$320 later, my guy didn't change the thermostat like he said he would. I am disappoint.

The good news is it's running a hell of a lot better. But it's not purring. Yet. He replaced the front pads and said the timing belt didn't need to be replaced and the front seals were all dry. That's good. He did the valve cover gasket and did the usual tune up stuff. But some ticking is still there. Going to flush the coolant, replace the t-stat and try Rislone. Also going to freshen up a few other gaskets, change the O2 sensor and clean the EGR and throttle body while I'm at it.

I guess if you want it done right you have to do it yourself...