Looking at 300TD manual, what do I need to know?

[ubertino]

I'm looking at a 390,000 mile 300TD that has a four speed manual and manual windows, the seller is asking $1900, and isn't too flexible about it. It also comes with extra parts: replacement rear hatch, another engine, disassembled but with gaskets and presumably everything needed for reassembly, as well as a slew of other random parts. Owner says that the diff was replaced with a lower mileage unit and one of the axle shafts was replaced. That seems a bit odd to me. Blows heat, but the fan is only high or not at all.

Needless to say I'm assuming that this must have been imported at some point, I don't believe that this was ever offered in the USA.

I have a 1982 300TD that's an auto, I'm pretty familiar with the car, but I don't know much of anything about the manual transmission, or of the electronics and smog systems on the euro version of the car are much different.

The interior is quite worn, but matches the interior of my existing car which is almost perfect. From the pictures theres a little rust in the rear wheel wells and jack points. The rear sags a bit, we'll see if it lifts when the car starts or not.

I'll share some pictures when I have them. The price seems a bit steep, but if the body is not all gone, the rear diff and transmission are as advertised, then with some work it could be a great daily driver manual wagon, which sounds like paradise. My car can feed parts as needed, my suspension, brakes and a bunch of other stuff are new.

Somebody talk me down...