'90 Audi 200TQ 20V

[gregsj@mail.imm.com]

Fellow Audians:
Many thanks to those who replied to my request for information regarding '91 
Audi 200TQ 20Vs and items to look for when one is contemplating a purchase. I 
ended up not getting the car, but I thought I would share some of the things I 
learned in the process.

If you can, never purchase a pre-owned car without reviewing all the service 
records; talking to the previous owner; and having a Buyer's Inspection done. 
In my case, the services records indicated a good maintenance record, however 
they also showed a car where many things had to be fixed/replaced. The 
previous owner was very helpful. He told me what the dealer allowed him on the 
trade-in (he upgraded to an S4)- a great thing to know when it comes to making 
your offer. He also suggested there were too many problems with the car and 
that I should do myself a favor and find another one. Despite the owner's 
advice (I really wanted the car), I decided to go forward with a Buyer's 
Inspection. The $90.00 I invested turned up 21 problems, two of which (head 
gasket replacement and an intermitent climate control system)could have cost 
more than a grand to repair. Finally, I learned that the extended warranty 
offered for cars with >75K miles does not really cover most of the things that 
are likely to go wrong.

I'm still in search of a '91 Audi 200TQ 20V. In the best possible world it 
would be nice if the car came with the Audi factory warranty for pre-owned 
Audis. My understanding is such a car must be sold by an authorized Audi 
dealer; have <75K miles; and pass a stringent 84 point test. Given the new 
Audi's and particularly the A-4, trade-ins may be coming, so if any of you 
hear of anything please E-mail me. It would be nice if the car were west of 
the mighty Mississippi, but that's not a requirement. Because the best world 
does not always exist, I would also be interested in hearing of any private 
sales. Thanks for your help and I hope my experiences help you.

By the way, THIS LIST IS GREAT!

Greg
gregsj@mail.imm.com