Went to see the 5kcstq

[Wallace White <whitew@leland.Stanford.EDU>]

I went to look at the 5kcstq in Sausalito. It's now got 138k miles (1k
more than the ad stated), which may mean it's been on the market a little
while as suggested. Overall, I thought the car was quite good. The pearl
white paint was in exceptionally good condition for an '87. But, I have
some reservations and questions:

Wheels: I was disappointed to see the stock wheels replaced by Riken
5-spoked "star" alloys. Probably expensive wheels but not to my taste. I
forgot to check their size. Anyone have some stock 5kcstq wheels sale? 

Brakes: I let the engine run for a few minutes, shut it off, and tried
pumping the brakes. The pedal was stiff within a few pumps. Bad bomb? The
car braked well...

Power Steering: I didn't recognize any leaks, but the mechanic's
inspection mentioned "p/s leak." The seller said that he said it was not
serious, but she encouraged me to check with him. I'll call him tomorrow. 

Maintenance: The seller will have to get back to me about service records,
since she didn't have them with her. She said the car has been very
reliable since she's owned it ('92, 55k), which I suppose is a bad sign
for its future, right?

The other checkpoints seemed okay, save a few split seams in the
upholstery.  The ad was for $4995 obo, but I think she would take a good
bit less.  Anyway, I'm hoping to look at another 5kcstq in a few days, so
I'll be able to compare. That one has only 102k, new wheels (ugh), and a
1.8 bar wastegate and chip, which would seemingly cause greater stress to
other components. But it'd be fun.

I'd appreciate any thoughts, especially on the brakes, which don't drive
like they need an expensive fix. Thanks again.

- Wallace White
  pondering 5kcstq's