[techweenie]

In the US a totaled car is given a salvage or rebuildable title. I'm not sure if that type of title branding exists in Canada or persists in cross-border sales.

If you cannot satisfy yourself with the evidence of the car's history, you have to satisfy yourself with the condition of the car as it sits. If it were me, I'd find a Porsche-knowledgeable body shop and arrange to have the car inspected there for prior repairs.

There is a real risk that returning the car to the US, a prior salvage title could affect re-titling in the state you register it in. But it is probably a small risk if no evidence of major repairs exists.

I know in California a car goes "out of the system" after 7 or so years. I suspect that's true in other states. So bringing it back may only require an inspection of the car for VIN accuracy. The bigger risk (in magnitude, not likelihood) is prior theft. You should be able to check with the national stolen car database to be sure the car was not stolen and unrecovered.