Teach me about Audi 4000 quattros

I just can't bring myself to buy a truck by the looks of it and a 4000s quattro has just popped up on the local craigslist.

I never paid much attention to them back when they were newer because they were cars that middle-aged boring people drove. Now that I fall right in the middle of that demographic, it might make a nice cheap runabout.

Any horror stories? Issues with getting parts as they're getting a little old and I have heard a few horror stories regarding Audi's parts (non-) supply for older cars?

034 Motorsport and motorgeek.com are your friends.

The drivetrain is tough as nails even if you quadruple the power, the electricals are European but not as bad as some (think 80s VW, before they got complex), the doorhandles are crap.

There is a LOT of Lego-style swapping available to do on this car.

Downside: 4x4.25" bolt pattern, but a different offset from FWD Fords.

TBH I'd probably keep it mostly, if not completely stock. I'm still keeping the Me-Otter as the toy car/summer driver to play with so this car would just need to provide reasonable transport without spending too much time in the shop.

Anybody know what the timing belt change interval is on these?

It's non-interference, and I think it's 90,000 miles but I could be wrong there. Not a job you'll want to do yourself as it requires a couple of specialized tools to lock the engine in place. They only have 115hp so by today's standards aren't fast but they aren't really slow, either. As noted, drivetrain is bulletproof. Radiators can leak when they get old. Air cleaner is a total bitch to replace. The stock 'aero' headlights suck. You can't buy the front reflectors in the bumper anymore. Sunroof seals may be NLA also. Seat upholstery isn't the most durable. Switchgear is typical VW mediocre quality. A/C is R12 with piston style York compressor (I changed to a rotary compressor from an Audi 90, but it required some specialized hose creation). 200,000 miles means nothing to these cars.

I've owned two. An '86 and an '84.

Relay the headlights and the output is a ton better. You can also upgrade to H4's. Vacuum lines are a PITA, but probably needed. The diff locks run off of vacuum also and those lines are fairly easy to replace. CIS is easy to adjust if needed. Both of mine had been fiddled with so I had to adjust occasionally. You need to make a jumper harness and use a volt meter to do it. I found instructions on the web. They will probably need bushings in the suspension and diff mounts.

They sound awesome and very fast with an exhaust. However you'll still be creeping along.

I still have my internet bookmarks. If you end up getting one I can send them to you.

Timing belt isn't terribly bad - you need to remove the bumper and grille, and use a 6" extension and a STRONG impact to remove the crank bolt. It's something like 250-260ft-lb. I torque it with somebody else's foot on the brake and the car in gear.

The belt itself is still under $20. You will want to replace the water pump at the same time, since sliding the water pump is how the belt is tensioned. To replace the pump, unless you want to cut the rear timing belt cover, you need to remove the cam pulley.

My VW has the same engine and transmission and it's got roughly 350k on it. It used to oil-smoke, but then I adjusted the CIS properly and that went away. (It was richer than the computer could compensate for. I used no special meters, just unplugged the O2 at idle and tweaked it until it ran well with no correction) I'm fairly certain that the clutch is original, too.

That reminds me. The pain PITA on these cars is the clutch hydraulics. The slave cylinder is a bore fit in the transmission case and can sieze in there good. Dreading having to do mine, have heard many horror stories. Seems like the easiest way is with the engine out and driving the oil unit out with an air hammer. The master cylinder isn't much better, since the master bolts to "middle of nowhere" unsupported sheetmetal on the firewall, which can crack.

I bought an '84 Quattro new and it was the worst car I've ever owned. Nothing but constant electrical problems. When it ran, it was great. It just didn't do that very often. I beleive that they changed over to GM style electrics in '86. Probably any car still on the road now has had the issues sorted out.

Wiring is an issue, the insulation is brittle by now and shorts will be a problem. Drivetrain is bulletproof, but the body does rust. Look closely at the local one, if it was well cared for or just beat. I love them but the B3(80/90) models are holding up better. No rust and the wiring seems to have been improved. If you can find a 20 valve 90 sedan check it out. They have a different top end and love to rev. No CIS either.

All that everyone else said. Window and sunroof motors go bad. Same with the switches. Can't kill that motor if you try, watch for rust around the rear wheels.

All I know about them is that one of my HS teachers had a black one that was new at the time. It had the ground effects, deck spoiler and I thought it was the coolest car in the parking lot.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ynnbqGgZm0c

I have nothing to add but the General Lee.

I prefer this one of the General Lee Audi:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bg9NvX8zDs0&feature=related

In reply to theenico:

Alright, you win.

Argo1 wrote: I bought an '84 Quattro new and it was the worst car I've ever owned. Nothing but constant electrical problems. When it ran, it was great. It just didn't do that very often.

Did you happen to have a 5000?

5000s are a different animal altogether from the 4000s.

I beleive that they changed over to GM style electrics in '86.

Nope, it's all-Bosch all the time.

porschenut wrote: If you can find a 20 valve 90 sedan check it out. They have a different top end and love to rev. No CIS either.

The 20v is the best engine, but the CIS is by far better than the EFI that they used. It's cheaper to buy the 034 fuel injector adapter kit (O-rings, machined spacers, set of five injectors) that allows you to use normal injectors than it is to buy two of the special oddball injectors.

Rust hopefully shouldn't be a problem if it's a local car, and supposedly it only has around 100k and just had the timing belt done.

I'd still much rather have a 325ix, but the car sounds like it's worth looking at if the person who's going to view it tomorrow doesn't buy it.

I have an 87.. great car drive it all over the place..

The car advertised locally is also an 87...

Argo1 wrote: I bought an '84 Quattro new and it was the worst car I've ever owned. Nothing but constant electrical problems.

Old VW Rabbit style fuse box. They upgraded it to a much better one in 1985 that used blade fuses instead of torpedoes.

Knurled wrote: </cite That reminds me. The pain PITA on these cars is the clutch hydraulics. The slave cylinder is a bore fit in the transmission case and can sieze in there good. Dreading having to do mine, have heard many horror stories. Seems like the easiest way is with the engine out and driving the oil unit out with an air hammer. The master cylinder isn't much better, since the master bolts to "middle of nowhere" unsupported sheetmetal on the firewall, which can crack.

And guess what failed 4 blocks from home today.

Go on, guess.

Thing that sucks is, my other car isn't really in a state of drivability at the moment, and I never got the hang of shifting the 016 clutchlessly. It just doesn't seem to like it very much.

Sorry to hear that.

I'm looking at the car on the way home - I'm not having massively high hopes, but I'm trying to keep an open mind. Fortunately I'm not in a hurry.

Knurled wrote: And guess what failed 4 blocks from home today. Go on, guess. Thing that sucks is, my other car isn't really in a state of drivability at the moment, and I never got the hang of shifting the 016 clutchlessly. It just doesn't seem to like it very much.

I should have a few of those slave cylinders new in the packaging, sell to ye for ultra cheap. PM me a part number and address for shipping quote if you're interested.

Well, the not so high hopes were somewhat justified. Hardly any rust, but it needed a little too much work for my liking. Oh well, back to searching for something a little more expensive and hopefully in better shape...

The General Lee Audi is obscene and i like it.

Knurled wrote: Did you happen to have a 5000?

Nope. Mine was a 4000S