No offense taken, petrified; I don't have a lot of knowledge about cars, which is why I have found this forum very helpful in the past.

It is the head, which he quoted me $1100 for. He also mentioned that they could try and rework the damaged head, which could end up being about $300 cheaper... That seems to make more sense than putting brand new parts in an aging car.

If I can get 2-3 more good years out of the car, then fixing it now will be worth it. My worry is that another overlooked little part will cause another rampage that'll cost me another $2000 out of the blue.