What car is the best buy?

[Mike Arman <armanmik@n-jcenter.com>]

>From: eyvind.spangen@ha-nett.no (Eyvind Spangen)
>Subject: What car is the best buy?
>
>I've found 2 candidates:
>
>1:
>84 Audi 100 2.2E, automatic, 115K miles, many new parts: exhaust,
>lifters, timing belt, rear calipers, bomb, steering rack+pump, tires
>etc. Very good condition.
>
>2:
>87 Audi 100 2.2E, automatic, 88K miles. Don't know much else about it
>- - hasn't called yet.=20
>
>The 84 has got much new parts. The 87 is 3 years newer. The 87 is $750
>more expensive. Are some parts on the 87 prone to break soon? As I can
>see, all the  "normal" parts are changed on the 84. Are there any big
>differences between those two, except that the 87 is fully galvanized?
>
>What car is the best buy?
>

My feeling is to go for the 87. The galvanized body alone makes it
worthwhile. In addition, there are incremental changes year to year, and
major changes at the 1986 and up models.

Type 44 cars went through several incarnations (no pun intended). For the
earliest series, up to 1985, Audi's biggest problem was figuring out how to
get them bolted together at all and then out the door. After a few years,
there was enough real-world service history (read: warranty problems) to
identify and at least attempt to fix the worst and most glaring problems.
The second series, 1986 thru 1988 or 1989, was a lot better than the first
series, although still not much to write home about. The later cars, 1989
and up with the new-style dash and door handles, are really much better
cars than the second series.

Assuming (BIG assumption) the 1987 has had proper maintenance AND the
tranny checks out OK (_major_ weak point on these cars - personally, I'd
never buy a type 44 Audi with automatic, ever, ever, ever), I'd buy it,
take it home, and change the timing belt immediately.

Best Regards,

Mike Arman