Re: Should I buy 86 5kcstq??

[Aleksander Mierzwa <alex@matrix.com.pl>]

At 13:45 9.04.98 -0500, Rich_Burke@conseco.com wrote:

>I ran across an 86 5000 cs turbo
>quattro.  It is a 5 speed that has the syncros blown out of 3rd gear,

The drivetrain on these cars is usually quite bulletproof. Damaged syncros
is a rare failure. I would wonder if the car has been seriously abused in
the past.

>sunroof etc - looked pretty well loaded.  It has ~118K miles on it ran fine
>(except 3rd gear was a little problem), I heard a loud buzzing towards the
>rear of the car (fuel pump??),

Yes

>all power windows worked fine except the
>drivers side, and it seemed the center blower (defrost) would not turn >off.

Probably broken fan control unit (there's one in the heater box. It
regulates the fan voltage depending on control signal from the A/C controller)

>The paint was a little faded but the car was very straight.  The best part
>was the price, I could get into it for ~$2000.  Now I understand that it
>will need some work (I would not mind putting in another $2000 - $3000),
>but don't want to spend $9K and still have junk.
>
>So here is my problem - is it worth purchasing an older Audi, invest some
>time and money to upgrade & personalize (wheels, chip, suspension) or spend
>the $12-$15K on a newer version???
>
>Thanks for any insight that might be out there.

Yes, it is worth purchasing an older Audi, but this particular one doesn't
seem like a good deal to me. If the syncros are indeed worn (could the
problem be caused by worn shift linkage bushings?) you will probably be
looking for a used transmission. What about hydrualic system leaks? Does
the bomb work? Do the diff locks work? If the car costs $2K and you don't
mind spending another $3K on it, then for $5K you could probably find one
in mint condition and concentrate on performance upgrades, which are very
desirable for these cars. 


Aleksander Mierzwa
Warsaw, Poland
mailto:alex@matrix.com.pl
87 Audi 5000CS turbo (mine)
88 Renault Medallion wagon (mom's)
91 mountain bike (just in case both cars broke at the same time :-)