I looked at a charcol '87 16v today. It's got 118,000 miles and sounds like a really good deal. [I was able to look at and start it it, but because of time contraints- Didn't get to drive it, i'm driving it tomorrow] I do however have a few questions about things I should look for.

It has an auto transmission, I'd heard of one or two auto 16v's before this one, but how rare are they? Are they dependable as any other mbz tranny?

The previous owner said that he'd had the head replaced because the oil pump had died about 10,000 miles ago. Any way to verify that it's a new head?

I couldn't find any rust anywhere [wheel wells, underside of car, trunk, etc..] where else should I check?

How can I check the leveling system, just look for leaks?

Thanks in advance!
James