Its about time to find a replacement for the lady's '79 242 DL.

I will be looking at an '82 Turbo this evening. I am not sure if its a 242 or 244. What sort of mechanical issues should I be looking for with a turbo? I've bought more than a few older cars in my young life so I am not totally inexperienced but I dont know much about the turbo's in bricks. Is there some sort of road test that I should do to really test it out? If it needs some work I'll need to get it worked out sufficiently before our Montana winter starts.

Also what kind of gas mileage would this car get if it ran good. The owner says it runs great. I just hope its better than the 14mpg I'm getting now in the '79.

The price is $1999/obo. I am thinking not much more than a grand would be appropriate. I'll leave judgment until I see it.

Thanks all!

The turbo for this year has the same engine (almost) and same fuel injection system as the naturally aspirated DL/GL. K-Jetronic is pretty reliable, but it wouldn't hurt to invest in a mechanical fuel pressure gauge - Kjet is all about fuel pressure, and when it doesn't work that is usually your problem.

It's a pretty basic car. Nothing really 'electronic' on this one, except for an oxygen sensor and an 8bit "computer" to control the loopback system.

I'm sure that the turbo has been replaced or rebuilt at this point. However, check for play in the shaft. Look for excessive oil in the intercooler hoses (if it has an intercooler) and airbox. Look for cracks in the exhaust manifold and leaks in the manifold gasket. That job is probably the biggest PITA repair on this car.

Despite the lack of real electronic fuel injection, there is still a wiring loom under the hood. The loom for turbo K-jet cars is actually the cheapest to replace, if this hasn't already been done.

Check grounds, fuses, and the like. Has the blower motor been replaced?
Motor mounts, transmission mount, clutch (if it's a 4spd+OD), and TAB bushings.

For $2000, it should be close to pristine inside and out, and not have any of these issues.

I would budget in a decent programable digital boost controler of some sort. this way you can dial the boost way way down on the highway and save some cash, but then dial it way up if you want to rip. I am also a fan of turbo timers which can come integrated in the controller....this will really save your oil and your turbo. I am also a bit into the ethanol injection set-ups but if you live in a place as cold as montana, i think that might be a bit unneccessary.

i still regret not buying the flathood when i had the chance....it was really sweet and would have been awsome to lower and run at local autocross events....not to mention drift shows.

You will not be saving much in gas money if you use even small amounts of boost.