@pbass: on which register (i.e. country) do you plan to put the aircraft on? This has a big impact on what you're allowed to do and what not.
If you purchase a pre 1976 Cessna 182, it will come with a Continental O-470 engine that is approved for 87 octane or more (the 1976+ O-470-U is not). This basically means you can fuel it up at the gas station. I presume that high ethanol content is not an issue in Russia (in Europe it's added for "ecological" reasons).
The Cessna 182 hasn't really changed over the years. Get a 70s model and have an expert redo the interior, paint the airframe and it will be virtually indistinguishable from a 2012 model. The only major change from Cessna in the last 40 years was that 4 cupholders replaced the 4 ashtrays.
As Peter said, I wouldn't go for a modern glass cockpit either because they tend to be single point of failures and your options for repair might be rather limited in Russia. With the traditional steam gauges you can easily maintain a few spares and send them via mail to Europe/USA for repair.
Still I think you'd be better off with a Diamond diesel/kerosine aircraft.