Chevy & GMC Vans

Crossroads time.
Need some recommends and maybe a couple of answers.

99 AWD Astro, 118 K, has apparently given up the engine ghost.
Chewed a distrib gear a few months back…replaced distrib and MAP sensor.
Did NOT change the oil three different times within a few hundred miles of new distrib.
According to the current mechanic, appears gear shavings made their way into the oil passageways and sound like they got into a bearing journal or 3 and poss/prob a rod…
I haven’t heard it fired up myself; I’m trusting the mechanic, who seems like a straight-up guy.
And I juuuust popped 400 for a new set of rubber…

Longer story, but ehhh…

Ol’ Silver 94 Safari back on the road, at least for now.
187 K, drove hard and put away wet, needs a few sheckles thrown in to roll right,
but still functional.
(Whew…)

Right now, I plan on flat bedding the 99 home next weekend.
(Gathering dust in the shop 2 hours from home….)
Overall, it’s in good shape; just happens the engine is probably fried.
Oregon/Cali van; no rust, couple dings, but overall decent looking.
It’s got all the electricals and the dutch window the 94 don’t have.
Nice interior and only 118K miles.

Is it worth rebuilding the engine?
And what would that usually cost?
(Just a mere ballpark figure is fine.)
Part it out?
Can’t very well blow it up; too bad I’m within city limits…
Swap the rubber out and tow it off to the junker?
Swap out the rubber, sign over the pink and leave it in Chico?

Nope, don’t qualify for the spiffy rebate thang.
Only owned since Dec 08 and my credit???; ehhh well…
Not a real good time for a car payment and full boat insurance, anyway.

Cripes, this one feels like one of my Saaaaaabbbb stories or something…
Thanks for reading, and thanks for any responses.

Since the body is good, I'd look into swapping in a decent JY 4.3 or 350.

I second that. Get a running 4.3 from a JY or a 350 and swap it in. If the rest of the vehicle is sound why get rid of it. If I could find a rust free '97 with a non-running engine for a really good price, I would happily swap my '97's engine into it to save myself all the body work the rust requires.

I agree...why scrap a perfectly rust-FREE van just because of a bad engine? Out here in the northeast we can't find a van with no rust at all. 2005's have rust here!

I agree with the guys. If you like to do some serious wrenching, do it your self. If you like the van enough, pay to have it done.
If the answer is none of the above, trade it in on the cash for clunkers program and get yourself a shiny new car payment.
I believe our fearless leaders just dropped another 2 billion in the till, which you and I contributed to, so why not?