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Seeking purchase advice on '91 80



In message <9701188562.AA856280277@ccmailgw.im.battelle.org> Christopher Perry writes:

> I'm an complete Audi newbie that's looking very closely at a '91 80 with 
> only 50K miles (engine:2.3L 5).

> The car seems in good shape.  Only noticeable flaws while driving was a 
> very slight vibration when braking hard (rotors a bit warped?).

> Other replacements included front pads & rotors and 
> valve cover & gasket.

I drive like a maniac and expect to get 65k plus out of a set of rotors.  If 
they have been replaced and are now warped within 50k then something needs to 
be looked at.  Plus the "waterpump seepage" that seems to have gone away?  
Waterpumps usually last a _lot_ longer than 50k, though most of us change 'em 
when we do the timing belt - and any service outfit that does the belt will 
usually wait until 60k.
 
Why replace the valve cover?  What can go wrong with it, unless they wanted a 
new shiny one?

On a left-hand-drive car, the brake fluid reservoir is also the clutch fluid
reservoir.  Get on your back in the driver's footwell and follow the clutch
linkage round to the squishy rubber boot on the master cylinder.  If it's
slimy and 'orrible, the clutch master cylinder is on the way out.

Get a professional inspector to check this one out.  My guess is over 90k.  I 
could hypothesise and suggest that the water pump problem "went away" when the 
timing belt was swapped at 60k.  _Every_ dealer will recommend changing the 
water pump at the same time, because the parts cost is 15% of the labour cost 
of going back in there to do it later.  There's no documentary proof of work on 
the water pump or belt because the original dealer's invoice had the mileage on 
it and they can't show it to you without blowing their fiction about 50k?
 
If the other invoices are from the same dealer, you could try asking the dealer 
if they've seen the car in the interim.  Is there a long gap between the last 
valid invoice documenting less than 50k and today?

In any event, even if it's all straight - the timing belt needs changing _now_ 
if it hasn't been done yet, and that's worth $600 to $1000 off the asking price.

Take care.

--
 Phil Payne
 phil@sievers.com
 Committee Member, UK Audi [ur-]quattro Owners Club