...beginners luck? Based on your feedback I jumped on ebay. Found and won a set of working Campy chorus 8 speeds for $65. No cables but it looks like they wont break the bank.
That leaves me with two options to fool with. Hillrider, I can definitely snag a front derailleur. For some reason I thought finding one to match the 52t front ring would be hard, but after more research it sounds like it won't be. which leaves the big question... which will be easier as a first project? Sora and a new FD or campy?.