Re: 5000 CST: to buy or not to buy?

[DeWitt Harrison <de@aztek-eng.com>]

On Wed, 26 Nov 1997 11:05:17 -0800, you wrote:

>[ ... ] I am thinking about buying an '86 5kcst with 127K on the
>clock. It's not quattro, but it is 5-speed.The car seems
>to be in good shape, and all the electrical works except
>cruise control.Yes,it does have a power steering pump leak,
>(~ $300 fix) and the owner wants $2000 for it. Does this sound
>like a good deal? [ ... ]

No comment on price. I haven't been paying attention. I do
think you should know, however, that this is a maintenance
intensive car.  The FI system is a very complicated Bosch unit
that requires that every piece of the system be perfect. Very
sensitive to vacuum leaks, etc., etc. The other thing: lots
of expensive-to-repair bells and whistles.  When this car is
in top condition, it is a joy to drive.  But you must be prepared
to spend time and $$$ to keep it that way.

I love mine, but I could be driving a new A4 for the same money.
(To be fair, I've put some money into mods and stuff too. Just
don't take the entry fee {$2K?} as an indication of the cost of
ownership. You could spend that much more in a couple
months with no problem.)

DeWitt Harrison    de@aztek-eng.com
Boulder, CO
88 5kcstq