Audi on a budget...?

[Andrew Dickinson]

I always say that when it comes to an older car the key is maintenance.  Lots of 
it.

At the age these cars are at it is typical to be on the crest of a big spending 
spree just to keep them running right.  If there aren't any maintenance records 
then I will usually shy away unless the car is dirt cheap ($500 or less).  You 
should expect radiator, heater core, blower motor, alternator & battery, wheel 
bearings, brakes including e-brake, then there are the sensors and so forth.  
Probably nothing new here if you have been dealing with an older Saab.

A great place to look is the Audifans marketplace... 
www.audifans.com/marketplace

My preference has been the 5000/200 turbo Quattro.  While their numbers are 
starting to fall their potential (as kent mentioned) comes from the iconic, 
turbocharged I-5.  The base figure is 167hp and that is easily ramped to around 
220hp with a chip for the ECU and stiffer spring for the wastegate.  It is not 
uncommon to install a BPV to keep the intercooler from blowing the ends off (and 
that can also be prevented by strapping the end caps on for a little 
extra mechanical reinforcement)

If you start at the 1991 200 TQ you get the first 20-valve motor with EFI.  
These are easily jumpped up to over 260hp with very little effort (some say 275) 
just like the 10VT motors.  The 20-valve breathes much better as it is a 
cross-flow head... more in = more out.  The 1991 20VT is comonly called the Ur-S 
as it is the first car that followed the 'S' level of performance but predated 
the badge.

I have personally hammered the I-5 well beyond what one would expect a motor to 
take... and it took it all day long, day after day.  I can personally say that I 
vouch for their bullet-proof reputation.  




________________________________
From: Kent McLean <kentmclean at comcast.net>
To: quattro at audifans.com
Sent: Tue, March 1, 2011 7:25:15 AM
Subject: Re: Audi on a budget...?

Nick Urban wrote:
> I'm thinking about buying my first Audi.

> I'm looking for something practical, elegant, and fun, preferably with
> a manual transmission for less than $6000. I figure my best bet would
> be to find a well cared for A4 or S6 from the 90s.

It depends what you are looking for. Since you didn't mention it, and
since you left out the A6, I'll assume you may be looking to enhance the
basic car. The S6 can take lots of mods, up to RS2 spec (Ka-Ching!).
The A4 1.8T can also take mods. The A4 V6, not so much.

Some will argue that the S6 is the iconic Audi - famed, bullet-proof
I-5, easily taking bigger turbos. The size is adult sized, with space
for 5. But it can be a real sleeper.

The A4 is a beautiful body, but it is smaller than the S6. You can mod
the A4, but it won't be in quite the same league as the S6. A modified
S6 is probably going to last longer than a modified A4, just because
the little 4-cylinder will be stressed more.

The key is electrics. The S6 has it's issues, but the A4 has more
electronics -- HVAC, the little LCD driver display that is known to
go bad, radios go wonky. etc. You can fit a DIN head unit in the S6,
but will be hard pressed to replace the A4 audio with a clean install.

I like my A4, but I wish it were a little bigger. My biggest complaint,
aside from the bad LCD driver info display, is the seat bottom cushions
are too short. I can't quite get comfortable in them. I replaced the
standard seats with the sport seats from an S4, but they still aren't
as comfortable as you'll find in the S6.

-- 
Kent McLean
1999 A4 Avant, V6 Tiptronic
1990 200 Avant mit V8 conversion
gone: too many to count, including my first, "Bad Puppy"

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