Timing Belt Broke - 2000 Honda Civic LX - Fixit or Junk it??
 

Driving 6the generation 2000 Honda Civic LX

This past weekend, driving down the road at 65 mph, motor shuts off.
Slip automatic in neutral, coasted to side of road.
Opened up hood, fluids good, visible belts good, zero leaks, exhaust pipe dry.
Car would not start - Called wrecker - now at shop.

1st Shop report.
Looking through "Add Oil" port on valve cover, can see Rocker assemble.
Turn motor over with starter, NO MOVEMENT for Rocker assemble.
Stopped any additional motor inspection. Shop scheduled out next 7-10 days.

Car History
Purchased car 7 months ago, put on 6100 miles, currently at 166k
Purchased on Craigslist with many maintenance type repairs including.Timing belt.
All repairs we could see were new parts ... so I trusted seller for Timing Belt, BAD decision.
The body is excellent, automatic tranny feels solid, A/C blows cold, interior above average, tires 95%.

Shop and Quotes
Local shop was a Chevy dealership, but chose not to continue the franchise.
Shop does not have a cost out / repair cost guide for Honda's to give me a fast quote.
Shop owner / mechanic feels confident he can provide quality repairs.
But until he opens it up, no guarantees for part cost ... which I understand.

SO NOW THE DISCUSSION.
Reading other threads .. with luck, valve(s) and some head work.
In the world of utopia, whats the best guess cost to fix head and valve(s).
Parameters -
Raised 7 kids, 6 went through college, (on last one 2 years to go) so money tree is thin.
I can not do the work ... but I do LOVE this car.
So what should I do .. Fix it or Junk it ??

A leakdown test is an inexpensive way to check for valve damage. This involves rotating the cam manually so the valves in the cylinder under test are closed, then injecting compressed air into the cylinder through the spark plug hole to see if the pressure holds. The DIY mechanic (where labor is "free") would just put a new belt on and see if it runs.

If the engine is damaged but the rest of the car is in good shape as you say, it would be worth the money to get a used engine, or a rebuilt head.