T5 Engines, Which one?

I've been offered 2 T5 engines one needs a new head Gasket and the other has a noisey bottom end. I intend to fully rebuild the engine if and when I can afford to but I'd like peoples views on which one they would go for, would you rather tackle a noisey bottom end a deal with sorting a Head gasket? Thanks.

Only way to tell would be to strip both engines to see if there is any other damage. Can you not get both and build a good one from the two? I know the head gasket sounds like the easiest option but i had a head gasket go on mine and the overheating softened the piston rings resulting in really low compressions. The head gasket turned into a full rebuild. The bottom end could be bent rods but if you are going to put strengthened rods in then it does not matter unless there is any damage to the crank......i could go on forever. Like i said you will really have to strip them to check for any hidden damage.

Head gaskets don't "go" on Volvos without a valid reason , overheating ... so make sure the head face AND block face is straight and flat before just changing a gasket .. Bearings may have run out of oil , if the crank is unmarrked you may get awat with a set of bearing shells IF the con rods are not blue .

Agree it's not as simple as which one, as you may have bottome end wear on the Headgasket one. I'd use both, and pick the best components from each. You can also 'balance' the engine by picking the most closely matched components out of the two. As said it depends what the plan is. If you are building a 'special' engine then the worn internals wont matter so much as the condition of the cases.

Thanks for the info. I plan on a full rebuild not quite sure whether it will be above standard? If the funds allow it's gonna be a monster, but knowing my luck it wont be anything other than an oily mess in the garage. So you suggest just to make sure the block and head etc are straight? Now for the realy thick question. How do I check whether the bits are straight and not bent?

why not start off with a known good engine? maybe worth the extra money in the long run?