RIP Windstar 2000

So, was driving my windstar home from kids hockey game about 50 miles away. Mostly on the interstate. Turn into my driveway and the engine starts making a rattling noise, the idle is rough and the whole car starts shaking.
Had the mechanic we use take a look it, all i needed to know whether it would be more than $100 as i would throw the towel above 100. Guess that's me and windstars. I was trying to get it over the winter and had just spent 600 on tire rods/two new tires plus a new battery.
Still wonder what it could have been as it was literally running fine until I turned into our driveway.

It could be as simple as a coil pack misfiring or something of that sort. Not much you can do for under a hundred bucks. If it happened out of nowhere and pulling into a driveway I would suspect that it is in the engine management system and not internal engine.

for sure find out what's up with it. Don't pull the plug because a vac line burst (for example) and it's running horribly. Spend the $100 and find out, or find someone who can help for beer.

If the fluids have been maintained, there is little likely wrong with the basic crankcase of this engine ... it is really strong. But there are a number of troubling small things that can cause problems ... if you can get an analysis by a good mechanic for $100, then do it. An analysis should include a compression test to cover all bases...may not be able to get that for $100 ... depends.

Our '99 is about to hit 380k miles ... and it needs attention ... but I intend to keep it going for about twice that.