Sad news Doug. Like I said to Houghy, they're all just machines, and like any other will die from time to time. I've owned many Macs over the years and I've had a couple go too - but far less than you'd think as a percentage of the total number. I've never had AppleCare, as the cost of what has broken over the years would come nowhere near the cost of the insurance paid over that time. I'm talking about dozens of Macs though, not just one. For an individual, it makes sense on new gear.
I agree that replacement parts are probably too expensive, but when you think about it, the unibody design of these systems means that 60% of the machine's total value is held in its logic board. They're not generic (Gigabyte-type) boards either - they're purpose designed and built, so they can never be cheap.
Bugger! You could try these guys:
http://www.powerbookmedic.com/wordpr...repair-service
Shipping costs back and forth aren't all that much. There are others too. DHL to the States and back is quick too..