In my opinions, all these cars live in the rather dark and murky underworld of the ageing performance car.
Looking at it cynically, it's an easy place (as you realise) to loose lots of money. By the way don't think the Japanese stuff is immune - they (I've seen particularly with the MR2) can sting you almost as badly as anything here if you get a bad one, of which as you mention, there are so many.
Bear in mind too, these may attract more abusive/less enthusiastic owners than those of Porsche 944s, M3's etc.
But it's a very interesting place to spend time huh? I'm this close (imagine I'm holding my fingers close together) to delving into this underworld, but for the risk and the time.
The easy answer is: If a perfect car happens to come along (I'm in the motor trade), I will think about buying it
- to me that's more important even that what car it is exactly, but I'm hoping to see a 190E-16v, 968, or 500E -
rather than go in looking for a good car, and possibly rising up from the vines and weeds with something that isn't what it could be.
I bought a '98 Audi A6 2.8 Quattro, very very good car, but it's modern, won't break down, and won't throw up expensive worn parts. And that's not the name of the game is it?
So it's going..
good luck whatever you may get.. and of course let us know how it is