Buying an MKIII. Please help!
 

http://stockton.craigslist.org/cto/3117370482.html

So I love cars, but I don't know too much about working on them. I was wondering if this seems like a good deal. Also, are these cars easy to work on? Like I said earlier I don't know anything about working on cars, but I am good as using Google lol so I figured I could just Google problems that arise and take them one step at a time. But only as long as these aren't hard to work on and have too many problems. I have heard that MKIII's are fairly reliable and the only real problems are the head gaskets. Thanks in advance!

I'd be wary due to the 1jz swap. It's going to be extra work if something ever does mess up since you don't know how the custom build was performed (especially with the twins set up). However, from what I read, the 1jz is suppose to be better than the 7m so if you can get a look at the engine and give it a hard test drive then maybe it's worth it.

Overall though, price wise and the condition it's in, is it worth dealing with? I know once you start modding a car with a turbo its bound to start shitting on you eventually, so do the pros outweigh the cons? When you said looking at the engine, anything in specific I should be checking for? I heard the main thing you should check is engine compression and for boost leak. Anything else really that I should check for this car in particular? And I appreciate the repsonse, thanks!

Ask them to do the compression check if possible. If they seem hesitant, then it may seem like the car may only last a few months before going out.
As far as an eye inspection, I would look out for any extra grime and dirt build up. If it was a "good" engine swap, they should have cleaned the motor
AND under the hood. If any grime has accumulated, there could have been a problem that is "fixed" for now, but may so up in the future. I wish I could help you more with the turbo area of the car but, my mk3 is just a N/A.
This is all just what come to mind and may not even be right. Just be smart about it. If it seems fishy at all, don't buy it.

Okay sounds good man. Thanks for all the help and tips. Hopefully everything looks good and I end up getting it.

Things I look for when looking at a car: bouncy or squeeking suspension; Oil leaks or built up greasy grime under the car or ontop of the engine under-cover and subframe; Has the engine bay been cleaned and if so did they focus on one spot more than others (often a sign they were trying to cleanup and hide a leak or other problem)?; Check for "chocolate pudding" on the inside of the oil cap (a sign of excessive condensation in the oil, typically due to a BHG); If they are agreeable do a compression test yourself and read the spark plugs when you do it; check the PCV plumbing for signs that it's passing a lot of crankcase gasses (oil vapor, wator vapor, unspent fuel); and always check for diagnostic codes (after you've driven it but before you pull the EFI fuse to do the compression test!).