What do I look for on a 5000CS quattro?

[Joshua Van Tol]

>I disagree with this.....
>
>Yes there are expensive things that are usually gone on a 5kcs, however its
>not that hard to work on, there is LOADS of help here on the list and parts
>are fairly easy to come by.  Modifying your car past stock is also fairly
>easy with the 5k.  Things you would have to worry about are....
>
>hydralic pump/bomb/steering rack
>intercooler hose to intake manifold (commonly called a "michelin man hose")
>the infamous splice in the battery cable that is located in the passenger
>footwell.
>assorted vacuum leaks in the engine compartment due to old worn out vacuum
>hoses.
>
>Other than that a 5k is fairly problem free.... Yes there are other things
>like the A/C flap not closing and choose from the list of many problems that
>have occured, but almost all are fairly easy fixes.

How about these problems:

Cracked exhaust manifold
worn valve stem seals
bad fuel injectors
bad fuel pump
Plenty of leaks, from hydraulic lines, diff seals, engine seals, 
valve cover gaskets, oil cooler lines, master cylinder grommits, 
clutch master and slave cylinders, etc.
Heater blower fan
worn suspension bushings, strut inserts, rear tie rods, etc.
broken electrical doo-dads (radio, power seats, dash lights, etc)
coolant recirc pump
braking system rebuild


These are just some of the things that have gone wrong with my 1987 
5kcstq in a year and a half of ownership, and 35k miles. I love the 
car, don't get me wrong, and it was not properly cared for by the PO, 
but still, that's a lot of repairs. I do all my own repairs. I can't 
even imagine how expensive this car would've been to keep maintained 
at a dealership, or qualified shop.
-- 
Joshua Van Tol -- josh at spiny.com