Not trying to one up or anything this is an awesome find for you just thought I'd share a similar story:

Went to a used game store one time to get a new set of composite cables for my Xbox. I like to play the unlockable NES Trilogy games on the original xbox release of Ninja GAIDEN at Han's Bar. The resolution doesn't support component so you'll get just a jumbled video signal when you start the NES games if you don't use composite.

Well for whatever reason my Xbox would only give sound when I used composite cables. No video. Components worked fine but not composite. After trying everything I could I figured just go in and try to get a new set of cables.

Asked the dude working there if he ever heard of anything like that and he was like, "No but do you want a free Xbox? Someone just donated this we don't have any cables and can't test it you can just have it."

Took it home it's a 1.6 that works perfectly and was really clean inside. Strangest part about it was that my other Xbox I had originally immediately started working normally with all the cables I already had when I got home so I ended up returning them.

So basically some random hiccup got me a free Xbox. Probably the luckiest thing that ever happened to me in a game store.