Your adventure with your car sounds like mine. I swear my car.hates me also. It was my first car, bought when I was 15, lost in 2003,.bought it back 10 years later. Been working on it ever since. Had it running, pulled motor to do body and paint, somehow got water in the cylinders, pitted beyond repair.
Just broke in the new 340 last week, now clutch line is leaking. Cracked flare... Lol. New line will be here tomorrow.
