I've got a customer with the same car that had taken it to an independent a few years ago to get new glow plugs. Seems that one broke off and the customer did not want to pay for having the head removed and gp repaired. The independent laid a spare glow plug on the metal piece below the intake and bailing wired it to the piece. Car is running like that to this day. It is easy to tell when the glow plug relay is working because you can see that one glowing. Granted it cold starts rough but he saved some money.

I have yet to see one of these (98/99) need a head gasket.

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Jim