Absolutely, yes. They are possible to kill but it takes a great deal of dedication.
And will remain so. But with anything of this age - anything - a certain amount of... experience is wise, either with cars in general or that particular machine.
I don't know about that...
At one place I worked, one member of staff went through a number of turbo diesel engines in his company provided 405. Turned out he lived right beside the Swindon M4 motorway junction - the office was a couple of junctions down the M4 - Newbury.
So, just a minute or two after starting he joins the motorway, gets up to 70+MPH, temperature climbs very rapidly in just a few hundred yards. Seems that the thermostat doesn't react quickly enough. I saw the same effect on my 405, but living in South London means I don't get to drive anywhere quickly soon after starting. In my case, the temperature climbed rapidly, almost into the red, before the thermostat reacts and brings the temperature back to midway on the gauge.
Anyhow, glad I no longer have the car, as the clutch was unbearable in heavy traffic...
The "somewhat stupid" technique of running a car then. You never do this with a cold engine.
Did he ever check the coolant?
Again sounds knackered. We had a leggy 405 TD on the fleet, which we replaced with a 406 - the last time I drove it, it had 165K on the odometer. It felt saggy and high mileage from a seat / interior / suspension perspective, but the engine felt great.
Try a Lancia...
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