It's obviously very valuable to have a car inspected before you complete the purchase. The higher the level of the condition of the car (and hence, more expensive), the more important it is to have it gone over by a professional that is experienced with that particular marque and model. But, let's say you're in south Florida or New York and you find a car online in Spokane that you're really interested in? You may have to search really hard to find someone in a region who really knows about the Pagoda or 280SE 3.5 coupé. If you have the time you can contact someone in that area from the MBCA (yep, the Mercedes-Benz Club of America), and see if they can point you in the right direction.

The next step might be to contact one of the PPI online networks and mention that it's important to you that you find someone who is somewhat experienced with the make and model. If you hit a wall with that one then we'd probably recommend one of two options: pay the added expense of having our inspector travel to the area (if it makes sense financially), or just use a local inspector who seems to be competent with the process. And then feel free to contact us if you need to just bounce the information off of someone (it won't cost you a dime). We promise we won't "bash" the competition or try to sell you something. We see classic MB owners as family, and we'll always do our best to help.

So, what does it cost for a Pre-Purchase Inspection (PPI) and what does it include? Well, it depends. Often it depends on how deep the seller will let you get (compression tests, etc.?). But generally you’re talking about $199 (and up).

Please send us an email by filling out the form below. (Again, it doesn’t commit you to anything). We will give you a call so we can discuss your vehicle and needs.