[drivemusicnow]

unless your "bud" actually knows what he is doing, buy a used one.

Knowing what he is doing would be: rebuilt engines before. that actually run... for extended periods of time. And not just one engine, several. It's not all that difficult to do a full rebuild, but at the same time, it's really really easy to take a decent core and turn it into an expensive boat anchor.

I would have different advice if you were doing it yourself and wanting to learn, because I think everyone should dive into their own projects. BUT at a pace that they're comfortable with.