Engine inspection - cost? - who?

[111KAB]

As you may have seen from other threads I am looking for a 2nd hand longshaft 40hp outboard but not finding many in the West Midlands !!! A few engines have been mentioned to me mainly by people 'down south'. Knowing little or nothing about what I should be looking for I am keen to find someone who can look an engine over for me and give me some confidence that I'm not buying a wreck. At the moment a chappie in Canterbury has an interesting proposition but that is a 400 mile round trip for me and even when I get there I don't really know what I should be looking for. How much would a competant person/engineer charge me to check over a small outboard and where do I find such a person? THANKS