From the information you've written here I have a gut feeling you're wasting your time trying to make a claim. You've got a modified car - I guess the opposition would say you did not do the conversion properly - that the engine was already shot - you'll end up in a circle of finger pointing and BS...

...I can't see it being a healthy experience.

I don't want to drag you down - it is a ****ty thing to happen.


I encourage you to look for a practical solution like doing a leak down test and work out where the trouble (in the engine) is.

__________________
1992 W201 190E 1.8 171,000 km - Daily driver
1981 W123 300D ~ 100,000 miles / 160,000 km - project car stripped to the bone
1965 Land Rover Series 2a Station Wagon CIS recovery therapy!
1961 Volvo PV544 Bare metal rat rod-ish thing

I'm here to chat about cars and to help others - I'm not here "to always be right" like an internet warrior



Don't leave that there - I'll take it to bits!