Well, George my car is back. But ooof. He's getting expensive in his old age. I have one more biggish repair in the next few months, and afterwards I should have some breathing space.
The people at the garage were amazed that George is 18yo car because he's in *really good* condition.
That said, I've started looking at new cars. Am hoping I can find one that's affordable that will do as well as he has.