Car Sourcing

[forzaminardi]

I'm looking to buy a particular model and year of car - a '05-early '06 S2000 - and have been trawling through PH classifieds, autotrader and various other used car listing sites with some mixed success. I have found a few examples, a mix of dealers and private sales. Ideally I'd like dealer facilities, for finance (sorry, company director-types) and the additional peace of mind in the event of problems especially as the S2000 is a car known to be sensitive to condition.

I am not too fussed on price, I'll pay what the market demands for a good one. The problem is, the cars I've seen are basically:
- in good nick but are private sales.
- dealer sales but look a bit more ropey.

Which brings us to the question... I know various dealers offer a 'car sourcing' service and I'm on fairly good terms with an apparently reputable dealer local to me (a used Porsche specialist) who offers this service. Have any PH-ers had experience of using such a service, specifically in relation to the cost and condition of the resulting vehicle? Secondly, I have found various online firms offering this service as their core business; has anyone used them and able to recommend a particular company?

Also, I think I'm reasonably aware of the things to check out on a S2000, but if anyone has any additional guidance for buying, feel free to chip in!

Thanks for any help!

[Ved]

Try Palmdale

[Troubleatmill]

This will cover pretty much everything on an S2000
http://www.s2ki.com/s2000/topic/301506-technical-f...

I would suggest buying privately from an owner on the S2000 forum (s2ki) where the car is well known.
There is one dealer in particular to be avoided at all costs.

[HumbleJim]

If you only need dealer facilities for finance take out a loan. You can then purchase the car you want. How about the owners club?

[forzaminardi]

Thanks for the replies, Gents. The Palmdale thing looks interesting, has anyone had experience of using them?

I am considering a loan and a private purchase, the main thing I wanted was a degree of peace of mind (even if illusionary in practice) that a dealer might provide, but possibly the way to go is the owners' club and some common sense and a thorough examination.

Thanks again.

[kiethton]

Any good private seller (with nothing to hide) won't mind permitting a dealer/organisation of your choice giving the car a thorough condition inspection.

I know RAC offer this service but I am sure you can book am hour or 2 of a S2k specialist to inspect any private car for peace of mind.