I'm going to weigh in here since I've been doing appraisals since the mid 90's and specific pre-purchase inspections for the last decade or two and feel like my two cents might be relevant. The appraisal/inspection field is largely unregulated-the regulations that do exist vary from state to state and are mostly in the insurance claim realm. First and foremost, you need to interview and do some research on the person or company you're looking at hiring. The bulk of auto appraisers out there are geared toward the largest easiest market-evaluating late model damage claims. Many of the field inspectors don't know or understand vintage cars. However, many appraisers still come from a vintage car background-like me. You need to identify them and make sure they are on the same page as you as far as knowledge and what to look for.
I agree with Rick that someone with a good reputation who is an expert in a single marque or model are the ideal (and I would be the first in line to pay Rick if I was looking at buying a six figure LS6), but they are often booked out/unavailable. I will inspect any vehicle for my fee-but I'm clear with my customers about what vehicles I'm most familiar with and what my limitations are. I'm much more comfortable determining what is correct on a 1966 Corvette or Mustang compared to a 1966 Ferrari or Porsche, but I've been around enough to know what a "good" car is. For the purposes of this discussion, it might be time or money-wise to hire someone like me quickly and somewhat locally for less than $500 to determine whether or not the vehicle is worth securing a deposit, or justifies the effort and expense of putting someone like Rick, Roy Sinor, JM or Galen on a plane to perform a final inspection before transferring funds.
This is another area where inspectors have to have scruples. I've spoken about how I can't just buy the the cars I'm hired to look at without a glaring conflict of interest. As Rick says, if I'm hired to look at a car, my job is to look at the car-not tell them where a better car or a better deal is. That's a different job. I've only offered up "options" after they pass on the vehicle at hand and later explicitly ask me for recommendations, which typically only comes after my report has displayed my expertise and judgement in a way that resonates.
Finally, don't be afraid to still interview people with great reps and listen to your gut if you feel like you're being sold some magic beans. The wheel&deal side of this hobby is seductive and it is absolutely intoxicating when it is lucrative. There are some very knowledgable restorers out there whose quality and correctness standards didn't necessarily stay consistent after they started brokering cars more than they restored them.
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