Great explanation. That is exactly why you will get the high quote. The shops who know what they're doing know the margin for error is high.

 

Gents, just wanted to give you an update. I ended up finding a mechanic on Craigslist (I had no idea the site was still around!). Not the best or the fastest, but he eventually got the job done for a fair price of $1500. I got the parts and paid for machining the head separately, so all in all, it was a little over $2k. Much better than what North Texas British ($7k). BTW, just for giggles, I called my local LR dealership to check on the prices of the 14 bolts for the head: about $700!! Lol! Of course, I got them online (can't remember the website) for $41. Anyway, just wanted to let you know. On to the next project: get rid of the 3 amigos by implementing "Option B" bypass. Thank you for your support and help!

 

keep us updated