be lots of different experiences out there, but on average does it seem more reasonable to buy a car with a rebuilt engine (possibly w/ increased displacement) vs something that is relatively low miles but untouched?

I suppose the same question could be asked about the transmission...

So many things to consider in addition to rust! (IMG:style_emoticons/default/biggrin.gif)

[Jake Raby]

All Engines and everything mechanical will eventually wear out. The key is ensuring that the wear is addressed before the engine has a component failure that could render it non-rebuildable.

Old, original engines generally fail due to "dropped valves" more than anything else. A dropped valve is the nastiest mode of failure, as it can take out everything and have zero symptoms before the big boom.

Don't drive an engine to death, give it what it needs, when it needs it and you'll be money ahead and won't need a tow truck to rescue you on the side of the road.

Elective rebuilds are without a doubt, best case scenario.