The intake valves were not as dirty as the N54 I rebuilt. That one has 20k more miles but had significantly thicker sludge. Makes me wonder if this one had been walnut blasted recently?
I picked up the car for $14k. I'll leave it for you to decide whether it was a good deal or not.
Regarding engine removal: the more I think about it, the more I think it makes sense to drop the subframe at the same time as the engine comes out. Since the engine would be supported by an engine hoist, the subframe would be unloaded. This step would have the following benefits:
a) power steering rack could hang lower or go more forward, allowing an easier path for the engine to move
b) The oil pan-mounted transfer case could be removed, thus un-entraping the transmission cooler lines
c) I'd have easier access to unbolt the power steering pump
d) I'd have more space for the downpipe/catalytic converter during engine removal