The thing is, the bars already are level with the seat on the bikes we've borrowed so far. He wants them closer to him. On his Schwinn, the bars are also level with the seat, but the TT is much shorter than on these bikes, and that's what he wants to achieve on his new bike - the same sitting angle and reach from the seat to his hands.
I wonder if he is a prime candidate for a custom bike, but can good ones be had for under..... say.... $3000?
It seems that if he needs a shorter top tube, he is a candidate for a custom bike. A custom bike under $3000 will probably be steel, not carbon or titanium, not that there's anything wrong with that. I had my bike built by R+E in Seattle (
www.rodcycle.com) and they do have bikes for under $3000. If none of their 15 stock sizes fit, they charge $200 extra for custom. Unfortunately, once you go down the hand-built bike route it's too easy to "add this and add that" and end up with a $4000 bike.