If you shop around you can get one of these for a lot less. There are undoubtedly thousands (or tens of thousands) of them gathering dust in back rooms and warehouses around the country. I have seen them go for under $500, and I bet that dozens of them get sold for scrap every year.
All in all, they are probably not a bad chassis for modification. With some ceramic insulation, modern sensors, and controlled airflow (and a little spit and polish) a guy could probably build a masterpiece for cheap.