should head gasket be replaced?? engine??

capttheo1

towed my '99 626 to Mazda dealer to get it checked out, they called this afternoon and tried to get me to agree to have a used engine put in it.. There's under 200,000 miles on this car. we bought it privately 2 months ago and one of the belts has squealed every time it starts up but stops after 30 seconds.
Since I'd need to sell the car to put an engine in it, they said it was at the least the head gasket and maybe some other items and quoted at $1300 cost to fix it.. Don't know if I should just go with this or have it towed home and try to get it to another repair shop.. Think I'm being ripped off??? We have such bad luck with cars it's not funny.
The car's not starting, but it's never run hot, never had steam out the exhaust and when I had a mechanic check everything before we bought it there was no oil/water mix in the radiator or oil.. Hate to put out so much money-especially when I have to mostly borrow it and then not have it really be fixed...need some suggestions/help here...

des5

Take it to an independent mechanic that comes recommended. Dealers replace engines at the drop of a hat because their labor charges are so high. They also jump to big-ticket diagnoses for the same reason. You need to know what it really needs in order to make an informed decision.