S2 aby head problem

[bilko0795]

Hi guys i have seen an s2 for sale that is blowing water through the header tank just wan,t to know is it worth pursuing or should i leave well alone the money doesn,t sound to bad at £2,000 i reckon i could get it for about £1,500 to £1,600 or should i leave well alone it will be my first S2 and i have been waiting a while for one every time one comes up i fancy someone else buys it before i can get to view it your thought,s would be most welcome.thanks

[terrybullwon]

Head gasket

[twenty valve]

I'd buy it.

My first S2 cost £4500 and within 1000 miles the head gasket failed. I bought a new 7a head, had it rebuilt, new headgasket, cam belt, tensioner, water pump, ARP studs, and had all the aluminium bits aqua blasted while it was apart. By the time it was all done, the car owed my about £5500.

If you started with a car which cost you £1600, you could do all this work, and it would be a mint running car with a new head gasket owing you £2600. And you will know that everything has been done to a proper standard, and you can thoroughly check all the other components in the engine bay.

Just be careful though. Make sure you buy the car and just do the work which absolutley needs doing to get it on the road. While the car is sat on your driveway as a project, the money can easily run away.....

[simon20vq]

Sounds like a good deal, but you want to find out how long the car has been drivern with the head gasket gone. Is the water pump & or the thermostate gone and was that what caused the problem? Or did it freeze up over the winter and crack? Just ask lots of questions and try and establish how it might have blown it might save you alot of money.

[bilko0795]

cheers guys it says that the clutch, water pump, rad etc have been changed it drives ok but blowing water from head its got 152,000 on the clock and the car is standred im also looking at ian4455s car on this forum nothing needs doing to it it, £3000 ono its had mods done and it,s running 385bhp it,s got a wilwood brake conversion the disc,s are 310mmx32mm and the car looks really good so i don,t know what to do im going up to durham on sat to look at the car long way from wales to turn around and not buy it. so a aby with a head problem for maybe £1500/£1600 and spend about a grand or more or ian,s 3b that needs nothing doing for around £3000 whats your thoughts guys.

[Al Wyn]

Ians

[Tap Towers]

Not biased, but seen Ians car a few times, and it is v tidy, he's put some time into it. Whats the rest of the other one like, I mean, it might just be a head gasket, but you need more than a sorted engine.

Best of luck with your decision tho

[bilko0795]

the other car is raguusa green not the colour i was really looking for i prefer kingfisher blue or byzance purple but i must admit i do like the colour on ian,s car both cars of them colours are a bit out of my price range the one i was after on pistonheads sold about 3wks ago while i was on hols went for £3,900 the other car looks like it has no indicator housing or lens it has grey cloth seats witch need a major clean and doesn,t look as nice as ian,s so i think i have made my choice i can,t have it until the end of the month due to him changing the turbo and manifold an mot and tax it,s going to seem like ages until then never mind i will keep having some fun in my S4 until then.cheers guys

[simon20vq]

Not seen Ian's car in the flesh, but if its as good as it looks in the pictures and is running that power its a no brainer!