B6 Audi A4, manual, 1.8t, worth a HG repair?

WWGRM do? 

2003 A4, 1.8t, five speed manual, quattro wagon. Blown HG, not overheated, no coolant in the oil. Exterior has some bumps, same with the interior, non driving so I'm not sure on actual running gear condition. But it's clean enough and all the pieces are there. 

500$

Worth the labor to diagnose and change a HG? With lots left in the budget, what would you all modify in the process, if anything? No specific intentions, just a fun little runabout for hauling stuff.

I haven't owned an Audi ever, but have been in the VAG camp more than once, and am aware of their ability to have issues if treated poorly. 

But, it's 500 bucks! 

If it will actually start, go for it. If it turns by hand but won't run, caution. If its locked up, no, unless you have a replacement engine on hand.

This could be a Challenge car.

For 500, worth the gamble I think. Especially since it's a wagon. I guess the questions: are you looking for a project?

I would be more worried about how much else it would need that can't currenly be verified after doing the head gasket.

For me these kinds of projects always wind up with spending more money than it would have cost to buy a nice one (plus the substantial time investment) just to have the satisfaction of saving something.

Friend of mine got a nice one (might be a 2.0t) and 6 months later had to pull the head due to a burned valve. It still leaks oil. He's bailing. 
 

for $500 I would try it but I would not assume a head gasket is all that it would need. 

The 1.8 is a honey of a motor plus manual wagon! Do it!

Gotta figure even if you get it apart and its total junk...or its rougher than believed... part out and and scrap would be $500.

I dont even like Audis and it seems like a decent deal. Manual trans AWD wagon is the coolness.

Why have you not bought it yet.

These are some of the easiest cars to work on and they drive wonderfully.

The only while your in theres I can think of are the oil dipstick tube, if it's not broken it soon will be.  And the gasket between the variable cam timing thingy and the head, which is technically doable in chassis but capital S sucks.

Replace the water pump and thermostat.  This is the only application where I prefer a metal impeller pump, for whatever reason you choose to believe the plastic impellers break when the car has a manual transmission. (I choose to believe it is because of rapid RPM changes when shifting, vs the smoother changes with an automatic)  I assume this has the new style 1.8t block with the water pump housing part of the block like an old Audi five, not on a separate housing like an older VW four.

Edit: It does, the change happened sometime in MY2001.