Slant 225 motor codes from VIN and trans mating questions

wow, $450? Over the years I have had a couple that I have had a hard time giving away. My most recent I paid $125 for, to get the super 6 stack, and got the rest of the basket case engine for free..... last summer there were a couple on CL for $75-100, with the "if I don't sell this month they are going to scrap" tagline....
there are a couple on Ebay right now where I think the sellers (hopeful at that) are wanting $600-800.... one is about 30 miles from me,, I wonder what that guy is smoking, to think he might even be in the ballpark.... that is an awful lot to pay when your main goal seems to be to get a Super 6 setup.
If Im gonna pay that much for an engine, I'm either going for a reman "crate" or a big block.....
gotta ask,,,, in that part of the country I wonder if the whole van could be bought, might be able to get the whole thing for $5-600 and drive it away. what is wrong with the van that they are looking to pull the engine and sell it? those vans used to be as common as termites around here but now are extremely few and far between..... and the few taht I do see, the frame rails are rotted out around the steering box mount area. I used to have one about 20 years ago, kinda miss it. They were (and still are) better than any "mini"van could ever hope to be. and I aint buying into the "Transit" or "Promaster" way of thinking. No way.