Well I gotta chime in here because last week I hauled this one home.
The previous owner started working on this in 2008 and then painted it in 2009. He managed to send the engine off for a complete rebuild and put a rebuilt Bosch IP on it while they were at it. About 3500 to do that.
He went through all the brakes, the axles, the transmission, the emergency brake, the bearings, the struts and the shocks. He was collecting interior pieces and had all of them in the back canopy when I went to look at it. He put in a new carpet, had the door cards and the seats professionally upholstered. He redid the headliner.
He replaced the windshield and the dash and that is when he got sick and couldn't work on it any more.
So, it sat for about 8 years under a tarp in semi dry conditions.
Then his daughter either talked him into selling it or just got him to sign the title over to her. She listed it a few times on Craigslist and I finally couldn't stand it anymore and wrote her a note. I ended up taking it away and so far I have spent 3 days trying to make it safe to drive
I used a car dolly to bring it home because it actually ran well and I didn't have concerns about the bearings in the back locking up as it tagged behind my buddies Ford. We did have a scare in that after about 30 miles I asked to stop and check straps and chains and noticed the drivers side rear wheel was getting hot. I pulled on the emergency brake cables that were loose inside the car and managed to free up the dragging brake.
The Speedometer works but like it was mentioned the odometer and trip meter do not. So is the 100,899 miles correct? I don't know, but it will be used as a reference point for things like the re-torque on the head at 1,000 miles and any oil changes after that. The only driving that the engine has seen is in the last couple of months up and down some back country roads trying to get the brakes to stop sticking. The oil was still so clean on the dipstick I almost couldn't find it. They ended up putting on a new rebuilt master cylinder and a booster.
It is now in my drive and I hope to get done going over the exhaust, horn, lights, wipers, e brake and hooking up the controls for heat and such.
I am not telling what I paid but if you really want to know send a PM. It was very low and I bet I only got it for that because I am so much like the girls dad she couldn't see anyone else taking the project on. I send them updates and pictures and I might see if I can get back there and give the gentleman a ride in it once I have it done. I don't know his condition but he has never driven it. He hauled it from ID on a flatbed trailer.
I would suggest you do the same for the one you are looking at. To many things can go wrong with a vehicle that has sat that long when you tow it. Think how bad those tires are and how they would do rolling and heating up and blowing out and grinding the rim and throwing sparks all over. Tow it at night for the best effect.
When it comes to rubber, yeah, think about replacing all if it. Mine has new door seals and a windshield but you should see the side windows and the scrapers at the bottom of the roll downs. The wing windows are toast, I need to decide if I am just going to seal them up with new seals meant for that or try to make a swap to newer style windows and get the gaskets too. On the coast I don't think that I need the wings to open and it would be better that they don't. I just went through that leaking area on the Rabbit.
So find out the history on the vehicle and plan to drop a bundle of coin on rebuilding it. You may find that they tried timing it and did the valve into piston routine and pushed it where you found it and never even tried to fix it.
Best of luck.