The tapets are noisey generally when I first start up the car & leave it running for a short while.They then seem to go away. What can I expect from a do nothing approach. I change the oil regularly.
From a do nothing approach? Expect nothing much to change. Here’s where I really recommend Auto-Rx (www.auto-rx.com). Buy it and use it as directed. It’s not cheap like the kerosene in a can flushes. It’s expensive esters that are highly polar in nature. You just add it with your next oil change …then go about your business. The next time you change the oil you may have a few more ticks for a few days. Then you should have a quite engine. It will also de-coke your rings and will probably reduce any consumption.
The key here is the engine warm up. The problem may be the valve adjustment and that is not a difficult job or an expensive one. Have the oil pressure checked when you take it in for an evaluation. There are other oil treatments available to coat parts with a good lubricant so that they are not noisy at start up, but this sounds to me more like a valve adjustment problem. Generally, a little clacking is better than poor valve seating and if you are not having oil pressure or consumption problems, you might want to just leave it alone. Loud sticking lifters is a whole nuther smoke.
I have an old Buick repair manual from the 1970s that advises to not judge valve train noise until the engine is warmed. In that case you are ok.
Another possibility is that your engine has a little piston slap that goes away when the engine is warmed a little. If this is the case, you are ok too.
My last car had a little piston slap when cold for most of its life. I traded it at 140k miles. The slap never got louder nor quieter when first started. It was not a problem.
Doing nothing should be appropriate.