Sigh. Bay area, say no more. Have you looked up the DIY for the vanos?

Brakes really are simple.... (what is the 'jackstand' thing you speak of?.... but follow that with the obligatory disclaimer. I have a floor jack and just dont put any of my body into a space that would kill me. Different if you are using a POS jack>)

I am not sure your diagnosis is complete... did they run a VANOS test? Not just read codes? Did they replace the vanos o rings when they last cleaned them?? Have you priced the parts online?