That MC1000 is an interesting story and why you don't "tell a half truth to a GF"...
Anyway, at the time a sidejob(and sorta still is) was buying and selling used AV equipment.
I found a guy moving out of state with two "not quite functioning" MC1000 that he was willing to let go of for $1000...
I once drove a 4500 mile roadtrip to pick up a pair of Apogee Centaur and a McIntosh MC1000.
The Apogee were in Idaho, the McIntosh was in northern Arizona. I lived in Indianapolis at the time and had a weeks vacation coming.
Borrowed an enclosed trailer and pulled it behind my Miata.
Where are you so I can go get it for that price...since you don't know if 3 hours is worth it...
By the way, assuming nothing is wrong with it, $550 is a bargain. Most of them on Ebay still hit $650 and you have to pay $50 in shipping.