plmval,
Thanks for posting.
The lack of power seems to be improving albeit very slowly. I've given the car two or three good hard runs and although things are better they are still not "right". That link you posted looks interesting and I might invest in one of those at a later date.
As regards timing I wouldn't know where to start. I don't think the timing chain will have stretched as I've always used top quality oils which until recently were changed every year.
The car was not overheating as such. It was a smell of burning. This only happened at both ends of the same journey. The temp gauge is showing normal readings and the fan cuts in correctly. If memory serves me well my wife's car was the same with a blocked cat but we'll see if mines the same once I've slung some Cataclean into it.
The throttle I hope will be sorted out by fully lubricating the cable and spraying cleaner down the throttle body.
I take your point about whether or not it may be worth the effort with an old car. The cost of the MOTs on both cars has been mainly for welding rather than anything else. My wife loves her motor and it got through the last test without anything needing to be done. My car needed a lot of welding so I made a conscious decision to spend the cash which was far more than the value of the car. I can easily afford to go out and buy a new car without denting my savings. I am of a generation that believes in fixing things rather than throwing them away and am cursed with a combination of a stubborn streak a mile wide and an obsessive personality which means once I start something I cannot let go.
