Hey everyone,

I'm going to look at a tornado red '84 urq next week. Supposedly it's 60k original miles, all original, no accidents, garage kept, no problems. What would you pay for this year in perfect condition? Anyone know how to tell if numbers match?

Also, what should I look out for? Can someone tell me the common problems with this car/year? What questions should I ask, etc?

Your help would be greatly appreciated. Also, if you know of an '84 or '85 for sale in the NJ/NY/CT area, please let me know. I'm located in Northern NJ.

***Paul

IF the car is perfect, mid to high teens is not unreasonable, but prices are all over the board. I saw a pristine '83 go for $2500, and one that needed work go for over $11k. Generally, cars with modification, though nice to have, are generally not worth any more than a good stock car. In the long run, a perfectly original car will retain value the best.

The '84's are rarest with only 65 being brought into the US. There are some unique features on the '84s, like the interior. The dash looks like a late 4k, but actually share no parts with those. The electical system is improved over the '83 models with the "Rabbit" fuse boxes. The suspension uses the same components as the '84-'87 4kqs, so parts are plentiful and cheap. (Ball joints for '80-'83 urqs are $125/each, later cars are ~$25/each).

As for problems, exhaust manifold studs break, causing a ticking sound that goes away as the engine heats up. The manifolds themselve also crack, especially on "chipped" cars. Note that these cars do not use hydraulic lifters, so you should not hear any lifter noise like you might on other Audi I5s. The heads crack between the valves (ALL of them IME), many times to the point of requiring replacement. This is generally found when the head is pulled to replace broken manifold studs... If possible, check that the passenger side motor mount is good. Failed motor mounts are thought to lead to broken exhaust manifold studs. This can be checked by carefully putting a jack under the oil pan and jacking slightly. The engine should not rise much if anything if the mount is good. If it is bad, the engine will raise 1/2"+.

You will want to make sure that the engine runs strong, starts well and pulls to redline. The fuel injection is generally reliable, but can get expensive to repair. There are also no on board diagnostics, so you need someone familiar with the injection system to troubleshoot problem. If it does not run well, chances are that it will require more than just a tune up.

As for what to ask, just the normal stuff like repair records, etc. and where the car was maintained.

HTH!

Steve
'82 ur q 20Vt

Steve,

Thanks VERY MUCH for your input! I find it very helpful. Now I have some extra things to look for that I otherwise wouldn't have known.

***Paul

I'm pretty local to you. Essex Cty. Just bought one in January. Check your email.

Allen,

I responded back to your email. I don't know if that was your work email and if you have access to it at home, so I figured I'd write back to this post. I'd be interested in taking a look at your car this weekend or sometime soon when you have free time. Let me know what works for you.

***Paul

...And it's only got 50,000 original miles.<ul><li><a href="http://www.audifans.com/marketplace/search.php?submit=true&amp;id=1445&amp;table=cars">http://www.audifans.com/marketplace/search.php?submit=true&amp;id=1445&amp;table=cars</a</li></ul>

Chris,

Nice car! Best of luck to you in selling it. I'm particularly focused on getting an '84-'85, but thanks anyway.

***Paul

Thats excellent info on that year car. However, I have an 85 ur-q and an 86 4kq, and although the suspension will probly swap over from one car to the other, the ur-qs suspension components are much beefier, more akin to the 5000 turbo. Tie rod ends are bigger, ball joints are bigger, springs are heavier, etc. They are of the same design, though.
Gary

You're right, the front on late ur qs is beefier than the 4kqs, and has the big tube struts like a 5kt.

I guess that I was mostly thinking of the rear, which is identical to the 4kqs on the '84+ (late '83s too for folks that are picky...) cars.

Steve

Hey Fellas,

I just went to look at a tornado red '84. Car was gorgeous in/out, the guy kept it in his garage the whole time, only took it to shows. 60k original miles. Paint still shined like new, no body/paint work, no accidents. He wouldn't let me drive it though??? That just pissed me off. Tells me something may be wrong with it.

Anyway, he wanted $25k for it, which I think is ABSOLUTELY *CRAZY* for an 18 year old Audi with no warranty, no matter how rare and nice it is. And everything did not work, and the car was not perfect (IE: AC didn't work, car had trouble starting on a cold start, alternator made a buzzing noise, car made a noise when making turns (power steering? cv joint?), passanger window didn't go down, diff lock was relocated and fell off when pulled, etc.

So I offered him 15k, he said no way, and I left. If you guys know of any in the tri-state area (NJ/NY/CT area) in near mint condition going for around $15k, please let me know.

***Paul

The car was PERFECT with extremely low miles. And I mean LOW miles. Down in the 15K or 10K. But 60,000 miles might as well be 150,000 for a collector.

I don't know if its even worth 15K, if it has all the problems you mentioned. You can get much better cars (albeit 83s) from vendors like KAR of MN. He has a damn near stock 83 that looks very good for alot less than 15K.

Anyways, keep your eyes open for a good 84 or 85 from an unknowing seller. They're out there, but you probably have to go to non-Urq friendly territory like California to get one for the right price.

"25,000 dollars" Buhahahaha.
Did you keep a straight face when he asked for that much?