FS:1986 5000 CSTQ

[Paul Hill]

I have been absent from the list for a long time. I recently returned and 
caught the last few entries in the string about owning an old 5K. This was 
good timing as I am considering selling mine and could easily relate to 
both sides of the argument. My take on it is that this is a car for an 
enthusiast that has the time to work on it themselves, and enjoys doing it. 
That was me 5 years ago when I bought the car. Now I work 60 hours a week, 
need a reliable car to commute 60 miles round trip every day, and have two 
young kids at home to occupy my time. The result is that when things go 
wrong I have to pay someone to fix it fast which makes it expensive and no 
fun. I have not had any major problems, but little things add up fast when 
you are paying to have someone else fix them.

So, if you need a reliable solid dependable boring mode of transportation, 
buy a Toyota (which unfortunately is what I may end up doing). If your more 
adventurous, how about this:-

1986 5000 CS Turbo Quattro Pearl White, black leather. 327,000 miles. I'm 
the third owner. The car is located 30 miles west of Boston MA.

Known problems:-
AC compressor seized.
ABS disengages at 80 mph and is resettable when you slow down.
My mechanic removed the drive shaft to grease the CV joints as preventative 
maintenance, but he didn't align it 100% when he replaced it, so now there 
is a minor but annoying vibration between 45 and 55 mph (OK on the highway, 
but spoils the otherwise excellent ride on back roads).
Seams on drivers seat separated.
Some surface rust on the body: To the rear of the front wheels, on the 
trunk sill, on the front edge of the hood.
Cruise control inoperative.
Failed Mass inspection on emission at idle (excessive CO). At 2900 rpm (the 
other part of the test) the emissions were half the limit. My mechanic says 
this is no problem to fix, but I haven't even tried yet.

The good stuff:-
It has the excellent Fuch wheels with high performance summer tires, and a 
set of steel rims with winter tires.
Always used Mobil 1.
Euro headlights with relay cluster behind each.
Stereo radio with cassette and 12 disc CD changer in trunk (wired, not RF 
modulator), pioneer component speakers in the front doors, 4x25W amp in the 
trunk.
New drivers side door handle.
New fuel lines from tank to engine bay.
New radiator.
Recent items:-
All brake discs and pads.
AC condenser.
Battery.
Brake "Bomb"

I have the Bentley manual and the micro fiche, the original stereo 
components (which were all working fine when removed), the original headlights.

The car runs great, has the "plumbing only" turbo boost (easily reversible 
if you don't want it), an in dash VDO boost/vacuum gauge, Hella driving 
lights (one broken...these are no longer needed with the euro lights and 
should be replaced with true fog lights as the wiring and relays are 
already there).
Passat cup holder.
I don't have the time to keep this car running right, which is a shame as I 
love it. I will also only consider selling it to someone who knows what 
they are getting into (hence the posting here):This is not cheap 
transportation for a single mom, like I said it needs an enthusiast.

So what's it worth? Fact is it's only worth what someone will pay, and it's 
a small market.
As the book price is about $3,000 I could give the car to charity for a tax 
write off of around $1,000. If I sell the wheels, manual, stereo and 
headlights separately I could probably get another $1,000. And the car 
wouldn't need to be running to get this, so I could drive it until it dies. 
Similarly anyone who bought it could do the same thing.

So, any offers ??

Paul Hill
phill at avici.com
978-964-2136