Valve clearences...

I have purchased a 1986 Ferrari 328 GTS (Euro) with 37k miles, it is currently being serviced and prepped to hand over to me. The car has been gone through and all issues addressed, a weeping rear main seal being something that needed attention. However the car has not been maintained by a shop by the previous owner who was an engineer. I have no contact with the previous owner only the sales person, who has now sent the car to a quaified Ferrari race shop.

My question is should i ask for the valve clearances to be checked as a matter of course, or should i allow the shop to dermine if they need to be done. I do not know how you would determine that other than you have noisey tappets. I have been for a test drive by the owner of the sales garage, at some point this car was fitted with a Larini exhaust (great sound but not switchable to a quiet mode so i have had it replaced with a capristo valved exhaust, anybody wants a Larini SS exhaust in good condition lmk). I could not hear any valve train noise but as the sales garage had yet to service the car with a new cambelt he did not take the car passed 6500k. It felt peppy but i felt the last 1000 revs would have revealed a bit more but was happy he didn't push it, planning to get everthing sorted beforehand.

So i had also asked a compression test be done and this has come back with no issues, the last thing on my list is the valve clearances, i had a mini cooper s and used to do them myself, half as many and probably twice as accessible, but to be honest outside of that car i have not had much experience.

 

This is the answer i was looking for, It's not something i am afraid or unable to do but in this case since it is not on a service receipt that it has been done and since the seller has agreed to fully service the car incl. a cambelt change i thought it should part of the service at this mileage.

At some point in the future when i have my own little workshop with some tools i will probably tinker and adjust most things myself,

 

Just wanted to thanks for the advice, mechanic checked the clearences and found 16 needed adjustment.