need a rough quote

hi,
i need some advice. the head gasket has gone on my baby. is it cheaper to buy a recon engine and have that put in? i also need to get my gear linkages done. can anyone give a rough idea of how many hours of labour im looking at?
is there anyone in north london area that could help?
ive recently been made redundant, so im keen to do as much as possible myself. only trouble is i dont have a yard/driveway or garage to work in. does anyone in my area have some space i could use? in exchange for lager?
one last thing, has anyone used aircool on sussex way? are they reputable?

thanks in advance

dooby