I am enormously buried in work and personal activity, so I want to give a general update to everyone who has been responding both here and via PM:

The car is 300 miles from here and the owner wants me to go evaluate the car before buying an engine. The car has sentimental attachment so I am quite sure the owner will fix it if it is as described.

SO..... It will be a few weeks before I am ready to move on this, so I hope that puts no one in a bind and I hope all the possibilities are still available to us when we get to that step.

I offer thanks to everyone for the helpful responses. We will get through this as soon as possible.