Fresh P0301

Interesting article...Biblical Studies folks would say it's written in "exalted prose."

 

Did Gen3 continue into the later years in Japan? Trying to discern how to tell whether an offering fits the bill. Goes along with the question, "Who are reputable sellers of JDM engines?"

 

With busyness and the holidays, I haven't even gotten as far as a diagnosis yet. But I thought I'd ask for folks to weigh in their advice.

Scenario: my nicer 2013 with 250k miles has the death rattle at startup, P0301, and loss of coolant. We stopped driving it within days of the rattle becoming obvious. We don't know much history on what has been done to it, but we've done some peripheral upgrades (headlights and suspension).
We have a 2007 that runs fine, and we can get by with it as a DD. We are low on cash, so replacing the v's engine right now is nearly out of the question. Other ideas on the table: just get rid of it (wife's preference); squeeze it in the garage for enough months to have enough cash to get an engine and rent engine hoist, etc.; park it in the garage and tear into it for learning and to see if the damage goes beyond the HG.
Are there any factors that come to mind that I should be aware of as I consider this vehicle's fate?

 

I've had the luxury of just parking this vehicle for a while, and it seems like the coolant has gone down quite a bit while only running the engine a couple times to clear ice off the windshield. Incidentally, the last time I started it up, it did not rough start.

Question: because of cash, I'm wondering if it's worth tearing into the engine and checking the head with the hopes that I could just replace the head gasket. Is that bonkers? I've seen that others have done it, but are the odds just that high that I'd need a new engine anyway? Factor in that I don't know the engine's history beyond a year and a half.

 

Wife approves of the comment, but when it comes down to it, she'd like it fixed. There's not enough money for a different car!

Are there any other major parts (such as the brake actuator) that I should be factoring into the near future when thinking about repairing this car?