does this sound like a good deal? (Quantum Syncro in Maine)

[BenediktRochow at oaktech.com]

[Quantum Syncro for sale by owner at $1850]

Thanks for all the responses.
I drove it today; it feels like a new car engine-
and suspension-wise (i.e. sounds good,
pulls strongly, rides securely,
no rattles), though it did have the 1/2"-low-oil
clatter same as my '84 5000 - but
doesn't this engine have hydraulic lifters, which
aren't supposed to make this noise?

There's an oil leak from the valve cover (or is
that the head gasket?), that goes down to the exhaust
manifold and smokes away; I noticed the front
bumper is pushed in 1/4"-1/2" back to match
the broken-loose-mount headlight and 1/4" recessed
turn signal, "was like that when we bought it",
I'd say it slightly rear-ended another car.
I suspect the A/C really does nothing at all.
After locking and unlocking the diffs, I got the
impression that it wasn't all unlocked in the next
curve (bumpy, tire-scrubbing-pavement feeling) -
are the lock lights real indicators of the
locked condition (they do come on with a delay), or
just indicators of the button position
independent of actual function? The seller says that
he thinks it takes one curve (or slippery
patch) to really unlock a diff (i.e. that's normal). How's
that really? How does the speed-unlock work?
Rather a small car inside - it does make me
appreciate it being a wagon. I have to say
that I really liked the way it felt driving it, but I'm
afraid that I'd be buying more future headaches
than it's worth--
I have to balance the snow advantages (for all
the tales of plowing through snow with a quattro -
the only real snow problems I've ever had with my
4000+ lbs. RWD Caprices with Blizzaks were
in my slanted badly-shoveled frozen-over gravel... - no
longer a problem due to purchase of a house
with a paved, slanted-gently-towards-the-road driveway,
and purchase of a snowthrower) with the
cost of maintaining yet another
car - does it even use Pento$in? It has a not-so-tall
fluid reservoir hooked with a thick
hose to a ZF pump that's about half the size of the
5k's pump. Or is that a regular
power-steering-fluid-based power steering system?
Anyway, it's got the oil leaking on the exhaust - a sign
of doom or something to drive the price
down with that's really easy to fix or ignore? the potentially
funny diff; slight body damage;
non-perfect interior (peeling door panels), probably no
AC at all (it does matter to me, despite
being in Maine).
I think that maybe this would be a good buy (leaving
some room for repairs) at perhaps $1200
rather than $1850 (I don't know how low one can push this seller);
On the other hand, between "uses no oil between changes"
(upon seeing the smoking leak)
and the explaining away of the locked-diff feel, the seller
may just be a used-car dealer
at heart (you can tell he's lying by watching for his lips
moving...:), and this is a nickel-and-
dime (to death) car that just had a financially-totalling
repair need diagnosed and hidden.
So I'm afraid I'm letting a great opportunity at a nifty car
pass by, and I'm more afraid
that it'd be a big money sink with few redeeming qualities
over the cars I've got (neat engine sound,
and a few minutes per year of otherwise impossible snow
driving? Would it be worth it just for accessing snowy
western/northern parts of Maine in the winter?)
Of course the risk of more repars needed than it's worth
diminishes with the purchase price -
how low can I reasonably expect
to pay given the description?
When asked if anybody was about to buy it, the seller
said that a few people had looked at it, but nobody
expressed any intention to buy yet. One would guess
they were scared away by the smoke signals. Maybe I should
offer $800 if it's still for sale by next week?

thanks for any advice in advance.
-gbr