Pontiac Repair: 1994 Grand Am blown head gasket, head gasket, gm parts

Question
I've recently blown a head gasket in my 94 grand am quad 4. It's a bad blow too. Water in the oil, etc. I'm looking into a new engine. What do you recommend for this car, other than a quad 4? Is a new engine even necessary? I assume it is because of the water contamination in the crankcase. It's in otherwise pristine condition with only 100.000 miles. Thanks for your time.

Answer
Hey Reva:

It all depends on how bad and how long you drove it. The water in the crankcase is never a good thing. It wipes out the bearings on the crankshaft in a hurry and it also damages the oil pump on that engine. With 100K on the car is a replacement engine worth it? probably not. I would look into gettin one from a junk yard or a place that specialzes in used engines from a perticular manufacturer. It's a cheaper way out then a reman engine. Find one that has the lowest miles on it. That also means it will cost more but if the car is in good shape then go for it. If you live in NY there is a place in central NY that deals with just used GM parts. It's called Wilbert's Buick and GM parts. They have good quality used parts. Good luck :)