I know I could get out of it if it's not as advertised, but it's the risk of travelling for a couple of hours, seeing a pos, telling the seller where to get off and then risking childish negative feedback from a disgruntled seller.
Negative points not mentioned on the description can be a matter of opinion. "period patina" can mean anything from dull paint with minor heat cracks to flaking paint requiring a full re-spray. "A few blisters" can mean the vinyl roof looking like the surface of the moon.
If the seller decides the chassis is "solid" and you reckon it's full of fibreglass bodgings covered with underseal you have a watsed trip and risk all the nuisance of dealing with a peed off seller.
It's not so much to do with the risk of losing your money. I suppose it's more "how much is my time worth" and "how much do I mind paying for something I'm not entirely happy with" as once you are there, as some people have said, you can often go "Oh, well, it's not exactly what I expected, but what the hell" especially if the price is low.
Anyway, it's finished now, and no, it wasn't a blue scimitar