$1300? That's about double the going rate. When mechanic shops quote you a price like that, always find out what their labor rate is per hour and how many hours "the book" calls for to do the job. Most people today either use AllData or Mitchell Repair for labor calculations. It is normal for shops to round up to the next whole hour or to add a half hour if the book says an even number of hours since it is a bit unrealistic and uses best case scenarios.
Here in Dallas, at my shop, you'd be billed 4 or 4.5 hours labor not including the front end alignment. Our labor rate (which varies across the nation) is $80 an hour so your labor would be 320-360. A rack is $250, inner tie rods, outer tie rods and boots...maybe $150-175. $785 plus tax plus alignment. This car will eat you out of house and home unless you either educate yourself as to the labor times involved in repairs or learn to fix it yourself.

 

The rpm's are not the issue. To smell exhaust in the cabin while the car is underway the leak almost has to be in the engine compartment; obviously, it is neither normal nor safe to have exhaust in the cabin. Most likely it would be exhaust manifold gaskets. A long piece of vacuum hose can be used as a make shift stethoscope.

 

If I were you, I would do more driving than worring about noises, smells, etc., unless you are leaking something like fuel, oil, tranny fluid, etc. Many times a car will drive for years with noises, etc.

Please remember that you have a 18 year old car. On a normal day, cars cost people $400+ per month. So, lets say you purchased the car for $1,200, you put repairs in it for $1,000. If you stop here, and the car drives for 6 months, that really wasn't a bad deal. Just the way I look at it.

As for the smell in the cabin, ask someone else to ride in it and tell you what they think it smells like. I had a fuel smell in my 960 and it runed out to be a small vacuum elbow that was torn (old worn out). My dealer charged $11 for the elbow but most places charge around $4 for it. Anyway, once I replaced that vacuum elbow the odor went away. I drove the car like that for probably 8 months and only smelled it while sitting with the car idle, like at the bank drive through.

Again, the car is 18 years old, it will make a lot of old car noises, most of which mean NOTHING since you had the timing belt replaced and your brakes are good.

 

I want to thank you all again. Today I changed the oil, it was a bit of a challenge to support the car and take off the stripped oil pan bolt but we finally did it. We put full synthetic oil this time and took it for a ride. It started right away and drove like a champ.

Also, I want to share with you my fiindings. The noise when I accelareted is coming from the catalytic converter heat shield which vibrates when I accelerate from stopping point.

The leak on the garage floor is power steering fluid. Not so bad as you said but it is leaking on the boots so I may need to take care of that soon.

Now, I'm trying to figure out where the slight exhaust smell is coming from. I'll let you know when we find it.

It really is a clean car and it is definitely a keeper. Thank you all again.

 

I hope you got a new bolt for the oil pan? They sell ones with magnets on them @ ipd.

 

I will get the bolt. Thank you.