Leaking out the heads, or the head gaskets? Your Ex is a '93 so it has the crummy weak heads. They all crack sooner or later because the design is faulty. Just get a set of new aftermarket heads from a reputable supplier. Don't buy Chinese heads off the web; get them from a local automotive machine shop in your area and have the shop use your old valves and valve train hardware and assemble those parts into the new heads. The new heads are improved; I bet they are 20 lb heavier than the factory originals.
It's not hard to replace the heads but it's not easy either. Mark all your wire connectors and vacuum hoses as to where they go and mark all your bolts as you pull them out. You will have to get new head bolts as well as the gaskets. You should run a tap into the head bolt holes in the block to clean them out.
The price they quoted you is not out of line at all. I did both my heads and just the cost in parts for the heads was over $800: two new heads, clean old parts, reassmeble and bench test, plus top end gasket set, and set of head bolts. Then I replaced the radiator hoses, new belt, new belt idlers, stuff like that. Replace all that stuff while you got it all torn apart. About $1000 in parts total. Change your water pump and thermostat too if you haven't done them. Cheap insurance. For an all day job, at $100 an hour tech labor rate, $1500 is pretty much right in line.
