Upon removing the tremolo, control plates and pickguard, I discovered some not-so-great looking gunk clinging to the body:
This leads me to believe that the guitar has seen some water at some point between when I sold it and reacquired it. I tried a damp cloth and some vinegar solution so as not damage the finish further, but this is some persistent dirt and didn't make a lot of difference. My plan is to ultimately part out the body and hardware and keep the neck for a more vintage-correct build I'm planning. I'm wondering what the best course of action would be to clean this up without harming the finish. It's a pretty thick coat of poly, so I doubt it'll be *too* much to remove it, I just thought I'd be better off asking the community before hitting it with the GooGone.
Original pickguard mid-set up pic for attention:
