rating. Give me some guidance here group. Do I dump this kind of
money in a 1966 Cherokee 140 in slightly better than average condition
or do I invest in just a comm only to replace my fried navcom and call
it good? I've read a hundred threads in the past about this subject

Your reading of the threads has probably told you NOT to invest in IFR
avionics you aren't going to use. Someone said it recently here---you
might buy an engine for the next guy, but any avionics you buy are for
yourself. You won't recover anything near the cost of them if you sell
the plane.

If you are not going to get the rating, leave it to the next owner to
certify the plane.