'90 V8Q for $2500

[Doyt W. Echelberger]

That might be a very good opportunity....or a huge financial risk.

They are rare and will probably be difficult to find scrap yard
replacements unless they use parts from a more popular car....type 44?  I
think each big dealership was allocated one such unit when they came out.

Make sure you aren't also buying a repaired wreck that is never going to be
quite right.

Try to find a factory repair manual before you buy it. Maybe there aren't any.

Try to examine the recall data on that model and see what turns up.

How many owners has it had, and does it have a maintenance history? It is
an old, expensive, and rare car. It's maintenance costs were very high and
if the owners didn't keep up with every detail, you will end up paying the
bills and replacing the parts as they fail. A good solid complete ownership
and maintenance history would reduce that risk considerably. Otherewise,
and maybe regardless, get an experienced Audi mechanic to put it on his
rack, run a compression test, look at everything, and also test drive it,
and pay him handsomely to estimate the cost of whatever he finds. Great
insurance.....worth about $75-85 if you really decide to own the car. Pay
the exam fee first and then decide if you want to own the car. If it comes
up needing a replacement automatic transmission and an engine overhaul, you
will be about $5,000 ahead by running away.

Count on some repairs. Brakes, tires, a muffler or two, a whole bunch of
hoses, and maybe a radiator.  Run some mock repair situations and see how
available those parts really are, and what they cost.  Pretend to replace
the struts and get an alignment.  Put in a steering rack, a cat-back
exhaust system, also new timing belts (2?) and a water pump, and fit a new
set of plugs, ignition wires, and distributor cap (if it uses one).

Then try to find a replacement exhaust manifold, and new rotors and
calipers and pads. Or a good used engine. That should give you some idea of
availability and cost, without actually owning the car up front.

That's how I would do it. But I'm pretty conservative and not much of a
risk taker when it comes to buying old rare expensive high performance
luxury sedans.

Doyt Echelberger
87 5ktq at 252k miles

 >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
At 02:04 PM 9/15/2002 -0400, you wrote:


>i have found a '90 V8Q for $2500..  body looks good, has the sport interior
>and 6 spoke aero wheels. its an auto.   whats the general consensus of the
>V8's?  i had thought about buying one a few years ago, but maintenance costs
>($1500 for a timing belt change?) always scared me off.  any V8 owners care
>to give some advise?  the price is right, cant beat that, but i dont want to
>get into anything over my head..
>
>tia-
>chris