Boiling down my purchase decisions…. There are SO many cars to choose from in the Southern California area, and I want to make an informed decision.

It’s likely going to be an early turbodiesel, but what year? – I'd like to know if there were any significant engine differences between the earliest turbo diesels (early 80s) and the ones built later, such as the 1983-1985 engines? (I'm not looking at anything newer than the 1985 cars.)

Are they pretty much the same, or were the later ones better built (beefier internals?) or have better ancillaries such as injection pumps, cooling capacities, turbos, etc., etc..

Secondly, are the turbos just as reliable as the normally aspirated cars – in other words, should I look at earlier cars (pre-turbo) assuming that they accelerate quickly enough to satisfy my needs?

Thanks again everyone for your help! MUCH appreciated!