R&R Engine, Cams, and Heads

[logray]

The valve job was a gamble I took to fix the smoke and soot (and only forked out a couple grand for that work)... But now I simply can't ignore the massive soot still coming from cyl 1-3 after the top end rebuild.

I'm working on validating these numbers sometime next week when some tools arrive, but with number like these, along with the massive soot - it's tough to keep driving the car with a smile on my face.

compression all around 150psi (very very poor)

leakdown past the rings all around 22-25% (only going to get worse, and likely the cause of the soot and low compression)

Depending on how the validation test of the above numbers comes out will be a big part of my decision on what to do with the car next.

Do I spend another $6k to do it right??? or $2k to just replace main/rod bearings and piston rings (if that would even work without touching the cylinders). I'm in the face of a major decision !!!!

• Sell the car, sell the valuable accessories and get into another 911 (and possibly replace piston rings/bearings as a "patch")
• Keep the car, sell the valuable accessories, return the car to stock, and rebuild the engine the right way (LNE nickies 3.6 bore). The car would be mine "forever" at that point.

And some other options on the bottom of my list:

• Keep driving the car until it blows up or starts spewing oil out the exhaust (not that far away from happening).
• Sell the existing engine and accessories and do a Chevy LS V8 conversion
• Sell the existing engine and accessories and buy a used or remanned engine
• Replace only piston rings, rod and main bearings - don't touch the cylinders, and gamble some more (about $2000 more).