seeking honest opinions on cost of ownership

[paanta at splatterfish.com]

I recently bought an '88 5000CSQ w/ 141K miles to compliment my '91
16v VW GTI.  The GTI is just too loud and harsh for long trips, and my
wife needed a car to get to and from work.  Now we learn that her
company isn't moving, and so she can continue to walk to work and
doesn't need a car.  So I have one too many cars.

What I really want is something reasonably cheap, quick, comfortable
and fun to drive, safe, and reliable.  I'm trying to decided whether or
not
to sell both the GTI and the Audi and buy/lease a new VW 1.8T GTI or
to keep the Audi and maintain it well.  As of right now it needs an A/C
compressor and maybe a clutch MC/SC and possibly a bomb and a
couple of other little things.

I don't do all my own work.  I'll do oil changes, and brakes and ancilary
components, but I don't have a garage so dealing with hydraulics and
long, extended repairs are just too much of a hastle to be worth the
time.  I'm mechanically apt, and can troubleshoot things just fine, but I
don't want to lie on my back in the driveway all weekend.

Are the repairs on a slighly-above-average condition 5KCSQ, done by
professional mechanics ~ 50% of the time going to average out to more
than a $250-350 car payment per month?  I'd certainly rather drive a
nice, chipped 230hp 5KCSQ than a jetta.    How much are y'all
spending per year on car repairs for your 5K's?  What's the cheapest (in
terms of $/month) way to get a reliable, safe, fun car?  Anything in the <
$20K range better than a VW?

I know this is a broad topic, so feel free to narrow it down on your
own.

-Patrick