ok, this guy has a 92 cab for sale for pretty cheap. claims all it needs is a starter.

i am a little leery of this. how do i know that is all it needs if i can't start the car?

so, i was wondering, can i jump the starter to see if it is the ignition switch? what is the easiest way to do this? i saw a post on another forum where a guy said there is a relay inside the car, behind the knee bolster that controls the starter. this is for an automatic trans. from what i gathered from his post the red wire going to the relay marked 92 controls the hot to the starter. shouldn't i be able to splice into this wire and run a lead from my mazda's battery to in and see if it turns the starter?

If that works I would probably just install a push button starter in the thing and call it a day.

Any input on this?

Also, what are some trouble spots to check when buying these? I have owned a 72 super beetle and an 87 vanagon so far. I know some things to look for but is there anything that these things have go wrong commonly?

 

If they did not take care of the starter they did not take care of anything else. Do you really want to buy a car that some guy drove until it died? Unless your plan is to overhaul everything (which I bet it needs) and make a really cute racer, leave it alone.

 

how long has it been sitting
injectors are allways a problem for a vw if they have sat for more than a few months
fuse boxes get alot of water in them

 

Coils getting wet are also a problem. They seem to attract water/moisture like a magnet. Ours was cracked and starting reliably was very questionable until I had it replaced.