[epbrown]

I've bought several cars long distance. Hell, I bought a BMW Z4 yesterday from a place in Iowa; drove it back last night.

My personal take is to get comfortable with the person selling the car, and go in knowing as much as you can. I've passed on lots of "great deals" because the seller didn't seem knowledgeable or forthcoming. Discuss known weaks spots and see what they have to say, ask who worked on the car, and get some pics. If possible, have a local swing by and take a look at it - if you've ever seen the Pelicans dissecting an eBay car, you know how critical we can be. The best owners are proud of how well they've kept the car up, and that'll show.

Once I've found one of those, I move forward, usually without a PPI, because I haven't had luck with them. On one car, the reputable shop missed a problem with the brakes that I spotted immediately - after I'd flown 700 miles on their say-so. On the other, the car was in perfect shape and I knew it, but everyone nagged me and I shelled out the dough.

In the case of the Z4 I picked up yesterday, I had the advantage of buying a car that's still under warranty (27 months remaining) with full service records - I had a local BMW center run the VIN.

Emanuel