I would say that a VE motor under 80,000kms with warranty at your door, would be (wild stab) $1000 - 1200?
Which in the end, having a U12 with a SR is cute, not as lumpy as a KA, but still cute.
And these days more and more people are deciding to turbo the KA because of that reason...
It isnt such a hard, complicated or even expensive conversion to now.