The carbs look all cleaned up, as does rocker box, but the rest of the engine looks like it has been stored in a damp place. If those clean bits used to look like the rest of it, then I think I'd give it a miss at any price. I'd prefer to know the engine no. too, but that doesn't always mean it is a true Holbay, as I've discovered in the past! G.
I agree.... you would need to visit before the end of the auction and satisfy yourself that it is genuine before you bid. If it's local it's worth the effort, cos it paid off for me when I bought the 'low mileage' engine for my project car. The guy was a little miffed when I told him I wanted to see it with the head off, but was happy enough when I gave him the money.
The guy I bought it off claimed it had come out of rusty 'basket case' with 44,000 miles on the clock and TBH after close inspection I was happy to bid even though the folks bidding against me that hadn't seen it were not convinced that it was as good as he said. I ended up paying a lot less than I expected.