Some times you get lucky, other times it can sting.
Reading about your plight I have sympathy for you that it has cost more than you anticipated, however for all the work you have done including the purchase price of the car only comes to 800 quid, and you have already had 10 months use out of it, then it still sounds a bargain with a full ticket and a bit of rent in the window to boot.
Any way what I really wanted to say is
Did someone mention a dash out job?
Its not that bad to do at all, biggest hurdle is the motivation to get started
The above photos are of my old A series 2.2 Diamond a few years ago during the dash out job to weld the bulkhead up.








