[kthelen]

This morning I came upon a craigslist ad for a car in Raleigh I'm interested in. Private party. The price is right, and it presents well enough in pictures. I anticipate needing to make a commitment ($) fairly soon if I want to be its next owner.

But, as someone who's seen his share of "loose gooses" and "Bondo buggies" that were plenty shiny from 20 feet back, I'm hesitant to pull the trigger on something I haven't seen in person - and even worse if I end up writing a check and hiring a hauler (east coast to Minnesota is quite a trek, especially with my busier-than-usual schedule right now).

I figure getting a reputable local party to look it over might be the next best thing.

Anybody here from the Raleigh, NC area? If so, are there any mechanics, shops, dealers, etc. that you could recommend for this sort of thing?

And, in general... any advice for someone considering buying a car cross-country?


--Keith