You talked them down to $5.5K USD. How much were they asking at the beginning??? Even $5.5K would be a tough pill to swallow on a platform that already has 140K miles on the drivetrain. That is some dedicated VX love right there folks.
But cheaper than buying another car
"Take it up with my butt, cuz he's the only one that gives a crap"
Shop down the street from me will rebuild our engine for just over $3k including removal and reinstallation. I am planning on rebuilding if anything ever happens :-)
If they installed a new Isuzu crate motor then you got the modified pistons with it. The 3 year 100,000 mile warranty is worth something too. Most engine builders here locally only offer a 30 day to 1 year at best warranty on their builds.