So the honest answer is you need to plan on getting a new short block if you want to keep the car. Once it starts it’s not going to get better. A junkyard engine may also be an option.

That being said, you could run thicker oil. So maybe a 10W30, put some motor honey in it. Try not to hammer on the throttle too much. I had a 97 legacy that had a horrible rod knock, and I drove it for a year with the knock before selling. Never had it completely fail. Was that the right way to do things? Absolutely not.