Check the master cylinder isn’t leaking into brake booster. That’s how these old Lucas and FAG master cylinders usually fail. If that’s the case, replace with aftermarket ATE master cylinder.

From the horror stories I keep on hearing about Australia that sounds dirt cheap.

Spark plugs are never the problem unless you buy no-name Aliexpress specials. This is 2023, not 1953. Don’t throw parts at the problem.

Swap Coil #1 with another, wipe fault codes, run the engine. Did the fault code migrate with the coil? If so buy a new coil, install and you are done. If the fault stays on #1 first read fuel trims, both short term and long term. How are they?

If you see something weird with fuel trims (especially short term flickering too much), send the fuel injectors to be bench-tested as a set.

Did the tech check alternator output? Because this sounds a whole lot like the alternator is on its last legs.

The brake pads are coated and the coating is starting to fall apart due to all the heat cycles brake pads go through even during ordinary driving. It’s very common on cheap brake pads, nothing to worry about.

I am presently looking at the ltest revision of the relevant TSB (EG-00573T-TME) from Toyota regarding head gaskets for all ZR family engines. The only “special” recommendation is to use the new redesigned parts that became available in 2021 (-FE/-FAE) and 2022 (-FXE).

Unless your engine is using a lot of oil (common with early 2ZX-FXE at high mileages) or has some other issue, replacing the whole engine makes sense only if you get an absolutely smoking deal on the engine swap. Otherwise this sounds like the typical sod off quote.

Volkswagen released a software update last year to solve exactly these issues: if your car hasn’t seen a dealership in a while it’s time to plan a visit, or at least to visit an independent who has access to erWIN.

It’s the typical “death rattle” of Aisin water pumps when they get old and worn out.

Were the vacuum slides sound when reinstalled? Carburetor circuits cleaned throughly? Were those tiny silly washers and o-rings on the pilot jets still sound? Are the carburetors themselves fully seated?

Those Keihin carburetors are fantastic when everything is fine, but they are also far less forgiving than Bing and Mikuni.

Try contacting Mid City Engineering. They came up with remote starter solutions for the first Mercedes with subscription racket once the service was terminated. They are good quality but not the cheapest.

If you plan on towing regularly with either vehicle, forget it will make that far without needing a transmission swap.

Look for a BMW E61 with the M57 engine. Far more reliable than those things, easier to live with and has an amazing amount of space inside. Yes, it’s an I6 but does it really matter? One of the best passenger car diesel in the post-classic Mercedes world.

At what point did you check your engine oil level and/or pressure and realized you had a serious lubrication problem?

Nothing you can do yourself. It’s a well known issue on the F-Pace with several firmware and software update to try and fix it as the issue presented itself again and again after the early 2019 and 2020 updates. You will need a JLR dealership to update the DSS to the latest version to (hopefully9 fix it.

The coolant was not refilled properly and you have air pockets in the cooling circuit.

These recent German engines are extremely difficult to bleed using traditional methods. For dealerships and authorized specialists it’s not a big deal: they will use a vacuum fill kit and be done with it. But despite this being a relatively cheap tool, many independents will do it the old fashion way.

Get the coolant drained and refilled by somebody with a vacuum filler who knows how to use it and you will be fine.

Honda uses Al washers merely because they save a tiny bit of money when ordering crush washers by the ton. You can use whatever is more convenient for you.

If you are fixated on those cars, go for the 206. By far it’s the cheapest and easiest to fix, and at those mileages there’s bound to be some work to do. Parts for it are not an issue and I see you are in Latvia where many of our cars end up to be broken up so plenty of breakers to buy used parts from.

And the breaker’s yard is where many of those cars belong. ;-)

First: engine stock or “tuned”? I am assuming a stock engine as some ECU tunes will cause exactly those massively positive long term fuel trims under certain conditons.

If you have INPA you may t-r-y to reset adaptive parameters for the fuel delivery system. Sometimes it works and sometimes it doesn’t, generally worth trying.

If resetting adaptive parameters doesn’t work, next stop are the fuel injectors. Before replacing them I would send them to be bench-tested: it’s likely a couple are worn out.

Brake warning light going off while braking is a symptom there’s something wrong with the sensor float.

Advics master cylinder are notorious for leaking inside the brake booster: start from there.

Registration year? Maintenance record?

“Bargain” and “Aston Martin” don’t belong in the same sentence, but what do I know?