It's tough finding info on boats as you get bigger in size and older in year.
I went from owning a Macgregor, which has a VERY active (unofficial) owners association
right here on this site, to owning a Cal 34, which is a moderately popular boat, but few and far between on the online resources.
I am currently in a Newport 28 and the owners forum on here is a ghost town.
SailboatData.com will give you the general blueprint specs and history of the boat. Go to "Search by Builder" and type in Catalina (they bought Coronado and Sailboatdata.com has them listed as the builder).
The couple who "moved ashore to sell trailer homes" may not be sailing anymore, but the records of their journeys should indicate that the boat is a worthy cruiser.
Another thing to remember is that just because someone else has had a good or bad experiences with a certain make and model of boat doesn't mean that you will have the same.
Everybody is different, of course, and just because 2 boats were made in the same factory from the same design plans 30-40 years ago, doesn't neccessarily mean that the two vessels are still "equal" in quality.
It all boils down to how does the boat feel when you step inside it?
Is it creepy? or can you hear her singing to you?
Good Luck!
-Joel