5kcstq and 200tq questions

["TM" <mizutanit@mindspring.com>]

Hi listers,
I've just subscribed to the list and already I read lots of technical
posts about various maintenance procedures. Excellent.

I guess I should introduce myself- I'm a new part-owner (sharing with
my father) of an A4 Avant 1.8T. Great car- however, it could use some
improvements. Therefore, I've already modified some parts:
H&R coilovers, 17" wheels and tires, Garrett chip, shift knob, pedals
and exhaust is coming. Unfortunately, my father gets to use the car as
his daily driver and I'm stuck driving an SUV.

Because of this, and some recent revelations about how unfun it is to
drive an SUV, I'm considering the purchase of an '86-88 5000CS turbo
quattro or an '89-91 200 turbo quattro. I have seen some prices for these
cars and they are not very expensive to buy. Lots available in the
$2000-4000
range, all with approx. 150k miles.

I know that this is a very complex car, so I want to do my homework before
I get myself into trouble. I would like to know what the common problems are
with these cars, how to spot them and how to remedy them. Also, what are
common maintenance items- I know with a 10-year-old car, a lot of wear items
need to be replaced. I'm driving a 13-year-old truck right now, and lots of
little (some big) things needed to be fixed- clutch, idler arm, A/C
compressor,
belts, some hoses, radiator needed to be flushed, brakes needed to be
flushed,
exhaust, shocks, etc.

I see a lot of modded cars. Do the modded cars hold up? Lots of higher boost
wastegate springs and chips. Suspension mods don't bother me as I would do
them as well. I know about the UFO brakes on the '91 200s, but I think they
are well out of my price range anyway. My friend tells me that cars with the
modified wastegate springs run through intercoolers regularly. Is this true?
Why does it do this?

My truck is very reliable right now, so I don't mind getting a car that I
need
to do some work on, as long as the work is manageable and not too expensive
or
requiring lots of special tools.

Is this a car that requires lots of money to keep running? $2k/yr.? $1k/yr.?
Should I be looking at something less involved- I don't have an unlimited
budget
for these things, but have no problem doing the small stuff by myself- I
like
getting my hands dirty and fixing things. If this is too expensive of a car
to get into, I will look into possibly a 4k quattro (far less stuff to go
wrong)
or an A2 VW GTI.

Sorry if this is an FAQ- I've looked through a bunch of sites and have not
found
any kind of comprehensive buyer's guide for these wonderful cars. I really
like
the way the 5ktq looks and the quattro heritage and the wonderful engine.

Thanks,
Taka Mizutani
mizutanit@mindspring.com
99.5 A4 Avant
Nissan Pathfinder
soon-to-be Audi 5k or 4k owner (hopefully)