For a day or so, I thought this was going to die, but we have some good responses...and some less helpful ones.
I agree with the $$ comment. I was particularly bitten by the "well I have to change this, do I might as well upgrade, 'cause it's only xx more" bug.
Also must agree with the inspection comment. Inspection and Registration were two of my biggest fears in this project...and partly drove a decision to buy from an in-state manufacturer.
I also should have sought more advice. Some of my decisions were driven solely by the manufacturer's advice, and some were driven in direct opposition to their advice.
As much as I love these cars, I never imagined the kind of aggravation they would cause me...from the general public. There are an amazing number of people who like to tell me what I did wrong. So be prepared.