Honda Repair: 93 Civic overheating, honda civic, thermostat

Question
I have a 93 Honda Civic that has started to run hot. It has approximately 175,000 miles on it. We originally took the thermostat off, and were then told it would not run without the thermostat, so we put it back on. The radiator was leaking, and we plugged it. Now there is a rod that seems to be knocking. I am told that we need to replace the engine at this point, rather than going into this engine, and that I can get an engine with around 80,000 miles for about $1500 installed. Before I go to that expense, I would like to know if there is anything else I can do first, or if I should just bite the bullet and have the engine installed. Thanks!

Answer
If its making noise, time to replace it.  That price better be a rebuilt engine.  That seems a little steep for a used one.  Nothing else you can do that would be very cost effective other than replace the engine.  Just remember that you can't replace the car for that.