Old Dude

Just a final note. Since the car was returned to me in December with the assurance that I should stop worrying about valve seals, I have done 2,500 miles and mysteriously the oil consumption is now 50% less than it was before I first had the head gasket problem. I can only assume that the garage quietly put new valve seals in, or successfully used Wynn's Oil Stop to fix the problem. Three trips down to the family home at flooded Langport have seen a dead alternator, a noisy alternator tensioner,  a very worn front o/s wheel bearing and rear discs and pads all being replaced. On its last trip however, it was back to running like a dream, so the private plate can stay on for a while yet, I hope.