Go straight to maintenance logbook FIRST. Does it have lots of detail, or is it rather bare. Does it have good detail on particularly engine service bulletins. Ask to see all the maintenance manuals and whatever publications. Are all the engine etc service bulletins printed out and maybe in a binder? Do your own research on those after getting the engine serial number. You need to find all those first, before you go, so you know what to look for. Any service bulletin not recorded properly must be treated as not done. Good bargaining point for you, value goes down. If the logbooks check out, THEN you go look at the aircraft, which will likely be quite good also.
I did a pre-purchase inspection of an aircraft for someone a few years ago as he just couldn't get there. Logbook had nothing - and I mean NOTHING - written in it for the previous 15 years and no record of the three prop strikes that I personally knew it had. (I personally knew the previous two owners who personally told me, personally, in person, to my person.) Yes, it had been flown occasionally over those 15 years.
Another trip to collect an aircraft by trailer some years before, as it hadn't been flown for six years, we knew all that in advance. Aircraft had been part maintained by a LAME. He had delight telling us that he just drilled the rocker chamber vents (Jab engine) as per the Jab service bulletin. Great. Except for, it didn't apply to THAT serial number engine. DOH! I didn't make a new friend by pointing that out.
Good luck with your quest.