[James Ball]

Thanks for all the advice. It was good to hear of some other strange viewing/buying experiences.

Re testing the engine under load - the seller did the rebuild himself, so unfortunately there is no mechanic to talk to.

The other buyers that pulled out after months of negotiation both sounded a bit odd. They both wanted to export the car and both had trouble with tax etc. It seems strange but from what I can gather Carrera 2.7s have gone up in value a fair bit in the UK recently and now owners are having trouble selling them. It is as if the "cognescenti" know they should be more valuable than they are, as a result owners have jacked their prices up, but the buying public just doesn't agree. 3 of the 4 Carrera 2.7s that I know of on the market in the UK at the moment have all failed to sell at the first time of advertising and are being re-advertised - unfortunately only at a slightly reduced price.

I agree with most of you that this guy is just a bit cautious. My plan is to have a look at a couple of other cars I know of and then if need be go back and re-visit (and hopefully test drive!) this car.

Thanks again.
James