'90 V8Q for $2500

[Zsolt]

I second Doyt's opinion. I did buy a cheap '90 V8 last year, without
looking into the necessary repairs, and they did get out of hand. I am
still not done fixing everything and I would already loose money if I
were to sell it and didn't even drive it yet.

Be careful! Make sure it has been maintained properly.

Good Luck,
  Zsolt

Doyt W. Echelberger wrote:

> 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
>
>
>