Thanks, Marc, that’s all very helpful.
I worded “forward visibility” poorly. I know the back-seater still won’t see directly in front, but they won’t be staring at that bulkhead/headrest, and I think that’s an improvement.
You’re confirming what I suspected regarding the engine. I do have a working knowledge of engines, in general, and on my less-run vehicles, I still run them every week or two, and all the way to fully warm. IF there was a case where the sit could be acceptable, this does seem like a likely candidate (which only means it’s probably worth the cost of checking).
it does come with another set of wheel pants. The ones installed looked sound, though.
So the rub is, how do I get fresh eyes on it in situ?