Driving Older Audis-long but a goldmine

[Tom Donohue]

Questions:  why were you "forced" to sell?" and
                  who owns it now?  (P.S.  I had the same car from '87
to '90 and had similar expense experience, but didn't get the rebates.
Guess I should have asked!)

My '89 200q avant had 350,000 miles on it when I sold it to a non-lister
last August, who flew in from Cleveland and drove it back for some
mods.  He is still driving it and planning some major improvement which
will be posted to the list when done.  The major selling point for this
wagon (aside from its excellent body and driving condition, considering
mileage) was the detailed log maintained by the PO and me of all repairs
and maintenance done to the vehicle from 61,000 miles, when the PO
acquired it.  When you can see the maintenance record from spread sheets
and repair orders, it certainly raises the comfort level of the
prospective buyer.  I am doing the same for my '91 200q20v avant and, if
and when I ever decide to pass it on, the buyer will know as much
information of the history as I can provide.  Regards, Tom

jzwahlen at cerrejon.com wrote:

> I would like to share my 12 year, 120,000 mile experience
> with my 1987 5000CS TQ.  I bought the car new in May, 1987
> (Some of you may remember I threw a 10 year birthday party
> for the car in 1997, and some of you were in attendance).
> The list price on the car was about $32,500.  This was the
> Audi flagship of the time and the materials, the carpet,
> everything was first class.  I received a factory rebate
> coupon for $5,000 because of the fallout from the UI fiasco
> on 60 minutes, plus I got another $2,500 dealer discount.
> So I ended up paying about $25,000 in capital costs.
>
> Over the first 100,000 miles the car had $14,400 in
> maintenance.  All maintenance including tires, batteries,
> oil, alignments, etc.  I calculate that $6,100 was spent in
> routine maintenance.  This amounts to $500 per year
> ($0.061mile) in the minimum upkeep.  I changed oil every
> 2500 miles.
>
> This leaves $8,300 in unusual repairs such as component
> failure, normal wear and tear, damage, etc.  (Of this amount
> $1,050 was most unusual-a fuel contamination problem, for
> which the oil company paid half of a $2100 repair bill).  Of
> the $8,300, $2,900 was covered either under the original
> factory warranty or a so-so extended warranty which I
> purchased.  So that leaves $5,400 of unusual repairs which I
> paid for out of my own pocket.  This is another $450 per
> year or $0.054/mile.
>
> So of the $14k,  $11,500 was out of pocket routine and
> unusual maintenance.  This added to the capital cost of the
> car is $36.5k to drive my beloved '87 5000CS TQ 12 years and
> 120,000 miles.  This amounts to $253/month.  What kind of
> vehicle can you get for a lease of $250 per month?
>
> When I was forced to sell it in 1999, it was like new.  The
> interior and exterior were clean and shiny and mechanically
> the car was in completely operational condition.  Most
> always the car was maintained at an Audi dealership, always
> with Audi original parts.
>
> I replaced the radiator at 80,000 miles because I knew of
> the problem with the plastic neck failing and I didn't want
> to blow a head gasket like I did on my wife's '85 5000S.
> Another unusual repair was the RR differential seal which
> was leaking.  I had this job done 3 times in St Louis at the
> Audi dealer between March of 1990 and May of 1991.  It
> leaked again after I moved to Houston TX and I got it fixed
> for the fourth and last time in March 1994.
>
> So was the Audi expensive to maintain?  When you look at
> $11,500 in repairs it seems so, but we are talking about
> $0.115 per mile.  Do you think this is reasonable?
>
> If you buy into a car which has not been properly
> maintained, then you are in for one big repair bill to bring
> the car up to a reliable condition.  I must say, except for
> the fuel contamination problem, the car never stranded me.
> It was always there for my work and my pleasure.  Seems like
> many people are of the opinion that cars should be driven
> and not cared for.  I'm of the other school, if I think
> something is close to failing, I fix it before it can bite
> me.
>
> If anyone wants a copy of my detailed spreadsheet with all
> the repairs, email me directly and I will share it with you.
> Password, which must be contained in the body of the
> request, is "I want a new Audi twin turbo!"   The list only
> covers thru 1997, and the first 100,000 miles, I did not
> maintain the spreadsheet for the remaining two years I had
> the car, but I don't remember any unusual repairs in those
> two years.  The cost per mile calculation was based on
> 100,000 miles and is a little on the high side because I got
> 120,000 miles out of the car before I was forced to sell.
>
> Hope this helps someone make a decision.