I live in Illinois, I bought my s2k in Ohio.

Me and buddy(an s2000 owner of many years) drove out to Ohio early on a Saturday. Had a great/fun drive out to Ohio.

I brought the majority of the payment in a cashiers check and the rest in cash(I wanted to haggle on price once I saw the car in person).
We got to his house a little later than expected, we went over the car, both took it for a test drive. Everything seemed ok minus some very minor things.
Decided on a final price, and was informed the bank was closing in about 15min so we needed to get there quickly so the notary could take care of the title. The seller had a printed up Bill of Sale. We made it to the bank, luckily.
Got back to his house and loaded up both of my cars with the extras he gave me(extra set of AP1 wheels, floor mats, ect...) said our good byes and me and my buddy were on our way.

We stopped at the closest gas station, filled up both the cars and had an un-eventful but fun ride home.
Walkie-talkies are a must. Not only did they help with boredom but good for quick communication about cops, tolls, decent local radio stations during the drive, ect...

You can do all the title transfer and other paperwork when you get home.

I say find a good friend that is also good with cars and go for a road trip. It was a fun experience.

 

Bought my CR out of state and drove it back
flew to Utah, paid cash and had one of the best road trips of my life
just make sure you know where there are gas stations are in between long stretches of open road, haha I got lucky!

also if the car has any mods that they are CARB compliant
cuz when you get back to Cali you have to smog the car before registering at the DMV

have a safe trip

 

What about negotiating a price over the phone or via email without actually seeing/driving the car? I'll most likely be buying out of state and don't want to get to the dealer and want to walk out then have to negotiate. Also, has anyone gone to see a car out of state and not liked it?

I love the idea of having the car shipped to me, but that really scares me if I'm not happy with it. I guess that will have to wait til the day I take delivery of a Lamborghini.

 

Buying from a dealer is a royal pain. Being out of state just makes it worse. And I honestly can't see how you would buy a used car without inspecting it yourself.

 

Yep. Took a leap of faith and mailed out a cashier's check with a notarized document stating the terms of sale. It went something like this:

"I, <name>, am sending $xxxx for the purchase of <year, make, model, VIN> at the condition described in Appendix A (where the pre-purchase inspection report goes). The seller, <name>, has agreed to do the following within xxx days of receipt of payment: 1) send title to <your name & address>, 2) facilitate the shipping of the vehicle <more details of vehicle shipping>"

It may/may not have been the best way to guarantee a safe transaction, but it worked out for me. Don't let the car distract you from making a rash decision. Trust your instincts and build confidence by working closely with the seller. As an example, I had the seller drive 60 miles to the inspection mechanic. The fact that they were willing to do helped me build trust with the seller.

 

Drove over 300 miles to trade in my old car and get my s2k without any pre-hand negotiations. Had to inspect it with a flash light and test drive it hours past the dealer closed. After all was said and done though, it was worth knowing I had got what I came for.

 

What about driving it back, since it isn't registered, do you just get a temp from the state you buy it from?

 

depends if your home state requires a temp plate. In the end it doesn't matter, since you will still need to get the car registered in your home state, and you will get issued a new plate.

 

If youre comfortable checking the car out yourself, then bring a cashiers or bank certified check. You should check your MVA for rules regarding purchases from out of state. For example, MD needed a form (which you can print out) and notarized. You should also have the seller print out a couple copies of Bill of Sale. If you dont have extra plates, and the owner dosent want to lend it to you, its not a big deal as the title should already be transferred to you.

I drove 11 hours from Tenn to MD and theres no better way to know your new sports car.