I feel like a blown headgasket is the go to diagnostic of these cars. I was told very much the same many years ago and it was a split water pipe and a dodgy MAF sensor. Took about 10 minutes for someone with knowledge to diagnose.
The best specialist in the country isn’t far from the places you’re taking. I also would assume that you must of paid more than tuppence for the car as they aren’t cheap these days. It’s got to be worth getting an expert to give it the once over. If it is dead, I recon he will even have a good contact for getting rid of that’s the case.
By
Stephen ·
thanx to phil for getting the beast back in order although it took a while for the idle to sort itself out but its now back to its good old self