I read this and had to say hello, lol. I pretty much caught the same ride here.
I also looked at an 04 Comp G that was a mess. I mean it was a real basket case. I'd given up finding a car a I wanted and looked an AWD Ford Five Hundred (I'll reiterate "given up.")
I found this beast sitting somewhere pretty, but lookin a little ugly. $3,800 later I'm an owner of an 05 Comp G complete with peeling clearcoat and road salted rims.
I'm new to the Series III, but have learned much in a week. I've been tired from obsessing on the reading, but it's worth it. Welcome!