As above, I was driving back home from Blackpool yesterday and halfway down the M62 the head gasket goes.
All indications are that it's blown into a cylinder rather than an oilway.
I drive a 20V n/a VIS - does anyone have any idea how much I should expect to pay to get this sorted out at a garage.

Well a head gasket will involve a Cambelt change and more. I would estimate in the region of £1000

Thanks Bockers, you've just eased my mind - it's in my local garage now and I've been told that worst case it will be £1150. These guys seem to know what they're doing as when they did my major service (including belts etc) they only charged £504.

Well if you do a crude estimate of Cambelt plus Exhaust manifold and then a full service it comes to around that plus of course the labour remove and re-fit the head as well as the gasket and parts it soon adds up the the 1k mark so theire quote sounds ok.

I was OK with their quote to be honest, I've used the garage for years, they look after my coupe well and have plenty of experience with sports cars - Jarrod (the owner) likes to restore Lotus's (or should that be Lotii?).

Anyway just got a quick update, the head is off and it's good news/bad news time -
First, the good news is that they can do the job engine in so that cuts down labour and hence cost.
Second, the bad news, pistons 1 & 5 are kaput!! that puts the cost up again.
Apparently there are only 4 pistons available in the country (unless anyone out there knows different!) and if I want to do all 5 they will have to order one from Germany and then I won't see my pride and joy back this side of Christmas!
I've told them to go ahead and replace the two damaged pistons but thought I'd post this up to see if anyone advises otherwise.
As it stands I'm now thinking that if I get away with less than £1500 I'll be lucky!

As i always say but people usually disagree so i dont bother anymore but i would always just switch the engine when the head pops in these circumstances.

Im sure if you sourced and engine from someone like me, sent it to motormech on a trailer it would be done with change from £1200 and no-risk unlike the route you are taking.

Im sure they could find alternative pistons alot quicker than that, they are hardly a rare item.

Hi Carl, yes I agree it would be a more cost effective route to swap the engine but unfortunately the circumstances I'm in won't allow it.
My coupe is not a weekend toy, I use it everyday and I need to get it back on the road quickly.
In any other situation I would probably be straight on the phone to you to ask about a replacement lump and then get it fitted at my leisure but I use my coop for commuting and hence need it back quickly.
I also thought finding it difficult to get a full set of pistons was funny, but at this moment I'm stuck between a rock and hard place!
Do you think I'm right in getting just the NG pistons replaced or should I put up with delay and have them all done now?

Metalman... fitting an entire engine is less labour intensive, they are effectively rebuilding your engine! And your very brave letting a non specialist take on such a job, i dont know the guy doing the work so it isnt personnal but i would get that into a specialist, call them all and get quotes.

Believe me, getting a new/second user engine and dropping that in will be far quicker then scorcing pistons, waiting for them, haveing them fitted and only to find out they have done something wrong for it all to come out again.

I would be more confident letting a non specilist swap my engine then rebuild it PLUS not replacing all 5 could end up faulse economy in the long run. Sometimes we all need to suffer the bus/train for our coupes