Just treat everything you are told by owners as bullshit, as well as the paperwork with some.
Mine had 3 files loaded with history, odd how you can fit a a series timing chain and a transit diesel injection pump on a cossie, but these were just some of the receipts in my folder, I just binned the folders.
Had a odd running problem on mine, prior to myself two different "specialists" has owned it, loads of dyno printouts from Interpro, trying to find the problem of 167bhp.
Oddly enough when I did my super service as on any new/sh car I get the problem went when the 12 YEARS old fuel filter was changed!!
Brakes(pads) were held in with a mix of nails, house wire, and tie wraps, wheels had the smaller headed nuts when they should have been the larger ones, only holding on by 3mm.
Brakes had SIX seized pistons out of 8, but I buy on what I see in front of me and paid an appropriate price for the condition, even had original Dunlop D40 tyres on it, all shagged/barely legal apart from the never used spare d40.
They can mega mileage if looked after, major mistake is short runs lack of use using gently, oil needs to get HOT to burn off contaminants, I thrashed the living daylights out of mine, hitting the 7300rpm rev limiter almost daily, but sometimes just poodled at 30mph 5th gear for 30-40 miles!!
tabetha