I wouldn’t be afraid. I’ve bought vehicles out of the junkyard, vehicles that should be in the junkyard, and a couple new vehicles, in my life. The junk stuff cost me a lot less money and was very rewarding to get straightened out and cheaper, compared to new.
I’d definitely want to be able to spend plenty of time under the clams and under the vehicle. The main wire harness is going to be easy to inspect. The sub-harnesses aren’t, but, are easy enough to repair, if there’s damage where you can’t see. None of that is insurmountable.
For the exterior rodent smells and deposits, buy Simple Green Extreme Aircraft (blue label). I mix and use it at 50/50. It’s pH neutral, so it won’t damage alloy finishes, hardware treatments, etc. I use the stuff on everything around home, as it cuts right through grease and grime, without streaks or stains.
If rodents got into the vehicle’s interior, a solid commercial cleaning expert can get out anything. My guy has gotten out vomit and its smell, child feces and its smell, every kind of stain one can imagine, hard candies in the carpet, you name it. I completely remove interiors and drop them off at his shop. I leave the headliners in the vehicles, set off bombs, and leave the vehicle sit a few days, closed up. On Amazon, there’s a Toyota dealer who sells the Toyota HVAC cleaning kit. It’s easy to use and leaves the HVAC system smelling fresh.
IMO, the biggest concerns are if you’re OK with the time investment and potential project creep? I know you have a shop, so if it sits on stands in the corner, that shouldn’t be a huge issue. However, if once you get into it and find malfunctioning modules, because of previous electrical shorts, that’s going to quickly ramp up your expenditures. Provided all the sensors are undamaged and the wiring is repaired/intact, the modules will be the only thing left. If you have random electrical events, there’s almost always a defective module behind it. With your modern forklift experience, I know you’re familiar with that.
I’d go for it.
