Works on dusty stuff on hardware store shelves.
I got a 2" Bulldog hitch for ten bucks..

If you love working on motorcycles, tinkering, and you enjoy having wrenches in your hand almost as much as having the grips in your hands while riding......then you can get a really good deal on a used Savage.  It likely will need the head plug removed and replaced if it has not been done, if it has 10,000 miles or more you are going to need the cam chain tensioner looked at, the Raptor Petcock is always a good thing to install so you don't have problems with the vacuum operated petcock, the bolts at the front/rear of the cylinder can weep oil, it will probably have old tires on it unless they have already been replaced....etc.

If you don't have tools and a nice place to work.....you most likely are better off getting a new bike.  Just be wary of the dealers that hate working on the Savage, and don't understand how to keep it running.  This forum is very good at diagnosing problems that come up.

Dave

Back up to a ditch!  Or, go rent a little haul. It's worth it for a good deal you don't wanna miss.  Luck!

Nice!  Welcome to the cult...I mean club  

Carb probably won't hurt by a good once over. You need to read and understand the white spacer mod and also remove the brass plug to get to the air mix screw. Read up and ask questions. Once in the carb you don't want to damage the plunger or plunger parts. And some parts like the dimpled thingy go in a certain side up.

If you do anything smart, do these two. Go to the marketplace and buy Dave's stainless allen screw set to replace all of the carb screws while it is off. And get a set of JIS screwdrivers. If you have any carb screws that are stuck, you'll strip them out trying too hard with a standard US phillips. They're different! Ask me and Dave how I know  

Looks of the header pipe it may be running a bit lean.

Since there's plenty of wood in you garage, make up a piece about 8"x 8" and 2 3/4" you will have a good little packer you can put under the stand to check your oil level, some use a brick. Bike must be level or near level to check the oil according to the handbook. There are errors in Clymer, and a thread in the tech section which points these out.

Great- I easily can make a block to get the bike level.

And I don't see the tools in the Marketplace.  They must be out right now....

If you are referring to the stock tool kit, it's not that much to write home about either. The open end spanners and the screwdriver may have uses. The pliers next to USELESS, I never got the belt tensioner thingy in mine and I brought new. The tube spanner well?????
Do what Zippi says and enjoy it for a while before embarking on tuning and so on.

Before you start on the carb, you might want to drain the tank and replace with fresh gas and a dose of carb cleaner.  Worth a try....