Michael,
Don't throw anything away. Charmilles uses the same parts over and over. You are correct about the lower head. Very different. Contacts, pre-guides (sapphires), wire guides, many of the upper head components, bearings, belts, thread jets, and lots of other things have a good chance of working. New in box parts can sell on E-bay. If you haven't gotten rid of the machine yet, there are items I would be interested in buying. PM me if you like. Dale