Kuoh, Huck,
Thanks for your help - your remote diagnostic was perfect, it was the timing belt jumping teeth. I've got the engine started and drove around the garage for a while.
I'm planning to drive it home with a minimum assembly (no covers, no a/c) etc and have a thorough look then.
Never thought I'd be doing timing belt in a multil-level parking garage late at night
with a torch in my hand as the main source of light.
There are no obvious reasons for the failure - the belt is clean, dry, no teeths cracked or anything, pulleys rotate easily and silently. Water pump rotates like a new one (35k on it).
The belt does feel longer than when it was new - goes on much easier, but the tensioner eventually settles in a middle position, not fully extended.
I don't think I can test the oil pump - it is sitting on crankshaft directly.
There is still a couple of extra noises (one is lifter, the other don't know - maybe a piston slap, but I've never heard a definite piston slap before) that go away during warmup....
Sounds like my SVX have changed the status from the commuter car to don't know what yet.