Well, I went and took another look at it tonight in the hope that the seller and I could come to an agreement on price. Sorry to report that he is firm in his asking price and we are still $500 apart. I printed off the thread about
CHP 8302 listed for sale to use as a reference (which was more original and sold for $4K), and cited that the wheels would cost $600 to replace. He said he'd think about it.
For those interested, the CHP unit number was not visible in the door jam through the paint. From inside the trunk the patch was visible for the whip antenna, there was a hole for the antenna clip, and it has a steel 15x7 for its spare. The DSO was 72-0406, paint code 1C, and the last 6 of the VIN was 234937.
Who knows? He may change his mind and accept my offer (I told him I had the $3500 in-hand, which I did). Guess I'd better put the money back in our son's college fund!
I'd really like to find an SSP with a 5 speed. I know TurboSteve listed an 89 with an AOD for a friend for $4500. It's in alot nicer shape, so maybe I could dive deeper into Jack's college fund, but that car looks like it would be worth the extra cash (but again I'd prefer a stick shift). Anywho, I'll keep checking in to see if one pops up for sale.