Opel Zafira engine problem

Hi

My '02 zafira ran dry of oil recently (only 4000k since last full service Grrrr!) and the valves on one of the cylinders were damaged.The compression rate on cylinder no. 3 ois low now causing the car to be a bit jerky. Since then the catalytic converter has been a bit smelly. My mechanic reckons it could give up at any time and is recommending a new engine (around €2,000), but can't guarantee that it will be OK as he buys them in from the north and the cat alytic problem may be fixed by the new engine or might be damaged anyway, no way of telling until engine is fitted. So that's about 3K and I won't know if all problems are sorted. So i have 3 choices
1). get the repairs done.
2). drive the car till it breaks down in some remote spot with the kids in the back
3) buy a 3 yr old used car.

What would you do??

Whats the total mileage? If you oil runs dry one of the first things that happens is you wipe the white metal off the bearings on the big ends

We had a zafira, and the oil was always running dry - just about managed to catch it each time.
The advice Id give is
1. join aa / rac
2. You could buy an o2 zafira for 2k, so that would make your car a rightoff.

so drive your car till it give up the ghost - your on borrowed time anyway.