This is what I would do:
Address the problems in order of most serious to least.

Head Gasket/engine fitness: Rent (requires a deposit but no charge) a compression tester. Disconnect the ground/+12v from your coil or remove fuse 1, pull each spark plug sequentially, screw in the compression tester, and check each cylinder's compression value. Remove all spark plugs before checking any cylinders (to avoid missing a leak between cylinders).
Check that all values are close to each other, and maybe post them in this thread. As the engine turns over, the gauge will increase up to a maximum value.

I think that turbos should read around 140-150 psi and that NA engines read around 160-180 psi. (This value should be around 16 times your rated compression).
You can also do other tests that are more subjective like sniffing the coolant gases for exhaust (or testing for them, but it's less definite) or seeing how quickly pressure builds in your coolant system (if pressure builds from something besides temperature change, like exhaust being forced into the coolant).

You might also have a head gasket leak to the outside of the engine that doesn't affect compression.

If you have a blown head gasket, rough running can result from an imbalance of power production between cylinders - like a partial miss.

Transmission:
Most people have a shifter labeled PRND21 with a Overdrive lockout button on the shift knob. These are Aisin-Warner transmissions. There was a ZF transmission used, and they were not reliable. Their shifters read PRND321 and have no OD lockout.

Basically, the AW-7x transmissions are bulletproof, UNLESS they're exposed to coolant. The only other things that semi-routinely fail are the valve bodies, and rarely the torque converters. I'd recommend checking the fluid for fine particles, and I recommend that everyone change their fluid every 2 years.
You can find a how-to in the FAQ or past posts. I think the phrase "white tux" is involved. I'd bet it's the valve body you're hearing. As far as I know, no relays should be involved in the AW auto transmissions - it's all hydraulic, except the overdrive, which really shouldn't be able to operate in any gear.
You can check to see if the behaviour changes with 1) the overdrive "locked out" or 2) with the gear selector in 2 vs. D.


As for the blower motor, if it's still turning, maybe you can lubricate it and save it.
As for shocks, they're cheap ($40-60 for nice shocks) and easy to change, so long as no nuts are rusted together.

My take on a head gasket job is: do it if you know the engine is intact and not warped, or if you have a lot of time to spend on a gamble. Head gaskets do supposedly blow over time from the different expansion coefficients of the aluminum head and the iron block, but I don't know if that's normal.
I replaced my engine with a used engine with good compression because I knew the block had cracked and repaired in the past and I suspected it had cracked again when I overheated it. Your choice might be a little less easy. I had a good used engine from a 94 940 turbo delivered to my workspace for about $650 a few years ago, including freight shipping from 300 miles away.

There are also some head-gasket "sealers" out there that may work (another gamble) but have dubious reputations. My old mechanic recommended one called the blue devil or something like that, which takes like 2 hours to use, but supposedly works well.


In short, I'd say you need to gather information first about how the engine is, how the transmission is, how the rear suspension is, and if the blower motor can be saved.
If someone wanted to sell you a car with a leaky head gasket, a sketchy transmission, a bad rear suspension, and a blower motor, how excited would you be to buy it?

Cheers, good luck, and sorry if that got rambly. I spent all day driving home from visiting family.