Update:
I went ahead and got my MEI this summer thanks to a friend and fellow Rotarian who made his twin Geronimo available to me. He's helped some young, aspiring pilots out in a similar way and hooked me up with a young MEI who did his multi and MEI in the same plane. I'm now helping another friend of his get his multi/comm in it. I've just about doubled my multi hours in the last two months and didn't break the bank, so it's all good. And it is opening up opportunities to fly in some twins i would otherwise not had a chance to fly.
Plus it renewed my CFI-I ticket in the process.