[alfa] 79 spider - Fix it or sell it?

["Shawn Mayer" <shawn@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

Hello all -  sorry for the long post:

I own a 79 spider that I've had for about 3.5 years, and I absolutely love
it. It was very trouble free for about the first 2 years or more, but since
then it has been a repair nightmare. Last year, I began doing some of my own
work on it, which was a cool experience for me because I really didn't know
much at all about cars up to that point. It was fun to learn, fun work to
do, and really satisfying on the occasions where I could successfully solve
the problem.

 

However, I've come to a point where I just don't know what to do with it. I
had a couple of burned exhaust valves last winter, so I pulled the head to
replace them and have the head rebuilt. This obviously required me to
replace the head gasket, and during the process I discovered a remarkable
amount of myth, advice, superstition, and confusion about how that job
should be done. Some said use no sealant, others said use it, and still
others said use it only on the back part of the gasket. I got all kinds of
different advice about the roll pins. Different recommendations for torque
procedures. I was expecting I'd be required to stand on my head and recite
the shop manual backwards before it was all over.

 

Whatever I did, it was apparently wrong. The car ran well for several months
during the summer, and then started leaking coolant and overheating. I'm
fairly sure that the head gasket is blown. And here is my current dilemma:
I'm a medical student, so I just don't have the time or the assistance to
spend my weekends doing it over, and even if I did, there's no guarantee
it'd come out right. Also, like most students, I don't have very much money.
So, I'm hoping for some advice about my options. If I WERE to get it fixed,
what would a reasonable rate be for that job? Anybody on this list have any
experience with a shop in Peoria IL called Kauth and Mayeur? 

 

And, if I am forced to sell it: would I be better off to pay to have it
fixed so I can sell a functioning car, or would it work out about the same
to sell it as is to an alfa nut who'd probably do his/her own work on it? I
recognize that the price tag on a 79 spider won't be real high, as they're
pretty common. any thoughts? If anyone here lives near Peoria and feels like
having a look, let me know.

 

Thanks to the list for all your past advice,

_Shawn Mayer
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