Well, what can I say?
Flew IOM to Gatwick, one way hire car (Fiat Stylo - nasty) to Plymouth area (took me about 10 hours from getting up to finding the sellers house)
Gorgeous Midnight Blue with triple blue leather shining in the sun. Condition as described (although there were a few more stone chips than I had expected).
Took it up the road for a blat - wow! Forgotten what a car feels like without power steering. Ride actaully not as bad as I had expected (I' ve been driving my E30 M3 for the last couple of weeks which is track prepared and it wasnt as bad as that)
HOWEVER......
Pulled in to fill it with fuel and it kept dying as I pulled off. Thought it was me with the lightweight flywheel but eventually got going. Got back to the sellers house but it just would not run, kept stalling and smelled of fuel. Seller got his local mechanic to look at it who by process of elimination suggested it was something to do with the cold start. Seller was completely embarressed and offered me my deposit back there and then. After having a quick contemplate - what was I going to do? I' ve been looking for a 964 (first C2 then RS) for about 2 years and spent a fortune flying over to see rubbish. If I walked away from this I was back to square 1. It was the right car in the right colour at the right price, it just happened to fail on test drive.
SO.....
The seller paid for a three day hire car from Plymouth to Liverpool, paid for 2 single boat trips back to the IOM, paid for my return journey next saturday and will get the car to the Liverpool ferry for next saturday and will get the (now diagnosed) Engine Temperature Sensor (it was showing 0.3V not the correct 1.5V and going into get you home mode - retard the ignition and dump a load of fuel in) replaced as well. Will take most of the price in a Bankers Draft and let me run the car for a week before asking for the remainder.
All things considered, albeit a very roller coaster ride, I think I' ve done the right thing, and I' ve only got to wait another 5 days.....
Update you next Monday!!!!!!