Hmm. Some thoughts.
If you are down in Texas regularly, then I would definitely look there also. If MI is like New England at all, then most cars will have some rust somewhere. Of course, since you are looking for a pristine car, that will have a higher chance of showing up just about anywhere rather than in a specific region. A bad interior is not necessarily a reason to turn down an otherwise nice car, as swapping in a pristine interior is a relatively clean & easy job that can be done in pieces for >$1000 in parts.
How much work are you willing to do? Are we talking difficulty or time expended? Your costs will definitely go down as you do more yourself
. I'm assuming that maybe 40% of shertex's expenses are due to using a mechanic.
How familiar are you with these cars? I'm assuming that you know something about these because you are not considering a 350SDL
. Does a #14 head mean anything to you?
These cars are awesome, and if you want to and can reasonably put yourself into one, that would be great. We'll always here to help!
I know that Brian will ask you, but do you have a second vehicle?