Buying a Car From Far Away

[husker boxster]

Originally Posted by BoxMann

(iii) Arrange for the PPI first, and if it checks out well, fly down, pay the Seller and drive home?

And then there's the issue of tags, temp transit plates, etc

Option iii would be a good option. Obviously you'll have to be zeroed in on the particular car you want, as you don't want to be blowing all your budget on PPIs for every car you see.

My Wheeler Dealer activities are a bit different as I'm interested in later model, lower mileage Porsches. I don't do a PPI, I just fly in, buy it, and drive it home. But I do plenty of homework before leaving. I generally buy my cars from private party vs dealer. I feel I'll get more truthful info from a private party rather than a dealer. I ask about paintwork or accidents (among many other things), which isn't failsafe but so far I've been good. If a car has had multiple owners, they may not be aware of a previous accident. Carfaxes are useful but as we know are not perfect. I will also google the seller to see if he's real and "clean". Once I arrive to inspect a car, I'll look for paintwork. It's generally not hard to find, as there will be overspray and paint seams that will give it away. I'm always ready to leave if it doesn't check out, but so far I haven't had to fly home empty handed.

The only car I've purchased sight unseen was 2 yrs ago. It was an 01 911 cab that needed some interior work. I purchased it from a Mercedes dealership in MD. I wired the money to them and they eventually got it on a transporter. Took them several wks. Had multiple sleepless nights until they confirmed it was on its way. I felt somewhat safe doing this since it was a reputable dealership, but still not relieved until the car was unloaded at my house. It's definitely a leap of faith. I sold an 09 base Boxster to a forum member this summer where he bought it sight unseen. I took it for a PPI, he wired the money, and it was loaded on the truck. He never saw it in person until it got to his house. I FedEx'd the title to him the day he wired the money. Once again, a leap of faith, but he was happy with the purchase.

Different states have different rules on temp tags. Some issue them, some don't. I've driven lots of cars w/o tags across lots of states. I figure as long as I have a bill of sale, the title or a copy of it, and the phone # of the seller, I'll be fine. And I don't drive exceedingly fast to draw attn to myself. So far, haven't been pulled over.

Agree with P_Carfahrer that driving your purchase home is a great way to see the country and make a To-Do list as you go. Porsches are great long distance tourers. They eat up the miles. I was able to check West Virg off my list of states I've never been to on my last WD adventure.

Good luck.

[MrBen]

I flew to Florida took the car for a test drive. After some negotiating and agree on a price I took the car to a shop for a lift inspection. The also ran a snan with the durametric. I had some new tires put on and drove it back to Michigan. It was March. My insurance guy said no plate needed. Have the bill of sale and title paperwork and drive straight home. 1600 miles no worries. The first few hundred miles I kept hearing noises expecting the engine to explode. Eventually I let it go and enjoyed the ride. I've never financed a vehicle so if it went it was a chance I was willing to take. I've bought other toys like: this before. I bought a camper in California. That was a cool trip.

[BoxMann]

Originally Posted by MrBen

My insurance guy said no plate needed. Have the bill of sale and title paperwork and drive straight home.

That's not the universal 50 state rule. Different states, and different LEOs are going to handle that differently. That can get you into some trouble if you're pulled over.

[maytag]

Originally Posted by BoxMann

That's not the universal 50 state rule. Different states, and different LEOs are going to handle that differently. That can get you into some trouble if you're pulled over.

In utah you must have an "in transit" permit. costs $15, good for 72 hours. You can buy and print it online.

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[Oldcarguy]

When I bought my R1100S in South Carolina and rode it back to Texas in 2015, I purchased a Texas transit tag (because that was my destination state) for $25 at the Texas DMV online site. It had the VIN on the tag and the start and end date for the tag validity. I think it was good for a month, but I’m not sure. I printed and laminated it and put in on the bike when I started my trip.

During my research, I discovered that every state I checked had different regulations. The Texas DMV advised to have the tag mounted and to have the title and other executed documents with me during the trip. I didn’t encounter any difficulties but YMMV of course.

[BoxMann]

Originally Posted by Oldcarguy

When I bought my R1100S in South Carolina and rode it back to Texas in 2015, I purchased a Texas transit tag (because that was my destination state) for $25 at the Texas DMV online site. It had the VIN on the tag and the start and end date for the tag validity. I think it was good for a month, but I’m not sure. I printed and laminated it and put in on the bike when I started my trip.

During my research, I discovered that every state I checked had different regulations. The Texas DMV advised to have the tag mounted and to have the title and other executed documents with me during the trip. I didn’t encounter any difficulties but YMMV of course.

No reason to encounter difficulties if you have a temp transit tag. Actually, I thought you get the transit tag from the state you're departing from, not the destination state.

And you're quite correct that different states will have different rules and it behooves you to check those rules. I would NEVER drive without no plates and just a bill of sale and signed title in my hand.