I just went through a similar dilemma with my truck. It’s a '98 4Runner with (then) 177k and needed a new differential and some other stuff to the tune of about $4k (when all was said and done). I know these vehicles are capable of really high mileage so putting the money into them is a pretty safe risk.
I put 220k on my '84 Civic so my guess is you’ve got a lot of life left in that motor once you’ve fixed. Unless of course you really want to get a newer vehicle. If that’s the case then just trade it in. But if you’re happy with the car and want to keep it for another several years then it’s worth fixing.
james
[quote]Marzouk wrote:
[quote]jehovasfitness wrote:
I asked what they would give me for trade-in, $2k seems pretty close to NADA values in this condition . [/quote]
A few years back i drove my 1995 celica with frozen rad pipes. Forgot to put ant freeze in the winter.
Anyway it overheated and the block kinda twisted and coolant was coming out. $1200 to get it fixed, it was only worth $1200 anyways.
I found some rad weld like liquid. Can’t remember the exact name of the stuff. I know it copper particles in it.
Poured it into the radiator, run the engine upto head and this shit filled all the cracks and re-welded the gap that was formed. Boom like new.
The best ting is that this shit stays in the system and re fixes any new breaks/holes.
Maybe some one knows the name of this stuff? It came in a 250ml jerry can looking bottle.
Maybe this will help. [/quote]
This stuff?
Like some one already said, sometime these chemical additives work, sometimes they don’t. You are only out $5-20 to try them out.
[quote]SteelyD wrote:
[quote]greystoke wrote:
Junk yard mtr. probably cost about the same as a head job.
[/quote]
20 bucks and ride into town?[/quote]
I knew when I wrote that…somebody would got there, lol!
[quote]Jewbacca wrote:
If it’s safe, drive it until the wheels fall off.
[/quote]
Funny you should say that. When I was at uni I took over an old car of my dad’s. I noticed the clutch was slipping so got it replaced, at great expense to myself. Then the head gasket blew, one month later. Got it replaced, again. Shortly after that the wheel fell off. Fortunately for me I was going slowly in town. Sent the fucker to the scrapyard after that.
So '04 Civics have that problem a lot? I have an '04 Civic. My head gasket needs replaced. $1800. I spent $9,000 on it only 3-4 years ago. And it only had around 47,000 miles when I got it. So mad. Paid too much for it to be spending so much only a couple years later. 
Do I replace or buy a different car?