tiohn

OK, I need some help. I'm looking at buying an '86 5000 CS Turbo for $2600. The car is in beautiful shape inside and out. My dilemma is that I can't find any consistent opinions on this car. I've spent many hours researching it online without bugging anyone with my inane questions and have come across only two different takes on this car:

1. This car is a piece of junk. It is nothing more than a moneypit.

2. This car is the most awesome machine I have ever bought. It's very reliable, requires little of me. Just thinking of it makes me randy.

So, I need to know if this car would be a good buy. The particular one i'm looking at has 174,000 miles and has been religiously maintained by its current owner for the last six years or so. The current owner loves it. He was inspired to buy another Audi, which seems to be really high praise to me. He claims to have had very few problems with it, minor ones at that (stuff like the doorhandles, etc.). No problems with the engine, drivetrain, turbo, etc.
So, with that many miles, (and a turbo) how much longer can i expect the engine to last with good maintainance? Will i get another five years out of this car?

And the bottom line:
Will this car be reliable? As a not-quite-poor-but-by-no-means-rich college student, would this car be a good choice for me? Being that the turbo hasn't been rebuilt in the last six years (but is still putting out the bar it should) will it last much longer? What do I need to beware of? Is there anything that will need to be replaced soon?

thanks,
shawn

ps - how does the turbo affect engine life? wear and tear?

RockinV8Q

Not really a turbo expert, V8s are my specialty, but I'll take a stab at this.

The Audi turbo engines and the turbos themselves seem to be extremely durable. I know of or have worked on at least 5 in the last 6 months that have exceeded 200k and still run strong. A few of these cars are run hard regularly.

From what I have seen and from talking to others with more experience the transmissions are the biggest worry. The three speed VW auto in the non-Q cars being little more than junk! The non-Q 5 speed is better but can be iffy. The perfect situation is the 016 5 speed in the Qs. This thing is bulletproof. I know of two cars with 016s bolted behind the 3.6 V8, and one with an LT1 Corvette engine mated to an 016 in a 5kcsq.

Keith

SteveJ_in_TX

Plus $2600 sounds high for a car with that many miles on it. If it has been religiously maintained, and the auto tranny was replaced last week by someone who _knows_ how to rebuild them (not the chain places), then I might go for it.

If you are in college, is there an Audi specialist that is nearby that knows the lovable quirks of the 5K's? Possibly the shop that has worked on this car before? If so, call them and ask what they think of this car. Parts can also be obscenely expensive if you are paying retail and not turning the wrench yourself. Find out where the good junkyards are in your area, you may need them one day.

Yes these are sweet cars when they are running right. But I've said it before and I'll say it again:

Deferred maintenance = large $$$ repair bills down the road.

Let us know what you end up doing.

-Steve Jensen
87 5kcstq
87 5kcstqw

tiohn

Well, it looks like i'll be getting this car. Everyone has told me that $2600 sounds steep for the car, but none of these people have ever tried to buy a european car in New Mexico. There just aren't many around here.

To put Keith's post to rest, the car has a standard transmission.

Further question:

What sort of deferred maintenance is going to cause me major probs in the future?

I'm a newbie!