Avid flyer

I have an opportunity to buy an Avid Flyer at a very atrative price.
There seem some drawbacks, though, and I'll be glad to learn how to
weigh them.

-) It is 17 year old and has not flown for 5 years. Seller claims it
spent those 5 years in a dry hangar, though. But I have my concerns
about corrosion on the frame, plus about having to redo the covering.
-) The engine is a Rotax 912UL, i.e. the basic 4-stroke Rotax, 80 hp.
Somewhere I heard that older Rotaxes have a lower TBO than the recent
ones, if so how to make sure? And what measures ought to have been taken
before storing for 5 years? How to test if the long hibernation was well
survived?
-) It is a taildragger and I am but a beginner pilot, took all my
training on tricycles. Can a taildragger Avid Flyer be converted to
tricycle? If so, how much of an effort does it take?
-) I hear rumours that even if all taildraggers are nasty suckers, the
Kitfox and its relatives are particularly nasty - and they're all
descended from the Avid Flyer. Any comments?

Thanks in advance,
KA