Thanks Ken, Ken & Jim:

You've given me plenty to think through and look at. My friend Kirk (who went with me on the trip to purchase it), has a hunch that it is fuel related. The seller however had purchased valve stem seals and included them with the car.
Will check the vacuum line as well.

Jim: my starter is not messing with the pinion and ring gears. Rather, it just spins (whirs) freely on some 1st attempts. My 300TD on the other was slamming into the ring gear already in motion. That was a bad sound. This is something I can live with for a bit longer.

Thanks for the advice.

Don

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DAILY DRIVERS:
'84 300DT 298k (Aubrey's)
'99.5 Jetta TDI IV 251k (Julie's)
'97 Jetta TDI 127k (Amber's)
'97 Jetta TDI 186k (Matt's)
'96 Passat TDI 237k (Don's
'84 300D 211k Mint (Arne- Undergoing Greasecar Conversion)

SOLD:
'82 240D 229k (Matt's - Converted-300DT w/ 4 speed