Thinking of purchasing a 5ktq

Thu May 16 18:04:15 EDT 2002

Tony,

I own a 1987 VW GTI 16v using a 1985cc engine, a 1986 500cstq, and a 1989
200q Avant. See my comments in your message below.

Eric Kissell

______________________________ Reply Separator _________________________________
On 5/16/2002  Anthony Pelletier <vwnuts at yahoo.com> wrote:

> I am new to this list, and boy this list puts out some mail!  I am
> considering buying a 5000 turbo quattro as a daily driver.  I have
> some q's for you?  I currently own a 91 GLI which is my daily
> driver.  I am looking for something comfortable, quick & reliable,
> and still fun drive.  The main attraction of the 5000 is the all
> wheel drive.  I've been doing some reading and with a chip & spring
> I should be over 200 hp.  It this correct & reliable?

Yes, this is correct - the boost modification is very nice and
reliable if you have your car in the proper state of repair. And the
mod is rather inexpensive. The code is free if you can burn and
install your own chip. Through the Quattro List Chip Club (qlcc) Benn
Swann burnt me a chip for something like a $100 which I believe
included a wastegate spring and intercooler straps. See:

http://www.homestead.com/Ben_Swann/qlcc.html

http://www.homestead.com/Ben_Swann/boostin.html

You still have to desolder and remove the old chip and install the new
socket and chip, but those services can be found reasonably if you are
not comfortable doing it yourself. Or for ~$400 Scott Mockry will do
it for you. See:

http://www.sjmautotechnik.com/

under 'ECU Modifications Waste Gate Springs and Diaphragms'

BTW, this site is a must read for owners of these Audis. Of particular
interest is the section called

'ABC's of Running High Boost' which is a good read prior to boost
modofocations.

In addition, the sections called 'Troubleshooting Tips' and 'Repair
Information' are quite valuable.

Other useful sites include:
http://www.geocities.com/MotorCity/Garage/9715/faq.html
http://members.aol.com/c1j1miller/repair.html
http://members.aol.com/c1j1miller/main.html
http://www.humanspeakers.com/audi/
http://www.isham-research.com/quattro/index.html

> How is your gas mileage??

I can get 27mpg on the highway, but 24-25 is more common because I
just cannot keep myself from using the boost. Around town is more of
the same story. I can get 24 mpg, but if I am putting my foot into it
I can get below 20. Big grin factor, though.

> I just would like the car to be as quick as what I drive now.
> (the 2.0 has cams, chip exhuast, 50mm).

As I mentioned, I have a 1987 GTI 16v with the 1984 cc block, euro
cam, 2" SS exhaust, etc. No chip, since the 1987 was CIS not Motronic
or Digifant. I will share my opinion from driving my Type 44 Audis and
my GTI 16v back to back. I prefer the Type 44 Audi. When I get in the
GTI I initially feel it is refreshingly light and that it zips around
in a satisfying way, but after a while I miss the more refined feel of
the 5000cstq. The GTI is a bit more fun to toss around corners and it
pulls strong with the engine modifications. However, my chipped
5000cstq is overall more satisfying for me to drive. Maybe I am
getting old. My advice is to drive an Audi or two and see what you
think. Actually, find a nearby list member that has a chipped car so
you can understand what the boost modification will feel like.

> How reliable are the a/c systems on these cars.  (a/c must work).

The AC is similar to other 10 to 15 year old cars. Evantually you
might expect a leak. There is nothing too special about the system and
it seems easy enough to repair. I just had my 1986 5000cstq repaired
and converted to R-134a and it chills very well. The local shops here
in Evansville, Indiana do not see very many of these Audis, so I made
sure they understood what parts to change.

> I welcome all your opinions.  Tell me what you think. Aslo, If
> anyone is selling one of these in the northeast drop me a line.

The only other thing to mention is overall maintenance. You can expect
things to fail on these 15 year old Audis. Fortunately, there is much
BTDT on this list. However, if you are not comfortable doing your own
work you may not enjoy the mechanic bills or even the level of
expertise of the mechanics you encounter. Fortunately for you I
understand that there are more Audis in the NE than here where I live
so mechanics are more familiar with Audis. That may not make them any
less expensive, though. Besides the AC work I had done recently, I
have not let any mechanic work on my cars since I got them. That is
why I keep the GTI - it is nice to have a car to drive while I am
fixing or improving one of the other cars. I keep about an even
balance time wise between repairs, preventive maintenance, and
improvements. All in all the Audis have their quirks, so do not think
that you will never have to fix anything. I do more work on my Audis
than my GTI. But I like to drive the Audis so much I am willing to do
this work as a hobby. It is an addiction.

HTH, Eric