if it is the head gasket it will cost you 100 bucks plus your labor or more money for someone elses. for 300 bucks you can easily find an s14 ka to put in your ride or an older engine for less. Then use your current motor to slowly build up a badass powerplant as you get the resources to do so. That would be the way I would go.

More cost effective than SR? No, but the same is vice versa. All depends on what YOU like more, truck power or pussy car power. haha.