VERY very few dealers have personnel with sufficient air-cooled experience now so its the last place to have a PPI done.

 

QFT, my local dealer is phenomenal for anything relatively new that they can plug a diagnostic computer into. Air cooled stuff is best left to professionals.

 

I was buying a car in a town where I didn't know any of the locals. The seller was great an completely transparent, but I still needed the independent view. I went to the local PCA chapter and asked for a recommendation. The president contacted me with three locations, and commentary on each. The guy who did my PPI was great, and the transaction was successful. I'd imagine that in some towns, especially with competing businesses, it would be difficult to avoid the rivalry. In Portland OR, for example, there are some great shops, and individuals who are very supportive. My thought about dealers would be that depending on the vintage of the car, the knowledge may decline. Plus, a PPI given buy a dealer could be counter to why they want you there, which is to buy what they sell...