Progress on the ENGINE.
As stated earlier, the engine was missing carbs, and the starter motor was removed. Not sure why, I thought I'd go over a few things before pulling it from the frame. The speedo indicates just over 17,500 miles, so I checked the speedo drive gearbox and it's working fine. Speedo cable is totally intact. Spun it up with a cordless drill and the speedo works fine, recording mileage. Safe to suggest the mileage is correct.
Oil tank is full, top end is oily, so I plugged in the starter, added a temporary solenoid and a few cables. Pulled the plugs, oiled the cylinders, and cranked it over, by hand, over a few days. No noises, found all 5 gears easily...... Screwed in an oil pressure gauge today, pulled the plugs, and hit the button. Spins freely and within 10-20 seconds, 65-70 psi oil pressure and oil moving around both ends of the cam box (all the inspection caps were removed).
The engine is stained, so head gasket needs to be replaced, but right now I'm only planning top end work! Next will be valve clearances, points and static timing, and when the carbs are done, I think I'll fire it up and see how it runs!