Strange purchase; IMO totally worth it as a daily driver but it's on the cusp of being a mess so the new owner really should re-do the entire thing. That being said, if it's to be re-done it will cost quite a bit so the bits that bring it from a 10K car to a 21Kcar won't be worth much, again, it could be a driving restoration and a lot of fun so I don't think it was over-purchased and yes, it is Colorado!
Did I read correctly that it was a reverse modification and someone went from a 4-speed to an auto trans?...
In the immortal words of Jim Morrison; People are Strange