If you feel confident enough to disassemble it it could be a very rewarding experience to do some of the work yourself. Take it apart, have the parts cleaned commercially, Have the machine work done professionally and them put it back together with new parts. It's not like it's rocket science or anything and you can always bail out and turn it over to a pro if you lose your nerve.
Doing your own work is a huge part of the experience of owning an antique vehicle so if you don't need it right away and you feel adventurous, go for it.
