It certainly sounds as if the OD is out to lunch. I hope it isn't damaged so badly that OD spares, or whoever you go to, won't accept it as a core for standard overhaul. Even running the car without using it, still means the drive goes through the centre. Your description maybe a bit over the top but if there are any loose bits moving about in there you could have the whole thing sieze up. No fun there. I don't think it would be considered a defeat if you bought a something small and cheap to use for a few months over the worst of the winter while you get both the OD and leaky screen done. Lots of good usable cars were being scrapped recently when the price of steel was high but it's dropped a lot now so ask around. £200 or less, with 6 months tax and MOT and you're off. If you know a friendly MOT man he'll likely be able to tell you about something that just needs a small lite fix, as they say in Sweden.
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