Thanks to everyone who's shared their opinions. Thanks especially to those who took the time to share CL links. I've seen a number of those, but either they are 5+ hours drive (and $125 in gas) just to look at, or they are bigger than I can justify/dedicate space to, or I've called the seller and wasn't pleased with the conversation.
To be fair, I DID find one attractive deal locally. Last winter, there was a nicely cared-for '40s Logan 210 bench lathe with a ton of tooling and accessories for $900. Sadly, somebody else had already snapped it up by the time I got there to check it out.
My hobby is vintage motorcycles, not lathe restoration, and I can't devote the time I'd like to the one I already have. At this point, I am seriously considering a SB1001 from Grizzly (South Bend 8K). At the current closeout (approx. $2K), it's a heck of a deal, and most of the reviews say that it is more sturdy and substantially built than most new Asian lathes its size.