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Re: 5KTQ Prices..
I think $4300 is a little high for just a "good" example of that vintage with
150K miles. Right now is not the best bargaining time for these cars for
obvious reasons, especially if the owner is smart and has a fresh set of
snows on the car and you live in a cold place. OTOH, it might be better to
buy one before the seller puts a hard winter on it with the idea of selling it
in the spring.
I've noticed that in addition to the normal seasonal bump in asking prices
the baseline has been creeping upward on all of the 86 and later Qs
advertised for sale in my area. The best way to combat this is with
knowledge -- know the car well enough to point out the "hidden" trouble
spots that the owner may be wishing you'd overlook.
My own example is an '86 that had 93K when I bought it. New clutch,
and rebuilt hydraulic system. He was asking $4100, I got it for $3800,
which I thought was a good deal, and then started working out the bugs
that I missed - defective after-run cooling relay, rusted turbo coolant & oil
lines, some dubious wiring repairs, bad injector cooling fan thermoswitch,
and a _sawed off_ radiator inlet (concealed by the hose) that
necessitated I replace the radiator. Had I reminded the owner of all these
things I would have been in a better bargaining position, but I caught a
small case of Quattro Fever on the test drive. It really was tough to
control my enthusiasm...in retrospect I should have brought my girlfriend
along for Ground Control (tm) ;-).
Plus - demand was high. I was the first caller to see the car, but while I
was driving it he got two more messages. I gave him a small initial
deposit, then waited one day while the offers kept coming. He was
getting anxious to sell by that time and knocked $300 off the price to close
the deal but wouldn't go lower... I never mentioned the other bugs. Give
and take, and I admit I'm not the world's most aggressive negotiator and
I'm also prone to Quattro Intoxication.
On the balance, though, even with the money that I've put in it since then,
I can't imagine how you'd get a more satisfying car for less money,
unless you are a _very_ disreputable person or have connections I don't
have.
Best Wishes,
Alex