mostlytossas, as you say it's more than a few thousand but what I was getting at, even $3k of IF experience (keeping in mind it doesn't have to be in a IFR cat A/C just a hood & instructor will do the job) is approx 12hrs in a 172 or simmilar which more than likely has the required instruments but isn't maintained in the IFR cat, most likely the 337 was like that, all the bells & whistles but not in IFR cat.
12hrs IF will give you a much better chance of living to tell the tale than the required 2hrs IF for the ppl.
Remember there is the option of the PIFR these days which only requires 20hr IF (off the top of my head) & you can add approaches you wish, eg just have a NDB or GPS etc. A lot of guys with CIR's that I know also have PIFR's because the recency requirements are nothing like that of the CIR so if they're not current on an approach with the CIR they can do the approach under the PIFR & get current for the CIR