I've had really fantastic "luck" if that's what you wanna call it.
Bought 2 vehicles in fact on eBay - sight unseen and no PPI's - and they were both killer deals! One was my '64 356C - if I told you guys the whole story you wouldn't believe it. Even better than a barn find.
Then again the first Porsche I ever bought ('81 SC) from Auto Trader ended up needing new head studs about a year after purchase - but I didn't pay that much for the car and learned how to drop a 911 engine in the process.
My tub from eBay:
