don't be afraid to travel......
£40 of fuel could get you a lovely car and most people selling will negotiate on travel costs so say you will pay your own way there but if you buy it, you want the £40 off the price 
in the grand scheme of it all, a train journey is well worth it for a good car 
JJ
After my experience I would say a quick phone call to the garage to make sure the car is unsold and then get down there as quick as you can without saying how far you've come. My wife once wanted an automatic Tigra and I found a three year old one on Autotrader seventy miles away. I phoned up and they said they would hold it for me. When I got there it was overpriced and I found myself with no bargaining power on price even with no trade in. The best I could get was £100 off or an extra years warranty so I took the latter. After six months the gearbox went, the warranty refused to pay and the selling garage would take no responsibility. I eventually got £1040 from the warranty company by taking them to arbitration, but I learnt a lesson.
Yes it's all right to travel when you're looking for a rarish car, but don't make it too obvious you must have it. Leave yourself the opportunity to do a proper deal, it's still a second hand car.
