Re: '85 Ur-Q questions...

[John Karasaki <johkar@teleport.com>]

At 08:44 PM 12/20/96 -0700, you wrote:
<snip>
>2) Can anyone with a crystal ball tell me how collectible this car is going
>to become?  The reason I ask is
>because I'd be very tempted to leave it absolutely stock if it's going to
>appreciate somewhat over the next few years; if not, then I'd be tempted to
>tinker with it instead.

A European Car article of a few years back indicated that this car would
definitely be collectible.  They recommended doing only things that could be
reversed to bring the car back to stock.  Truth is, I bet there are hardly
any stock urq's in the US. Most have been modified to fix factory problems!
Of course, of all the urqs brought to the US, the '85 are the nicest.  I'm
speculating that they'll fetch the bigger bucks later... they do now, and
that trend should continue.

>
>3) Is my 200q quicker than I realize or is the Ur-Q slower than I thought
>... the two cars are quite a bit different in character.  Surprisingly, my
>200q (admittedly modified) feels a lot more "sporty" and the Ur-Q feels more
>like a Grand Tourer a la a Porker 928.  I'd always assumed the opposite
>would be true.

Ahh, you've discovered our secret.  Once we got our '87 5ktqw and upped the
boost, I've been thinking of selling my '82 tqc.  My tqc is VERY modified,
with all the standard mods done to it.  The problem I think is the lack of
knock sensors and the antiquated fuel injection computer.  You can't really
push the envelope on this car (tqc) without running the risk of reduced
engine life.  It is not much lighter than the 5ktq either, and the
suspension is not as good, as you've heard Eric mention.  Alas, I think the
5ktq has more speed potential.  Oh, I forgot to mention that the
aerodynamics of the 5ktq are much better than the urq too!

>
>4) Does everyone bang their heads getting in-and-out of these cars?  I'm
>6'1" tall and sit very close to the steering wheel, racer-style ... with the
>seat adjusted accordingly, I have a difficult time getting in-and-out
>without smacking my head on the roof.  I also find the rear-view mirror's a
>lot closer than I've grown used to over the years.  I can't imagine driving
>this car while wearing a suit...

I have only driven my urq to work a couple of times.  I'm only 5'6", but I
still have to be careful getting in and out.  My helmet touches the ceiling
when on the track, too.

>
>5) Has anyone ever autocrossed one of these cars?  For SCCA Solo II stuff,
>it runs in G-Stock, where it's up against the Probe GT, Mazda MX-6 and V6
>Camaro ... since I won't be competing with my 4k for a while, I was thinking
>maybe this car might be competitive.  Certainly the 8" wheels give it an
>advantage but it's a little bit heavier than two of the three cars listed
>above and down on power compared to the other...

If they allow you to swap out the turbo for a smaller one, you could
probably do ok.  This is not based on actual experience, but on
conversations Ned, I and others have had about the urq.

>
>No doubt I'll have more questions as I start to sort out the various minor
>problems that need to be addressed -- is there ever an Audi that doesn't
>have at least ONE minor problem? -- but any input on the above will be
>greatly appreciated.     
>
> 
>
> 
>
> _________________________________________________________________________
>     _                _
>    / |      _| o    | \       _| o     Jeffrey Goggin
>   /__| | | / | | __ |  | | | / | |     audidudi@delphi.com
>  /   | |_| \_| |    |_/  |_| \_| |     http://people.delphi.com/audidudi
> _________________________________________________________________________
>
>
Regards,

John Karasaki

Quattro Club (regional & national) member