Sounds like first order of business if finding a trustworthy mechanic that can give you a reliable review of the issues it has. From there you can plan the path forward including doing some work yourself, hiring it out, etc.
Swaps can yield nice vehicles but they are a lot of work and typically require a high level of skill/experience and/or close monitoring post swap while all of the little issues are fixed, etc. In your situation where you're having trouble getting good work done a swap seems like it could just make owning the 80 a lot more complicated.
Dialing in the tune with OE parts, catching up on maintenance and potentially de-smogging it seem like they could get you a long way towards a more driveable 80 while keeping it simple and well within budget.
Swaps can yield nice vehicles but they are a lot of work and typically require a high level of skill/experience and/or close monitoring post swap while all of the little issues are fixed, etc. In your situation where you're having trouble getting good work done a swap seems like it could just make owning the 80 a lot more complicated.
Dialing in the tune with OE parts, catching up on maintenance and potentially de-smogging it seem like they could get you a long way towards a more driveable 80 while keeping it simple and well within budget.
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