Good answers guys - thank you. The car is indeed a 2.6 and uses a little oil - I add a half-quart between changes at 3k or 3.5k miles. And I run the engine hard. I've read and have been told that the valve seals and guides on these engines are inherently the weak link though the plugs are coming out clean at this point (I didn't know they were an indication of VS and VG wear). That's comforting. If it starts using more oil or the plugs get dirty I think I may have to consider the work. Question remains - will I save some $$ by having both the front cover and top end work done at the same time or are they two different jobs?