Honda Civic with problems

Worst first car buying experience ever. Didn't get it checked or anything first.

97 Honda Civic EX
I've now found out it has a blown head gasket and the transmission doesn't automatically shift. It works if i drive as manual but obviously means it needs replacing. I bought for $900 and can't fix both problems cause I've only got $500 to spend. What should i do?
Fix head gasket and try to sell? Is there places that scrap for more than $200? Any advice is appreciated

"Didn't get it checked or anything first"

That was incredibly stupid of you, so you deserve the consequences.

IF you had the tools, and IF you had the knowledge and experience, and IF you had a decent place to work on it and a repair manual, you could replace the head gasket and fix a few other things for under $100. For $300 you could put a rebuilt cylinder head on it. IF you knew something about soldering and using a mult-imeter, you could fix the transmission computer for under $10 with three new resistors and 5 new capacitors.

Too bad you don't have the skills to do any of these things because you could dig yourself out of a hole and come out on top. Maybe you should spend the $500 for a semester at your local Vo-Tech school so you could learn enough to fix your car yourself.

Sell "as is". Ask $500, sell for $300. Lots of Civic enthusiasts in the country.

I would sell it "as is" and i would tell any prospective buyer what the problems are.

Cooling system leaked, engine and transmission overheated. Engine blew head gasket, transmission melted rubber seals that hold hydraulic pressure in automatic control components.

You do not drive a car on a blown head gasket. That is sure to ruin the engine. Watch a YouTube video with a name like "Replace Head Gasket 1997 Civic EX" and decide if you can do it yourself with some help. The gasket is less than $40. All the rest is labor. A Mechanic will take $500 off you to do the job. If you are that tight on money, you may need to compensate with getting some skills.