'83 sportster ironhead...yey or ney?

hey, i am looking at a 1983 sportster with an shovlehead..i was told good and bad things abougt the ironhead that it has.not this bike, just in general. the fella wants to sell it to me for a little over 3grand. i know most shovleheads around these early years have been rebiuld, or some type of work done....dose the fack that its an iron head have any thing to do with it?...it has no leaks andruns well. is the ironhead, although not alumminum, agood chioce for my first harley experiance?...