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My new(used) Audi 90 Quattro

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HokieDSM

20+ Year Contributor
1,725
1
Oct 24, 2002
Blacksburg, Virginia
So three days after the engine on Ally, my Talon, blew up - I needed a way back to Virginia. I would also need something reliably to drive around town (and wherever else :cool: I can think of going). My major requirement was a decent, reliable car with AWD - but none too expensive. I thought of buying new - an Impreza 2.5RS was somewhat within my price range, and definitely reliable - but a little more than I wanted to spend, and not quite my style.

So, I happened to find a used Audi 90 up in North Jersey via the Audifans. I lurk over there since I have a lot of friends in the VW/Audi scene, and I've got a little thing for the older Audis. It was an '89, Quattro - with a Torsen Center Differential (think Quaife), and a lockable rear differential. It has a 2.3L Inline-5 engine that sounds unlike just about any engine you've ever heard before - accelerating on the highway sounds a little like a UFO taking off. It's fun, torquey, and the AWD is great.


Without further delay, I give you pics: (more details to follow) The third and fourth pics aren't mine - I got them when I was first researching the car.
 

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The car has about 194,000mi on it - the bottom end was replaced by Audi at 60,000mi - no problems since, and I'm the fourth owner. The car came with all the reciepts up until about 1995, and a few from 2000-2003. I got it for $2000.

In these first few days, I've gotten to drive the car about 800mi. It's a big change from the DSM world. The whole combination of parts add up to a completely different driving experience - but it IS still quite fun. I was very worried that I'd not be able to have any fun after the Talon, but the Quattro & Five-Cylinder have a very nice feel when driving around. Around the twisties, the Torsen center diff seem to balance the torque/power arond faster than the DSM viscious unit - as a result, the car ends up feeling very, very firm on the corners - even on pretty worn 195/60/14 tires. I'm contemplating a set of Falken ZIEX-512s for the car.

The car has bugs - all Audis usually do - especially when you consider it's a 15-year old Audi. The mechanicals are the strongpoint for these old Audis - the engine is proven to 300,000mi in many cases, and the tranny is known to be rock-solid. The car's still on the stock clutch, and it feels just fine - although I'll probably replace it down the line.

So Audi does mechanicals - unfortunately their electrics are another matter. The car has LOTS of neat gadgets, like a trip computer, digital climate control, etc. Most of them work great, but there are a few little bugs, like the diff locks don't engage, ABS is a little flaky - most of these are due to corrosion in the contacts for the wires & switches. My hope is that they just need to be cleaned up.

So all in all - I'm pretty happy with my purchase - I can't wait to play with it in the snow :D :laugh: :thumb:
 
Will the Talon Rims fit on it :p That would look cool I bet. Just for fun.
I always loved Audi My dad used to have a Audi 5000 CS Turbo. That was my first experience with a turbo car. :thumb: :D
Anyway, I almost bought a 90 coupe quattro a few years back. I think those are pretty nice lookin. To bad they arent Turbo like they are in Europe, then it would truely be bada$$
 
good look with the car. But, why not drop the 2grand into the DSM and let it have a brand new engine?


edit: i'm not trying to hate or anything its just your car is pretty nice, sad to see it go.
 
I am looking at a 98 Audi A4 1.8T. it has 69k miles on it and they're asking 6600. Silver with black leather. I know that parts are expensive for them, and they're expensive to repair from the dealer.

Some older guys at work say that Audi's are junk and that they break down all the time....does anybody own, or know someone who owns a NEWER Audi that could speak on their reliability? I'm not looking to mod it other than maybe a chip, springs/struts, and rims, and exhaust. Nothin crazy..just want a pimp car..
 
The first pic makes me think of the white Ford Tempo I drove in high school! :p


I also bought a beater this weekend...86 Prelude Si, LOL! :shhh:
 
HokieDSM said:
The car has about 194,000mi on it - the bottom end was replaced by Audi at 60,000mi - no problems since, and I'm the fourth owner. The car came with all the reciepts up until about 1995, and a few from 2000-2003. I got it for $2000.

In these first few days, I've gotten to drive the car about 800mi. It's a big change from the DSM world. The whole combination of parts add up to a completely different driving experience - but it IS still quite fun. I was very worried that I'd not be able to have any fun after the Talon, but the Quattro & Five-Cylinder have a very nice feel when driving around. Around the twisties, the Torsen center diff seem to balance the torque/power arond faster than the DSM viscious unit - as a result, the car ends up feeling very, very firm on the corners - even on pretty worn 195/60/14 tires. I'm contemplating a set of Falken ZIEX-512s for the car.

The car has bugs - all Audis usually do - especially when you consider it's a 15-year old Audi. The mechanicals are the strongpoint for these old Audis - the engine is proven to 300,000mi in many cases, and the tranny is known to be rock-solid. The car's still on the stock clutch, and it feels just fine - although I'll probably replace it down the line.

So Audi does mechanicals - unfortunately their electrics are another matter. The car has LOTS of neat gadgets, like a trip computer, digital climate control, etc. Most of them work great, but there are a few little bugs, like the diff locks don't engage, ABS is a little flaky - most of these are due to corrosion in the contacts for the wires & switches. My hope is that they just need to be cleaned up.

So all in all - I'm pretty happy with my purchase - I can't wait to play with it in the snow :D :laugh: :thumb:

My friend has an 86 4000 Quattro. He also has problems with the diff locks. On his car at least, it is because the plungers that pull in and out to lock and unlock them get stuck.. Seems to be a common thing on older Audis.
 
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