'88 5000S Auto FS; Any Buyer Beware?

[Alex Kowalski]

DeWitt and I were having a slightly OT conversation and I concluded thusly:

 Well, now that owning an inexpensive (to initially purchase) Audi like a
5KCSTQ is an option and not a necessity for me, I have the liberty of
lavishing quite a bit of time and money on the car(s), fixing them properly,
doing fun little experiments, etc.  I really do love my '87 and I'm sure
that once I get the new engine installed, I'll love my '86 even more.  I
paid $1,500 for the '87 with about 52,000 miles on it -- I spotted it with
my "eyes peeled" (a leftover reflex from the days when I was constantly on
the lookout) while riding a crosstown bus in Chicago on the way back from
O'Hare airport.

I hesitated for a few seconds to stop the bus between stations, thinking:
"Oh, sure it looks OK from a distance but it's probably a real POS up
close."  Well, the closer I got to the car, the better it looked.  On a
20-degree day with a stone-cold engine, it started on the first crank and
settled right down to an ~850 rpm idle.  And almost everything worked!  The
previous owner was a professor at the University of Chicago who drove it
three days a week back and forth to work.  It had been dealer maintained --
Audi filters, all the TSB retrofits/recalls done, everything.  Even the AC
worked.  But it was out of warranty and there were a few things creeping up
on the car that were going to cost a fair chunk of change to fix at the
dealer, so he wanted to cut his losses, which were my gains.  ;)

Prior to that moment on the bus I hadn't considered getting back into the
"Audi Experience" -- but the '87 sweet-talked me back into it, and I've been
very happy.  I know that I can put at least another 100,000 miles on this
car and my total investment will be *well* under $10,000 even if the
transmission grenades.  Not bad.  And the car still gets compliments from
people because of its tasteful styling and interior.  What would I be
driving for <$10,000 instead?  A used Kia?  A 2004 Chevy Cavalier?

Cheers,
 Alex


On 8/5/06, DeWitt Harrison <six-rs at comcast.net> wrote:
>
>  That's the way to do it. Buy smart. Get the available usefulness out of
> it and, when it looks like it will need an expensive repair, move on.
>