How to know if i'm going to need a carburetor repair kit for my 9hp engine?

I'm not the most mechanically inclined but i've come to the conclusion that i need to clean my small engine's carburetor (Honda 9hp gx270) to get it running. So my question is: how do i know if i'm going to need a carburetor repair kit (ie the ones on ebay ect.). What i'm hoping for is to clean it without needing the repair kit.

Is it worth buying an older car with original miles?

I'm looking at this 98 Honda Prelude Sh that has 20k original miles. They're asking 14 grand for this car which normally would turn me away. But I see similar preludes around my area that sell for about 5-6 grand with "reasonable" miles. (140k-170k). Now I'm having second thoughts, any suggestions? No doubt I'm in love with this prelude, but 14 grand is gut wrenching.

What are the odds? Van repairs?

I've never had car problems in 17 years of driving. I've had my honda odessey for 7 years, I'm the original owner. In the last 3 and a half months, I had to get the alternator changed, then the radiator, then the transmission rebuilt (and I've had to take it back to the shop for this about 4 times since cause it won't drive on D) and now, I'm told I need to replace the catalytic convertor. Seems like the domino effect. My friend was teasing me about having a stalker, but now I'm actually thinking that maybe someone had a hand in it. Is it paranoia?

Cheap imports/tuners that are cheap?

I'm lookin to buy a tuner thats decently quick and also cheap, i've looked on numerous websites and haven't found a car that caught my eye. Please NO HONDA