I love my '99 Accord V6 Coupe, I think it's one of the more timeless designs to come from that otherwise awkward era of car design. It fits me and my body, handles exactly how I want it to, sounds like I want it to, etc. Then, disaster struck, the timing chain broke and now it sits at my mechanics parking lot, awaiting a decision.

I can't afford to buy a 'new' used vehicle then perform the standard old-car-repairs. I'd just fully replaced brakes, radiator/fan, tires, renewed all registration, etc on this vehicle and it is in otherwise great shape.
I can, however, borrow ~1800 from my local credit union and I have a reliable/cost-efficient mechanic (they are slammed this week, so I can't ask as many questions until next Monday). Should I be looking to buy a used J30A1 engine to have them drop it in, or is this a terrible idea? Or is a full engine replacement excessive? I've been seeing them at LKQ and Ebay for about $500 delivered, 100k-180k miles on avg.

Thanks for suggestions,

(also to reiterate, I love this car.)

 

A good used engine may be the way to go.

Btw: It has a timing belt, not chain.

 

have him slap a timing belt on it and run a compression test