Head Gasket Leak. Looking for advice.
Hi everyone. I have a 2012 mitsubishi mirage 1.0 G.
I live in Pakistan and have had it since when it was imported in 2015. Currently it has 99k km on it (59300 miles) but unfortunately, one day it's thermostat got stuck closed and it overheated which caused the engine performance to drop and fuel average down to 20 miles per gallon. First thing I noticed after getting thermostat removed was that there's white bubbles in coolant.
Now the weather is very hot 100 degree Fahrenheit. The car died on me 12 times yesterday before I got home. It starts right up after dying but doesn't pick up speed and kinda lingers.
Now I have 2 options. Either get a head gasket replacement or get a whole new engine.
Used imported engine: $250 with labour around $290 which I can easily afford.
Head gasket repair cost: $150 but the problem is there's no mechanic in my city who can fix it properly.
I really want to keep this car.
What do you suggest? New engine or repair?
TIA