[ba] Re: [BiturboS4] Fwd: Should I buy a 1991 Audi 200 Turbo Quattro? - need help!

[Buchholz, Steven]

... not so sure I'd agree with all of this myself ... if well cared for a
turbocharger can easily last the life of the engine.  Early on turbos got a
bit of a bad rap beacuse they required cool downs which many owners
neglected.  From the mid-80's the manufacturers added systems to minimize
the chances that the turbo will be damaged by getting shut down while red
hot ... Audi's solution was to add a water cooled jacket to the bearing
housing and an auxiliary pump to keep water flowing through the turbo while
it cooled.

All that said it is good to employ caveat emptor when purchasing a
turbocharged car ... many owners drive them harder than they would most
other cars ... look at the quote from this message:

  "It is my experience  that the turbos rarely last past 100k.
   I have owned several turbo charges cars and all of the lost
   the turbo at 90 - 100k. I do drive all my sport car like
   they were meant to be driven. HARD!!"

... it is going to be difficult to determine what sort of abuse the turbo
(and engine for that matter) has taken over its life, but you might want to
look for cars that have not been "chipped" ... and be sure to have the
engine thoroughly analyzed.  I can't speak to any of the other cars you're
looking at ... the last non-Audi I've owned (speaking of 4 wheeled vehicles)
is the old 1968 Ford I "bought" from my dad after college ... but I would
say that a 200q/20v or ur-S4 would be a car worthy of consideration.  Audis
in general seem to hold up well cosmetically as well as in the drivetrain
... but they do seem to have electrical design problems that need attention
...

HTH!
Steve Buchholz
San Jose, CA (USA)
 >
 >  If you are planning about purchasing a S4 and keeping it
 >  for several years. I would say the best and safest way to
 >  purchase a S4 Twin Turbo is Used. Approimately 1 to 2 years
 >  old with Audi Assured!  I believe this to be the best way,
 >  cause the Audi Assured warrantee last till 100K.  The S4's
 >  usually blow there turbos before 80K, which are expensive
 >  to replace.  Approximately $2200 for two turbos plus labor.
 >  Make sure your dealer replaces both turbos at the same time!
 >  If you plan on purchasing a older S4 or any turbo charge
 >  car. It is my experience  that the turbos rarely last past
 >  100k. I have owned several turbo charges cars and all of
 >  the lost the turbo at 90 - 100k. I do drive all my sport
 >  car like they were meant to be driven. HARD!!
 >
 >  > hi all, new to the list! i'm beginning my search for
 >  > another car and thought i'd bounce some ideas off
 >  > y'all:
 >  >
 >  > my research has come to the audi 200. i saw a list
 >  > member's red one and fell in love. seem like great
 >  > cars and the interior quality is exceptional. not to
 >  > mention a turbocharged multivalve engine with a 5
 >  > speed and AWD is hard to pass up for the price. hard
 >  > to find.
 >  >
 >  > a 1992+ BMW M5 (6 cylinder). a friend has one, real
 >  > nice and fast, but being they are going for 23K+
 >  > with
 >  > over 110K on the clock, they just seem so expensive.
 >  >
 >  > 1989-1991 mercedes benz 560SEC. love those land
 >  > yachts! they are obtainable for 12-14K for good
 >  > ones.
 >  > but, that's a lot of money considering the age and
 >  > the
 >  > price for repairs. but, it was 82K new, it's a fair
 >  > deal. so it's still in the running.
 >  >
 >  > lastly, the smart money is on waiting until next
 >  > year
 >  > and getting a 2000 A6 2.7T quattro with a 6 speed
 >  > coming off of lease. but, then i'd have to get a car
 >  >
 >  > loan. the loan might put of my ability to get a
 >  > house
 >  > as it increase my debt ratio in the eyes of a bank.
 >  >
 >  > any insights? the one thing i've learned is that the
 >  > SHO will be my LAST american car. i've had it with
 >  > the
 >  > shoddy built quality and cut rate engineering. the
 >  > only impressive part of the car is the engine...and
 >  > that was built by yamaha! japanese cars are nice as
 >  > well, but there is something to be said for the soul
 >  > of german sport sedans.
 >