Flygirl Here are a couple of checks
Valve covers, does either valve cover have a baffle? Some valve covers only have a baffled in 1 side. This is the one that needs to go on the right side of the motor and have a PCV hooked to it. Some valve covers have neither side with a baffle. You can still hook a PCV to it if there is an
oil fill hole or make and drill your own. They sell a groment that seals, fills the hole, and stops
oil leaks. Valve train tins, they sit under the rocker stands and help guide the
oil back to the block. Some guys run them, I don't because of the ERSON rocker arm setup. Oil in the heads, I flood my heads to the pushrod holes. If you have good valve stem seals, no extra oil will get down the stem and give you the blue smoke cloud when starting the motor. This oil also helps cool the valve spring down under hard loads and driving abuse.
You are helping by filling in with more info. If the rebuilt motor has only 1,200 miles on it, IT'S not broken in. The rings are not seated to the cylinder walls, valves are not totally sealed to valve seats, even if lapped in. This motor needs from 3-10K miles until everything is broken in and a couple of oil changes along the way without any
synthetic oil being used until 7-8k miles.
It sound like you have a car that has sat and the owners got tired of owning it. Bottom line is if you like the car and have driving it a couple of times, buy it. If unsure walk away.
Horses and cars are alike, Horse checks out with a vet job, get him home and find he has a fractured leg bone. 6-8 weeks to wait and see. Some make it, others are put down. Cars are the same. It's a box of chocolate.
Rick L.