Seems like from a cost standpoint it's cheaper to buy a nice clean bird at a reasonable price than try to compensate for years of neglect after buying a fixer-upper.
There's no definitive answer to you question because the most pristine airplane could blow a jug and fry a radio the first week you own it or the fixer-upper might fly relatively trouble free for years to come.
Best of luck with your search <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/cool.gif" alt="" />
