I'd like to think I could handle this but I will leave it to a professional. How much should it cost to replace a head gasket on a Dodge Shadow? The car itself is in great condition but it may not be worth saving vs buying another car -- it would be my daughter's first car. Thanks for the help.

The cost will vary if the head has damage, as in warped ect.. Id do a T belt and water pump install also..

You'll probably be further ahead just swapping the engine with a known good one.

Problem with that is the new engine would probably need a head gasket done too

I've probably done 20-30 headgaskets on these cars over the years and they are one of the easier ones to change at least to me. Just don't use a cheap headgasket and they will last.

chiltons time will be in the approx 5 to 6 hour range. In my shop that would be a $300-$400 dollar job
To be honest it can be done in about 3 hours if you know what your doing.

Probably one of the easiest cars to work on, as techs we didn't know how well we had it back then

as far as finding a good engine? good luck with that . these cars and there parts are not the easiest to find in todays market