yeah i've tried it, the only real solution is a super short stem.
you'd definitely notice a difference in steering with the short stem, but not so bad that it's unsafe or ruins the ride or anything. i rode for several years on a 6cm stem, and it sounds like you wouldn't need anything that drastic.
for me it would depend how good of a deal it was, but it'd have to be pretty good. i'm done kludging frames that don't fit me just so i can have a "nicer" frame. used crosschecks and crosscheck-like frames are pretty common and can be had pretty cheaply. you could always buy it and try to flip or trade it, but again there are a lot of variables there.