Kill or Cure?

My freelander, a 98 XEDi which I have had from new has just blown it's head gasket, should I fix it or bin it?

Bearing in mind that it has a few other problems;

Electric window cables snapped
Viscous coupling removed
Radiator leaking
Expansion tank cracked
Heater matrix leaking (well they do that from new don't they?)

It has had the timing belt replaced recently and a new clutch so what would you recommend?

scrap it

petrol n matches

bin it

Ebay is a good place to get rid of spare parts.

Fix it, take it to a few local garages you get on with and don't part with your cash until they quote for around £400 - £500. It shouldn't cost any more than that for a decent jobby, even with the expansion tank and the leaky radiator fixed.

Sounds like it overheating seeing as it had a leaky radiator and cracked tank. If so it might need a new head as well if it's cracked or damaged beyond skimming. Tis only another £300 odd though.

I'm going to take the head off at the weekend and have a look, there is a good diesel engineer just around the corner from work that will skim the head for £30 if needed.

One of the window repair kits arrived this morning as well.

Good call. £700 / £800 (obviously less if doing the work yourself and it doesn't need a new head) might sound like a lot but if you think about it you could buy another car for twice that and it could go wrong within days especially if bought privately.

If you're doing the work yourself you know it's had a good look at and shouldn't need it doing again anytime soon down the line (as long as you fit the modified gasket lol).

I love it when there are titles like "Kill or Cure" in the Gaylander section.

Hmmm let me see... :scratching_chin:

Got matches?

Can you make money by fixing it and selling it? Otherwise bung it on eBay and let some other mug (aka crewbiker) waste their time on 't.

Only a mug can't see the good things about a 1.8k, they're a cracker of an engine if you spend a bit of time getting to know them.

A diesel at 112bhp? No thanks, i'll stick with my 1.8k putting out well over the standard 117bhp.

I'll get the popcorn....

L-series with hgf................now there's something you don't see everyday

I hope you are doing a 'how to'

Wait... does the OP have a diesel or a K series? Didn't think the diesels had timing belts? Rather timing chains? Probably wrong, never seen an L series lump in my life.

XEdi - diesel

XEi - petrol

Unless the OP is telling porkies, but they have mentioned a diesel engineer

Just done a bit of research, the L series do have timing belts. My mistake for missing out the xe'D'i

Fix it.
then you could scrap it and get £2000 trading it in for a new motor.

howardo said:

Fix it.
then you could scrap it and get £2000 trading it in for a new motor.

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Why fix it? My understang of the trade-in allowance is that it only has to have valid MOT & Tax and insurance. I dont think it states it has to be running. The trade-in specifies that the motor has to be scrapped, as well, so I dont suppose any dealer is going to be worried as to its potential to drive or sell on.

It's definitely a diesel, unless I have been putting the wrong fuel in for 12 years

SysFX said:

It's definitely a diesel, unless I have been putting the wrong fuel in for 12 years

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What you've owned a Hippo for 12 yrs and only now you register on the forum, where have you been man?

Fix it and drive for another 12 yrs

The Mad Hat Man said:

Why fix it? My understang of the trade-in allowance is that it only has to have valid MOT & Tax and insurance. I dont think it states it has to be running. The trade-in specifies that the motor has to be scrapped, as well, so I dont suppose any dealer is going to be worried as to its potential to drive or sell on.

Click to expand...

I thought they had to be running but I don't know.
Anyway if it was fixed i'm sure he'd keep it anyway.