Actually, the car is in excellent condition, with Konis, new tires, and much more. The seller thought the head gasket was blown, and that, along with pointing out the minor flaws in the body and interior (dings, previous collision repair, sad seat upholstery) allowed my dad and I to talk him down from $3200! So far, NO symptoms of a head gasket, although I am closely monitoring it. The car also has a new top ($800 inst.), new clutch w/hydraulics, new brakes/rotors, new starter, etc. Deal of the century!
Thanks for the input. After I replace the wheels and tires with 15's I may do the stiffener.