I was trying to save money and do things as they come but it has bitten me in the a** this time

Long story short my stock non vct intec has leaking engine oil like a civ from multiple places (probably timing chain cover) and burning/losing oil from what i am guessing is piston rings since the entire head/top end is new as of last year

No loss in power or weird noises or metal now its had its monthly oil change :S but its draining the oil to almost nothing every couple of months i keep having to fill it up and wont even go 5000km before this happens

Would i be better off keeping my current block or getting a lower km one, mine has 204k on it, which isnt alot i know but this motor has been through alot because of dodgy mechanics and my own stupidity

How much would i be looking at just for a bottom end rebuild and leave the rest pretty much stock?

Never had to have one of these done before but the oil leaking is so bad now i cant take it anymore.

A quick falgoogle told me i can expect to pay between $1000-3000+ for a bottom end rebuild alone...

Yikes, considering i got my head done for $1k all up thats ALOT of dosh.

Also what are your thoughts on using ebay parts (the good ones) to save a bit of money, i am pretty broke due to being jobless and need this poor thing to get around without s**t out all its oil, never want to see the low oil pressure light again (only happened that one time, so far)

was eventually going to turbo this thing but that was 3 years ago and the problems keep coming, hahaha.

IF i hoard what little money i have left i was thinking of just ripping this engine out as its been a neverending PITA, get it rebuild professionally and go from there because these bit by bit hatched jobs my local general mechanics have done have really stuffed me around

One mechanic didnt put coolant or enough water in
One mechanic didnt do the timing chain cover seal and refuses too which is going to cost me alot of money because its pissing out everywhere

Wish i could afford better, such is life haha /rant

i had a low km 2nd hand engine installed for under 2k
that was drive in and drive out

If i was to get my current block's pistons done as well as the timing chain leak how much roughly should that cost?

if its over a 1k i literally dont have it and i cant really drive it around like this, guess its back to sitting in the shed.