replacing a head gasket on a 93 honda civic si?

[Johnathan]

Hey I bought a 93 honda civic si for about $1000 a few months ago and the reason the price was so low is because it has 149,000 miles on it but thats no problem, I love hondas and the condition this car was in I think he should have sold it for more but the main reason the guy sold it so low is because he said the head gasket was going and he didnt want to fix it because he just bought a new car and just wanted to junk this one. I put it out my mind after purchasing it and thought it wasnt that important, so finally the head gasket blew all the way and now I need a new one, How much should I pay for it and to get it done? I have had 3 different estimate and none of them are in the same neighborhood. I am starting to think i am being ripped off. one estimate was 1700, the other was 1500 and another was like 900. I need a proper estimate within the right area before I get scammed by a rip off mechanic. Thanks in advance.