Buying a 306 D turbo, what should i look for?

Right, on Wednesday i drove my car into the back of a flatbed truck
because the sun blinded me and he had decided that 10 yards after a
blind bend was the best place to stick it. but anyhow not much i can
do about it now. Competely written off my motor (306 1.9d) although
giving it credit i managed to walk away from a 40 mph impact into a
flatbed truck to a dead stop and no broken bones.

Anyway i digress, I am looking to replace my car with a 306 d turbo
and have seen a couple of s/t reg's for sale at a local dealer.

When i go to have a look at them what kind of things should i be
looking at checking to try to determine if there are problems on the
horizon.

obviously the sound of starting the engine hot or cold is one but then
is there anything under the bonnet bodywork etc i can look at.

All ideas no matter how small they may seem would be greatly
appreciated.

cheers in advance

 

worn clutchplates/presuregroup
wheel bearings
worn out seats ( Seats are alway's worn out..)


any one more?

 

Is there any way I can check these on the forecourt / testdrive?

Thanx

 

To give you an idea, my seat wore in the usual place, on where the driver
gets in and out. It was 1.5" across the seam, it cost £30 for a repair and
now it's hardly noticable. You could use it to your advantage to negitiate
on price, or get a garage to repair it if you buy it from the forecourt.

We've had the same N reg D Turbo for 5 years and before this, I've never
owned a car more than 18 months. Love it to bits, and I'd recommend one all
day long,

Neil