Yeah, we got our Windstar because the third kid forced us out of vehicles with only two rows of seats.
How do you like working with the Ford/AAA Auto Skills contest? That sounds interesting - and a great opportunity to share some valuable knowledge.
At 168K miles, I'd expect some to see some more repairs. Were you able to get maintenance records with the van? I'd be curious to see what transaxle service/repair work that the van has seen. Mine is great at 86K miles - but I'm extra careful about fluid (frequent changes) and I added an auxiliary cooler (mostly for popup camper towing).
Personally, I'd plug the hole in the valve cover plate if you're going to have it off to change the isolator bolts anyway. It's not that big of a deal, but some people have reported clogged EGR ports (I'm not a good example; mine had almost no deposits at 70K). Based on what I've learned here, and my own experience, I'd be shocked that the van got to 168K miles without lots of CEL codes - and the original black isolator bolts.