Ford Repair: 95 Ford Thunderbird overheating, blown head gasket, head gasket problem

Question
Hi Steve

Last week I noticed that my heat gauge was fluctuating from medium to hot.  I lost  my  defogger and inside car heating facilities.

I took the car into PeP Boys auto service. They told me. I had a  head gasket problem.

I called several auto repair shops. They  gave me estimates from 1000.00 to 1600.00.  This is a major investment! How do I find out if the head is cracked or if it just needs a new gasket.

The Pep boys guy said that I could drive the car   
as long as I kept antifreeze and water in it.

Funny thing is that when I drove the car home it didn't overheat.

Any info would be appreciated.
Thanks

John  

Answer
John-

  I find it odd that the only symptom you mentioned was overheating and the Pep Boys guys think it's a blown head gasket.  Such a problem will almost always entail a good amount of white smoke from the exhaust when the accelerator is pressed down OR coolant in the engine oil (it turns a milky-brown color).  It could be just a problem within the cooling system.  If it is indeed a head gasket then it's NOT safe to drive on it.  When coolant mixes with engine oil it destroys the lubricating properties of the oil.  If coolant gets onto any of the connecting rods it can also cause those to warp or even break.  I'd get it diagnosed by a real shop as soon as you can.  Hope this helps.

Steve