Valve/Rings/Synth/etc..

[Derek Daily <ddaily@SMTPGW.MITSUICOMTEK.COM>]

(Minor Vent)
Well...
I swore I would never get involved with an oil thread, but...
Say I know someone that just purchased a CQ with fairly high miles
(~130k) and this car tends to use quite a bit of oil.  In fact, the
purchase is so new, that the new owner hasn't really been able to
confirm consumption, but lets just say that it's ~1qt per 1-1.5k
miles.  Do not know what type of oil was being used by former owner &
in fact am now a little suspicious of oil changes.

If the car is really using this much oil, why should I...I mean this
other guy...give a @#$% about what type of oil they put in it now? 
At 24k miles / year, you're looking at 24 qts per year (syn=~$78,
dino=~$30).  

Now the gist of the question....
(1)  If the car uses lots of oil and I know it, so I replace it. 
What does it matter?
(2)  If the car uses a tonne of oil and begins to use MORE after
switching to synth, I think the consensus would be that the valve
seals are shot(?) and perhaps a ring (?) job is justified as well. 
BUT what will this accomplish other than possibly eliminating oil
consumption?
(3)  Can a kind soul gently explain what I'm in for...it's new to me?

The syncro started getting synth at ~200k miles, consumption _may_be
up a little now (~226k) but what is to say that this isn't purely due
to mileage?

Thanks for the (forthcoming I hope) primer on valve seals, guides,
rings, etc...

Derek Daily
86 VW qsw 227k
90 CQ 131k