Audi 80 ownership: pros & cons after a year

[tnas@dtpdirect.nl (Tom Nas, DTP Direct bv)]

I've owned my current 1988 Audi 80 1.8S FWD, carb, for a little over a year
now. Bought June 95 @ 96K miles from a dealer, 6mon warranty. Dealer
replaced belts, hydraulic lifters, clutch, front tyres (Pirelli P2000
175/70-14), boot (trunk) lid seal, door mirror glasses (oxidized). Now 118K
miles: replaced coolant temp sensor, bimetallic switch in air filter.

Still to do:
replace engine mounts, install pollen filter in ventilation system, replace
pitted/scratched windscreen. Cosmetic: remove scratches on rear bumper,
have small dent removed, touch in paint chips on leading edge of bonnet
(hood).
Future: conversion to run on LPG? (new taxes on fuel expected here, already
equiv. $1.35/gallon)
Non-important, 'upgrades': install remote central locking, paint lower half
of bumpers and door mirrors body colour, put on alloy wheels, fit variable
intermittent wiper control.

Pros
-Excellent image for an 'old' car, still good-looking
-High quality 'unbreakable' feeling to all controls
-Excellent fit & finish, very good paint quality
-Safe feeling for occupants thanks to relatively high waistline
-Excellent all-round visibility
-Very good windscreen wipers
-Torquey 1.8-engine
-Slick, positive gearshift (5spd man)
-No creaks and rattles
-No noticable oil usage
-Excellent gas mileage
-Excellent reliability
-Extremely low wind noise at speed
-Very good seats, upholstery very hard wearing
-Fine ventilation (no a/c)

Cons
-Rapid warming up of interior due to large glass area
-Poor standard equipment (Dutch market only)
-Engine boomy at some speeds
-Suspension a bit soft (can be tweaked)
-Not quick off the mark (can be tweaked)
-Headlights a bit feeble, even on high beam
-Sensitive to crosswinds
-Heavy steering at low speeds (no p/s)
-Body hard to see when parking
-Soft engine mounts, noticeable on engine braking

I'd be interested to hear other people's comments and similar lists on
their cars, especially 80/90 models...

Bye,

Tom

 _______________________________________________________________________
   Tom W. Nas, graphic design                        tnas@dtpdirect.nl
   DTP Direct bv                              Voice +31 (55) 5 790 799
   Apeldoorn, the Netherlands                   Fax +31 (55) 5 790 125

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