[Sloan]

I have a 986S with the Bose system, and that's a similar location for the amp, though mine is mounted more towards the top, and is not behind a panel (I assume for better air flow and access). I don't mean to be a 'wise guy', but what about turning the system on and listening to see if the speakers are in there and working properly?? (Or are you suggesting that they might have put on the Bose grille, but not the real Bose speakers? Seems like a pretty unlikely trick, but perhaps I'm naive).

As for the PPI - my guess is that you'll get suggestions to get one anyway, particularly since you already have a concern about an odd noise, but I tend to agree with you that because it is under warranty, its not as critical as it usually might be. As for the sound itself, mine is Tiptronic, so I can't tell you about 'normal' sounds with the manual gearbox.

The price seems pretty good to me - I'll echo the usual wisdom - check cars.com, and eBay motors for like vehicles, then average, then take in to account the options and conditions, and you can confirm for yourself that the price is fair. Don't forget that with the current economy, they might show considerably more flexibility than usual.

One option you did not mention - does it have PSM? That's a 'must have' for some folks, and one of the few things that you cannot add later on.

Please keep us informed as to what you end up doing. If that car is not 'the one', you might be able to get some good leads on these boards.