Sad tale - damsels in distress over head gasket

[mtamin]

Hello folks. Here's a sad tale. I sold a nice Maestro Auto to a lady and her daughter in Oxford who can only drive Autos. Its a nice clean example (1600S series) but for some reason it has overheated (possibly the fan did not come on in traffic). A local garage have said that the head gasket now needs replacing and have quoted £300 to do the head gasket. I thought this sounded a lot. Anyone know of anyone around that neck of the woods that might fancy the job for less? ie much less.??

Martyn

[E_T_V]

I replied in the old forum, but yes that is a lot. it is quite a straighforward job so she might get it done for half that at a back street garage. If she has to get rid I'd like one to give to my girlfriends disabled mum.

Cheers

Dan

[skipweasel]

> Hello folks. Here's a sad tale. I sold a nice Maestro Auto to a
> lady and her daughter in Oxford who can only drive Autos.

You haven't got another, have you?

Ours overheated a while back...'cos it'd rolled into a wall and bent the grille enough to push the fan back into the radiator. Didn't matter round here, 'cos we don't have traffic, but next time we were going up a mountain it overheated when the fan fuse blew.

Head gasket's easy enough, mine took four hours outdoors in the snow, so I guess a good garage should be able to do it in threeish.

Skipweasel.

[MGTurbo]

The last one i did took 2 hours. The gasket isn't that expensive, if i was closer to you i would entertain the work. I would certainly give it a go though, the hardest bit is undoing the downpipe nuts, and getting the timing belt tension right with the belt still in the correct place.

Gareth

[mtamin]

I am happy to report that this Maestro is back on the road after it was repaired.