anybody in SF east bay wanna check out a 200q20v with me?

[Kent McLean]

robert weinberg wrote:
> there is another one in the east bay i'm interested in taking a look at 
> but would like someone who really knows these cars to go with me. 

What could possibly be wrong with it?  To paraphrase Nike, "Just buy it".
Just make sure you have a truckload of money in reserve. Then we can help
you through the "minor" issues to make it road worthy.

Seriously, unlike "normal" cars, the 200 is subject to a lot of peculiar
issues. The engine itself is pretty bulletproof, but the aged rubber (hoses
and lines) will need to be replaced if they haven't already. There is other
rubber that is probably 20 years old -- suspension bushings. Then there are
the myriad electrical gremlins -- even if everything worked when you looked
at it, on the ride home the sunroof will open on its own and the windows
won't go up back up. And don't forget all the sensors that keep the ECU
happy; they die with age, too.

Other big-ticket items that will hurt you -- the heater core inside the
dash is probably ready to go (8+ hours to replace it), and the blower motor
is probably ready to make noise. The AC is probably R12 and should be
converted to R134a.

There are two approaches to buying an old Audi. 1) buy one from someone
who has done all the hard work and pay a premium for it, or 2) buy one
dirt cheap and be ready to spend the time and money to fix it all.

Remember, even if you find a good one, the gremlins will still be there
to bite you in the arse. And it will pick the worst time.

Good luck.

-- 
Kent McLean
'99 A4 Avant, w/ quattro, V6, Tiptronic, :)
'91 200 TQA #1, backup car
gone but not forgotten:
'94 100 S Avant, "Moody", now with new owner
'91 200 TQA #2, up in smoke 2
'89 200 TQ, "Bad Puppy", up in smoke