Yes, as stated rust can be an issue, on cars which haven't been treated or have been scratched due a screen replacement..
Check base of front and rear screens, as water can just sit there.. any sign of a bubble, you can expect to find a hole once the screen is removed.
Check the A & B door posts from inside the wings, as these can rust quickly if damaged by muck and stones.
Same goes for the front and rear wings around the lights.
Oil leaks from the engine or transmission.. some minor leaks can be expected, but anything more than a very slight leak or from a drain tube could mean engine out and strip to fix, along with a top-end rebuild while you are there.?
Electrics... Well they are German and not Japanese, and are prone to fail.. Check them all along with the fans etc, as unless its just a dirty fuse, can be time consuming to trace.
A common fault on electric windows is that they drop, due to the way the glass is held/gripped, so do not go up and down properly. This is an easy fix for about £15 to replace the rubber and base channel.
Heaters.. you will probably find the control boxes under the car above the heat exchangers have rusted, this will result in either not allowing hot air into one or other side of the car, or more commonly not being able to shut off the hot air supply. These control boxes maybe salvagable with new springs, and grease etc.. but they could need to be replaced.. They are cheap to buy, and are only held by 3x10mm nuts... however these can be a pain to remove, and if the studs to the body break, it can leave another problem.?
Mechanically, as long as you have a service history, they are sound and will just keep going... I use my 3.2 everyday, as I just love the way it drives and handles.. actually prefer it to our 993..
Air-con... if it has it, check it works, when it was last re-gasses plus pressure tested and if it has been converted to run on r134 gas... see receipts... No-receipts I would not expect it will work for long... 6-months to 1 year before another re-gas.?
Adam
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