getting a good deal on one i need it after my tranny blew in my mk3 jetta, i used to daily drive a rabbit so i know how to take care of old cars but is there anything inparticular i should look out for? also its unfortunatly an automatic but beggers cant be choosers

 

Well...Tough to say.

How many miles are on it? Any rust? Who was the previous driver of the car?

These are really good cars, and can outlast the ownif taken car of.
make sure the car was taken care of (regular maintenance/ tune ups...ect).

If you want a manual...get a getag trans and it should mount right up to the motor.
There are a few writeups on this over at turbobricks.