Thank you for this informative thread. I just received an AE-1 where the light meter works, but the shutter does not, which from what I have gleaned from the internet, is a common issue with these cameras. It had likely been sitting for 25 years in a bag in the bottom of a closet from what I was told by the person who gave it to me.
I am not sure it is worth it for me to repair. It did come with a few random lenses, but since I am a Nikon Shooter, having a different system might be too much "stuff".