Kinda torn on this topic. On one hand, I always like sharing. I think for those of us that do PPI's its more of an opportunity to make another friend than to make money. So, "arming" others with an exhaustive PPI list seems like a good thing to do. But, on the other hand, our PPI list includes inspection of unique "tells" that we leverage to inspect a GT and I don't really want it to be known what these tells are. Like anything else GT inspections are a learned expertise. The advice of asking a prospective PPI person how many inspections OF GTs that they have done is importnat. The more inspections, the more the person has a sense of what's normal and what's not.
I was recently hired to inspect an in-the-wrapper GT with virtually no mileage being sold by a very large (GT Experienced) Ford dealership. Frankly I was in a little bit of a foul mood right off the bat. My time is valuable - and TIME is THE expense in a hired inspection. I had asked that the car be ready and on a 4-post lift. It wasn't. Everyone around seemed to be giddy happy with a GT out in the open and like it was a privilege that I had the good fortune to be able to inspect it. Not my perspective. I work for the buyer. I'm here to do a job. My time is valuable.
Anyway, I arrived and I'm 30' away from the car sitting over a 2-post lift. Grrrrr. The car was being presented to me as a 2006 (<100 mile) out-of-the wrapper car. From 30' and looking at the back of the car - I told the dealer rep that the car was a 2005. Nope, it's a 2006, I'm certain. Well, I said, THAT car is a 2005 so if you want me to look at a 2006 car you'd better go find one! (I suppose many people here can know how I know it was a 2005 from that distance.) Anyway, the guy finally corrected himself and admitted that maybe it was a 2005 after all - but nevertheless, it was a virgin - just as it came from the factory. Really? Now I was 5' or so from the rear of the car. So maybe one of you can explain to me why this "virgin" car has had the rear bumper removed and re-installed? Blank faces all around. After 2-3 up and downs to re-position the arms so I could get the pans off, it was pretty easy to establish that the car most likely had a clutch replaced - as for certain the transaxle had been removed.
I'll stop there. Just an illustration of what any one of several practiced GT PPI inspectors from this forum can do..... and which would be difficult for someone who may be very competent with another car make/model, but without GT experience likely may not have "caught" any of these things.
