Astroman

I'm a long time listener, first time caller! Well done rephrasing your answer and you are exactly right. The OP will do well following your model, (and I believe that is what he is planning). The problem as I see it is finding someone in the area to do the ppi, who hasn't already recently maintained that plane. That bird is like the town bicycle! (Or my first wife maybe?)

I don't think any of us would even buy a cheap car without at least driving it around the block once to see how we like it, with or without the salesman. Making sure it's the plane you want, before plunking down a sizeable sum of money, is reason enough. Then it's on to the ppi.