My First Questions...[kinda long]

[Dave Arkle]

Hi all;

Ok, I'm on the hunt for my second Audi. I previously owned an 86 5KTQ and
loved it. I never did get around to any mods, although I wanted to. I gave
the car to a friend in need at 280k and it's still goin' at over 300k.

Today I found a mostly clean 89 100 , auto and no T or Q. It's got 169k
miles on it, and it started and drove fine. The steering rack leaks (like I
even need to mention that), but I was unable to detect any other flaws
mechanically. I have no experience w/ the auto trans so that's my first
question. What kind of life expectancy can I expect from this trans? I would
guess that maybe they don't last as well as the 5 spd, but what do I know?
Is there anything I can check or do that would help clue me in as to the
condition of the transmission?

Also, it had a top-end tick when I started it. Before this, the owner did
mention that it had been sitting for months, so when I heard the noise I
suspected a stuck lifter. I let the car idle and warm up, and after about 5
min, the tick went away. Do you folks think my assessment was accurate? If
so, is it still something to worry about?

The last thing is that the oil pressure gauge stayed pinned all-the-way up
every minute the car was running. Is this a sending unit issue, or
indicative of something more sinister?

Thanks in advance for any replies. I have another unrelated question. I also
participate actively in a couple motorcycle-oriented lists, and in both
cases there is a core group of enthusiasts who participate in a few various
get-togethers over the course of the year. Is there anything like that going
on here? there is a hard-core Audi enthusiast in me fighting to get out, and
I'd love to be able to rub elbows w/ the AudiFans Elite. Thoughts?

Thanks again!

Dave Arkle
DoD #11011
96 Daytona 1200
84 V65 Sabre
67 Buick LeSabre