I am seriously considering buying an old (pre 86) Audi Quattro 2.1, probably the turbo. To be honest l have no intention of doing so for at least 6 months. However before l start getting all excited and reading/thinking about it like some obsessive l wouldn't mind a bit of initial advice from you knowledgable folks.
I know that they can be very expensive if they go wrong and l am also aware of the insurance. BTW HJ's car breakdown's do not go back this far.
dan
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Dan,
I didn't mean for you to enjoy yourself quite that much!
David
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Lol,
I almost put "..l know about the insurance, but hell you only live once."
That would probably have only invited comments like: "If you only live once, why are you trying to shorten it!"
dan
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Dan,
do you mean the Coupe or the 'Ur' (german for original i think) Quattro? The ordinary Coupe also came with quattro 4WD though has nothing like the performance of the Quattro.
The true Quattro came in 4 face-lifted versions with the final ones coming out on a J-plate in '91. These last ones were 20-valve, 220 hp and by far the most refined, tho had lost some of the engine growl due to the addition of cats. They are also horrendously expensive to maintain (eq four grand plus for exhaust system) and economy had reduced too.
The best to go for is an '88 or '89 10-valve which had useful upgrades from previous years including no silly digital dashboard, and better cooling system. I think these also had a smaller turbo to reduce lag.
Whatever you choose, it'll cost a lot to maintain. Best of luck!
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Phil,
The 91' with 220 hp, that's an S2 isn't it. They are even faster/scarier (grp 18 insurance l think). That would probably be out of my budget, I'm more interested in the mid eighties turbo Ur-Q. These have the poke, in comparison the 10 valves aren't much cop. I kinda like the square aggressive styling of the early quattro's, in any case I might even benfeit from classic car insurance!!
Regards,
dan
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Dan,
These 91J 20-valvers were still the boxy Quattros. I think you are right that they may have overlapped the S2's - this was because of the rife joyriding in the early 90s when no-one could get insured for a supercar so they didn't sell, and hence the discontinued Quattros took a while to clear.
The pre-90 Quattros were 10v. I definitely prefer the styling to today's equivalents - the Mitsubuishi EVO and the just-plain-daft-looking Imprezza.
I've remembered a few things to look for - cracked exhaust manifold, leaking oil-cooling pipes on top of engine, cracking between bolt holes on alloys.
cheers
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I have a similar opinion regarding styling. Although the 91J 20v does seem less boxy, is it because it doesn't have the flared arches or have l been mixing me jpegs? It also lacks a turbo and therefore does the 60 in 'only' 7.5 instead of 6.5 The S2 gets the turbo back again and does it in a somewhat daft 5.5. Urk.
How would you check for a cracked manifold, is it something to do with listening for ticking noises as the engine warms from cold at idle? (I read this somewhere.)
dan
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Yeah, i think we must have read the same article - i think it was in Top Gear magazine a few years ago - come to think of it, wasn't it written by Count Quentin himself?!
Phil
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It was an audi faq on the net. Most of these are for the US market though. It seems they have detuned quattros so most of the info is about putting in bigger pipes/exhausts/ecus/turbo's etc.. Not much sane stuff available without trawling through all that guff.
That's why l wondered if the old heads in this forum had anything to say on the matter.
dan
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The 'Ur' quattro is certainly a classic - and no doubt will incur 'classic' costs. The nearest equivalent I had was a S6 with the same 2.2 turbo engine as the later S2. I had no engine problems from 19,000 miles to 75,000 miles. Our non-turbo 5-cylinder cars were also trouble free (Audi 100 CD, Audi 90 20V over 100,000 miles each). The only problems I have heard about are cracked cylinder heads, otherwise the engines seem pretty tough. I also heard that the 10V quattro suffered from nasty turbo lag - the S6 had this in some measure, but not difficult to handle/predict.
Martin.
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Cracked manifolds are such a common problem with these cars that several specialists can supply strengthened replacements - Dialynx do one. Parts are savagely expensive from Audi dealers, but you wouldn't go to a Ford dealer to get parts for a 15 year old Escort, and the same applies for expensive old German cars. Try German & Swedish, or one of the various Quattro specialists. The engines (both 10V and 20V) can be tuned to give 500 bhp without grenading, so in standard form they are fairly indestructible - specialists I have spoken to reckon you can get 250K before serious work is needed.
I thought seriously about buying a Quattro for everyday transport - they are plenty tough enough for commuting - but the unfeasibly tiny boot is impractical for someone who has two dogs, so I ended up with a later shape Coupe instead.
Finally, don't even think about buying one without an HPI check.
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ive had a lot of experiance with the 200 turbo (same engine as quattro)
problems i can rememebr are cracked cylinder heads and cracked exhaust manifolds but hey they all do it and it doesnt seem to affect performance so sod it buy one theyre great own a piece of true 80s history at its best
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The quattro Owners Club was formed for owners and enthusiasts of the ur-quattro in the UK. It has over 700 members, most of whom own one. Considering that there are maybe 1000 ur-quattros in the UK, that's an impressive %! The club has monthly regional meetings and I'd strongly advise going along to learn more about the car. There is a wealth of knowledge about the car, with technical advice and assistance. Many people join the club after they have bought one, once it starts to go wrong, but by joining beforehand you will know what to look for and avoid!
Classic insurance is available, with the usual conditions of limited mileage (up to 5000 miles pa) and if it's not used as your main car. Costs around 300pa, with agreed value.
As mentioned in other replies, part prices can be expensive, but Audi have lowered some prices and there are other sources.
It is a great car, but make sure you buy a good one!
For more details:
dave@quattroownersclub.com
www.quattroownersclub.com
or email me off list
RichardC
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