Mark et al., thanks for the advice and suggestions. I saw that '65 too, and boy what ugly seats. Wheels didn't help either. The other is a beauty, but out of my range I feel sure.

I spent time with two mechanics going over the 250 SE auto. I've been considering in Ft Worth. Both seemed pretty knowledgable about these; together probably 60 years' experience, so I feel like I got good advice. Here's what I was told.

Compression even at 110 in all cylinders--this is good, I was told. Recent plugs, dist. cap and rotor without anything worrisome on them. The problem with restarting I encountered the other day was put down to the kid at the dealer, who (they guessed) incorrectly pressed the accelerator; they said these FI engines can be temperamental that way. Did not seem concerned by minor oil leakage around fitting on valve cover because the "breather tube" is designed to breath--ergo, oil. Brake lines have been replaced recently, as well as motor mounts and subframe mounts. Exhaust is shiny and pretty new from muffler on back; rusty surface but solid in front. The "bump" I felt from the rear when coming to a stop, I was told, is normal for automatic transmissions of that era, which (they both said separately) shifted much more roughly than those of today. Front and rear window seals pretty new; windshield so good it's probably been replaced; door and side window seals not so hot. No sign of wheel bearing problems. Shifts properly; engine speed is what it should be. When I drove it earlier, I noticed the idle speed was very high (2200), which made me wonder if roughness was being disguised; when lowered to 800 today, it felt fine.

Body has virtually no rust except about two sq. inches at bottom lip behind left rear wheel, and thinness in bottom panel in the trunk well just behind. The trunk lid doesn't quite line up on one inner corner, but there was no evidence of welding or other body work (can these be adjusted?). Sunroof motor in trunk (as I learned what that gizmo was) is very tired; end of manual "key" is broken off in slot by someone trying to crank it back by hand. Old michelin tires (XZX 185 HR 14). Brakes well, feels quite solid over bumps--better than my 96 Jetta, for that matter.

I feel fairly confident that mechanically this is a solid car, and with a very good body considering what it might be, courtesy of Texas and Calif climates. I can't afford a nice restored version, and I am really, really reluctant to buy off eBay, sight unseen. So, I'm inferring, basically, an original in good driving shape with cosmetic issues: with a good polish and wax, it'd be a beauty on the outside, and the interior could be probably be improved a good bit with leatherique, some new horsehair for the driver seat, and a new carpet set. (Wood is another matter--it's all pretty much there, but needs refinishing.)

So.... I'm feeling like my sense of the car before now has been confirmed, leaving it somewhere in the nebulous area of 3 ($8175) to 4 ($4200) on the condition guide. I dunno. $10,900 asking price is clearly too high and I won't pay that. But I'm willing to pay some sort of premium for a car that's in my area, since I'm unwilling to spring for an eBay mystery at an attractive price, and these don't appear everyday in DFW. So the question is how much of a premium I'm willing to pay--not a question, I realize, that anyone else can answer for me. But, in calculating an offer, how much to factor on for some comparatively minor things that DO need fixing:

1. both mirrors--new glass on interior, but driver's side is broken and on verge of falling off.
2. a/c works only on low speed--not good enough for TX summer.
3. rear shelf is a disaster from sun, some adjacent cracking in top of back seats.
4. needs new tires: 1 is obviously unsafe; others are so old i wouldn't want to keep them long.
5. turn signals don't self-cancel.
6. sunroof motor barely working.

I'd welcome any thoughts on how much to calculate for these things, negotiation tactics, my reading of condition above, etc. Again, thank you all for your input, and don't hesitate to tell me if you think I'm off base.

Rick