This thread has been awesomely entertaining!
rsimoes, I have experienced too much of what you did,
but fortunately my obsessive/compulsive personality would not let me give up. 13 years later I still have the same car and do enjoy it. Admittedly, sometimes I've wanted to heave a tool or two at it.
At this time I'm only able to lift the cover, admire it and think of next spring, because it has a broken head and a split in #2 cylinder wall. I consider this current predicament to be chapter 49 of a big ole book I'll be able to write someday about this car!!
What a ride it's been. Oh yeah, my wife has been and still is a fan of the car since we started talking about owning one in 1992!!
David