The head I took in was pretty good, and only needed one guide and all the valves were in excellent condition and fit for further service. I'll include the prices I was charged for those of you who haven't headed down this track yet.

Total head cost NZ$256.50 incl. tax.

• 4 Hardened exhaust seats & machining = $145
• 4 Inlet seats cut and valves refaced $3.5 ea
• 1 New guides $9 ea
• planning, dipping, and blasting $60

For the Ford crossflow engine, there is no need to replace the exhaust valves or guides, just using hardened seats will suffice. I don't know about the earlier pre Escort noncrossflow, but I suspect it is a similar story.

No changes in timing were needed to use 96 octane unleaded fuel, and 91 octane fuel seems OK with a couple degrees of retardation - but you might wreck your engine, so only use 91 octane on engines you no longer care about...

The best thing is that feeling of satisfaction when you pull up at a petrol station and the attendant seeing an old car, runs out with the valvemaster syringe. I for one am glad I don't have to use that awful valvemaster stuff any more (my skin reacts).