97 I30 bit the dust - best course of action

[I30t b]

Blew a head gasket AND belts at 60mph over the weekend, had white smoke billowing from exhaust and hood. Shop recommended ditching the car over fixing it, and it's stuck in a city I'm not located in. I'd hate to scrap it outright, what would you guys recommend?

thanks!

[PapaSmurf2k3]

That's a tough call. If coolant mixed with the oil and ruined your bottom end, you're out the whole engine. Even still, I'm not sure how much cost difference there would be between just fixing your headgasket or replacing the entire engine. Maybe hit up craigslist or some junkyards to see if you can source one pretty cheap. If nothing pans out, or you're paying big money for storage/impound fees, you might be better off just letting it go.

[maxhopper]

An engine will cost you anywhere up to $800. You can check www.car-part.com or www.lkqcorp.com (they offer a 6 month warranty) for an engine. LKQ will ship for free to a repair facility, or $125 to a residence. I believe shop time to replace the engine is around 16 hours. It just depends on how much money you're willing to put into it.

The labor and parts to repair your current engine will probably be as much as just replacing the engine in the long run.