Thanks for all the information.
Now we really just need to figure out if this vehicle is worth fixing, or if we should just cut bait and run.
Considering we know 100% of the history of this car I lean a bit toward repairing it and keeping it running. The body is in good condition and the interior is fine as well.
I know it will be a strain on the finances, but buying something else in our 'affordable' price range would just put us into another vehicle with the potential for just as many problems and without us know how the vehicle has been treated over the years. At least with this one, we know what has/hasn't been done over the years and what problems it has had.
At this point, all we have invested is the cost of title transfer and plates--would we really be going the wrong direction investing more into it?
Other thoughts/opinions?