what should i know before buying?

[mozerman]

I mlooking for a talon tsi or a gsx. Ive been looking for a while and cant find good cars for less than 3000. I found a few but i want to know what i should specifically be looking for. Is there a way to find if the turbo is still good. Is there anything to specifically be looking for? Im not into drag racing. Im looking for a car to autocross and rallycross. Any advice would be greatly appreciated.

 

[project94tsi]

look in the classifieds you can find a decient 1g for cheaper then $3000

check turbo for shaft play
do a compression check if possible
check for oil leaks
ask when timing belt was last done

 

[GalantGst]

U could check the shaft play on the turbo. Make sure it does not smoke (idle, cruiseing, boosting) etc.

 

[mozerman]

How do i check for shaft play. Ive never worked on a car with a turbo. is it just moving the shaft around on the turbo?