So many great golden era DD tables out there, what do you recommend for $1000?

Raul, The PL70LII is pretty well known to be a stealth bargain, if you "study" pioneer turntables. It only lacks some of the fringe features, including the massive suspended plinth, of the Exclusive P3.  You're correct about the tonearm, too. Sometimes you see them for sale on "Hifido", the Japanese company that sells a lot of vintage stuff of all kinds, both in their real stores in Japan and by mail order. They are completely reputable, and they know how to pack and ship a turntable.  If anyone wants to look, google "Hifido English".  Unless you read Japanese.

It's one curious case where the tonearm alone (from a P3) costs much more than the same tonearm, if you purchase it along with a turntable, like the PL70LII.  In my opinion, the PL70LII with that tonearm is a screaming bargain at $1600 (price on Yahoo as quoted by Jessica above).  I've seen the tonearm alone advertised for as much as $6000.

If you want the best sound, I recommend a Well Tempered Classic.  I had one for many years before getting a Well Tempered Reference.  The difference in sound between the two is minor.  The Classic completely destroyed the VPI HW-19 Junior in sound quality that I compared it to at the time.  You can find the Classic on the used market for about a grand.

the fully automatic denon dlp-47l is a masterpeice of engineering and a joy to behold. I have one, along with a pioneer pl-518, restored, that has auto-return. both of the dd tables are built like tanks and have never had any issues. good luck. ps- have used both mm and mc cart on both. pps- my denon may become available soon as I try out the new technics pl-1500c. 

@lewm, 
I agree with you that the PL-70L II is a great bargain in vintage DD territory. I purchased one for around $1000 at HiFiDo several years back, but it's hardly ever on sale and prices have gone up since.  For some reason the Exclusive P3 is offered more frequenly, but at a much higher price of course. That table is in a different league, as well it should be.

The tonearms on both tables are very similar, but not identical. Both are 12" length and have interchangeable straight and S-type arm pipes. They were also available as separate items. The P3 arm is called EA-10 and is dynamically balanced. The PL-70L II arm is called EA-70 II and is statically balanced and is then fitted with a manual armlift (the version in the PL-70L II has a motorised lift and automatic shut off). Topclass audio in Hongkong has both arms on offer at the moment for $3800 and $2000 respectively. For a moment I even considered buying the latter and mounting it on my Micro RX-1500, it's that good.

@uberwaltz, 
You might also consider the PL-50 L II, which is one step down from the 70 and equipped with a 10" version of the otherwise identical arm. That should also be a great choice and most likely still within your budget.