re: ur-Quattro/TCQ - should I buy one?

[Bill Elliott <wcelliot@concentric.net>]

<<I'm a bit new to the whole Audi thing myself. In fact, I'll confess to
being
something of a Volvo fan (that's a bad word in many circles).>>

I was a big Volvo fan... particularly 242GT's and Turbo's.  Great cars.
Still have some parts out in the garage... but I doubt I'll own another
Volvo.

<<But I think that my next car might have to be a Turbo Quattro Coupe
(ur-Q).>>

Good thought.  Once I drove one, I knew Volvo's (and BMW's) just
wouldn't cut it anymore. There is simply no comparison is handling, road
manners, etc.

<<I'm mechanically competent and not afraid of maintenance,>>

That's good.  Otherwise, you might want to adopt a mechanic.  Not for
the big stuff... but for the little stuff that will break you if you
have to rely on a shop.  I have to tell you, though, my UrQ is the most
frustrating car I've worked on.  They put stuff wherever they could...
basic access is difficult.  Some of it _is_ packaging constraints... but
some is just strange engineering.

<<but I'd be using it as regular transportation and don't want something
that will be in my shop more than on the road.>>

I'm one of the few "insane" people who do this.  It's not for the faint
of heart (and it helps to have some backup transportation).  I live in
the middle of nowhere in WI and use it to commute into Milwaukee.  60
miles each way.  That and the occaisional run down South for BBQ and
Moon Pies has put on about 35,000 miles in the past 15 months.

It's not been event-free, but really much better than you'd expect from
a 14-yr-old high performance car with over 100k on it.  I also don't
baby the car... it's meant to be driven.  My only disappointment has
been the availability (and cost) of UrQ-specific parts. (IC-IM hose, oil
cooler lines, etc.)  I frankly think the reliability of the UrQ is
better than the 5K of the same (and even later) era, but since I've not
owned a 5K, I don't have real data for you.  I don't want to paint a
real rosy picture for you... this is not a car to own on a shoestring
budget... but it's a real bargin compared to some other cars in it's
general performance class.

<<Any advice?>>  #2 and #3: Avoid dealerships and buy a Bentley.  You've
already found this list.  That's #1.

<<Anyone selling a really nice one in the NW?>> <<Any good Seattle area
mechanics? >> Can't help you there.

<<How much should I pay?>>  They run the range.  Tatty ones from a
couple thousand... up to that $25K one advertised in Hemmings. Figure
$6-8k for a good one...$10k+ for an outstanding one with some mods.
(IMO, a water-cooled K24 turbo, moderate suspension and brake mods, and
any mods from Ned at IntendedAcceleration are worth paying extra for.)

<<Are parts still available?>>  Lots of coupe, 5kTQ, and 4KQ stuff
fits... but the UrQ-only stuff is dear.. and sometimes takes time to
get..

<<I've done some research, but more info is always better. Help a
new guy out! Thanks.>>

If you want more specifics, you can contact me off-line.  I've owned and
driven lots of cars... and can't think of any other car I rather spend
time in on a daily basis... except for the one Phil has with the
steering wheel on the wrong side. ;-)

Bill Elliott
Lake Mills, WI
'85 UrQ