Quote:
Originally Posted by threezero
1999 Audi A4 2.8L V6 Quattro
Good buy or money pit? Looking for a new dd and winter beater and the price on this Audi so sooo tempting. It's also a manual! Thought?
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*Can* be a good buy, that one is probably around the right asking price. At $2500 I'd be more comfortable calling it a "good" buy. A few things to know about this generation of A4:
Front Control Arms - The ad says they've been recently swapped, but which ones? There are four control arms in the front suspension...and they should be replaced together. Back when these cars were new, they'd barely last 50k. Aftermarket replacements these days have a much longer life. I'd check to confirm the ones the current owner put in are of non-chinese origin.
Valve cover Gaskets, Valley Pan gasket - the 2.8L motor is a good, strong, long lasting motor. But it is prone to oil leaks. Replacing the above gaskets is a lengthy, involved process and any oil leaks should be carefully looked for. I'd never buy one without pulling the plastic engine covers off.
Quattroworld Independent Audi News, Audi Forums and more - Visit the forums specific to this vehicle, and ask them about the ad/car. The forum is full of extremely knowledgeable guys. I'm more of a 5cyl Audi guy, and my B5 chassis knowledge is 'Light' in comparison.
Interior - That particular car you're looking at has one of the worst interior combinations possible (in my opinion). Find a black interior for the best wear/look. Also, the photo showing the CD changer shows dirty trunk carpet. That car has been used hard, and put away wet.
That "paint scuff" on the side isn't a scuff, that car has been pushed against a pole or concrete pillar. Cheapest replacement will be to swap a wrecking yard door on.
Hmmmm...after thinking about it more, I'd pay $2250 or less for the car. And even then, you can find better.
2001 Audi A4 Quattro 1.8T -> 1.8T, infinitely more fun as a motor. Yes, at 295k the turbo life *could* be a concern, but the seller claims its properly maintained so if they can produce maintenance records I would tend to sway towards 'Safe bet'. You'd have to look up the timing belt interval for this engine, and confirm when the last one was done on this car. I suspect it's probably "due soon" and thus is either the real reason for sale or a great tool for bringing the price down. Confirm the car has always had the VW approved synthetic, that's a deal breaker on a 1.8T.
-Dave