Looking to buy 2001 sport. questions

[newbie]

Hey So I am going to look at a 2001 1.8t sport this monday. It has about 113000 miles on it and it is $5600. My questions is how do I know which engine code it has?
And, since I see a large concern over the fuel pump and timing belt, if it wasnt done is it worth it?
Im coming from a 2001 Ford Focus ZX3 with 80000 miles and this would be my first VW and Im unsure on the repair bills if the guy didnt do this.. I have been looking to buy one for years but had to settle on the Focus, so I am a little excited and nervous at the same time hoping this car isnt a piece of crap.
The body is apparently clean, no rust, no dents even. but we'll see..

[pdoel]

All Sports have the AWV engine, so you're good to go there. Much better gains than the previous APH.

If the water pump / timing belt hasn't been done yet, DO IT! It's not worth blowing your engine over.

[zeusenergy]

Originally Posted by newbie

Hey So I am going to look at a 2001 1.8t sport this monday. It has about 113000 miles on it and it is $5600. My questions is how do I know which engine code it has?
And, since I see a large concern over the fuel pump and timing belt, if it wasnt done is it worth it?
Im coming from a 2001 Ford Focus ZX3 with 80000 miles and this would be my first VW and Im unsure on the repair bills if the guy didnt do this.. I have been looking to buy one for years but had to settle on the Focus, so I am a little excited and nervous at the same time hoping this car isnt a piece of crap.
The body is apparently clean, no rust, no dents even. but we'll see..

Worth it? I think so. Here's what you have to watch out for:

Coolant hard line passenger side, going to turbo. will leak from frame rail area.

Of course timing belt/tensioner and water pump.

Coil packs. They are under recall but you may not get the service without hassle.

Hoses, hoses, hoses! Easy fixes in most cases. PCV hoses on the AWV are decent enough, and there's a metal hard line where other cars have plastic. But boost hoses and vac lines are notorious for getting holes or cracks.

Diverter Valve. Also called a "BOV" in some circles. It's what makes the PSSSHHH sound on turbo cars. Ours are rubber inside and it can get old and leak, losing your power after building some boost.

Brake pads/rotors/calipers- Don't let a simple pad or rotor change get your calipers hung up! The rear calipers cost $180 REBUILT.

Turbo bearing... this is a harder thing to see or tell is bad. Basically you have to make sure the car has been stock all along, if you see hoses on top of the engine patched together (such as mine) then stay away if you are afraid of needing to replace the turbo at some point soon. These cars are easy to overboost, simple addition of a manual boost controller will give much more boost than stock, and can shorten the life of the turbo.

Door switches- make SURE the door lights work in the car and are not turned off. Make sure the door closes and can be locked with the remote. The fix is difficult and the part to replace is cheap, unless you take the easy route (buy a whole door handle assembly for $$$$$$)

CHECK THE OIL CONDITION and pull the oil cap. Make sure you can't see any deposits (extreme ones) as this is a sign you will need to change alot more than a turbo soon.

Check the clutch take up and feel for a squeeky pedal action- this is most likely either a bracket or master clutch cylinder. The slave cylinder and the lever in the trans are also subject to issues, the lever is the worst since you need to drop the trans to get at it. The other stuff is easy and fairly affordable.

[newbie]

well that was thorough. That question has been put to bed ... thanks a bunch !