onlyaudis

always kept an eye out for another 4000 quattro since my 87 was totaled by a drunk driver parked in the front of the house over 10 years ago. need one like a hole in the head though, as I now have a bunch of cars including a tuned 2002 A4 1.8T. what would I still be interested in a 4000 Quattro? Something about those cars left an impression me. compared to modern cars, they are slow and have antiquated engine management, but they have a feel to them and a classic look I still am attracted to.

I found the cleanest one I have seen in 15 years, but it was not driven much (or at all -supposed to have been at least started from time to time) since 2004. Its basically a garaged 1 owner car, and the brother of the women owner has spent some time getting it running again, changing fluids, water pump, radiator, etc. it did pass smog pretty easily which is a very good sign. everything is supposed to work except the gas gauge. (what usually causes that?)

here is my question. what are the chances that after I start driving it, all those years of sitting will cause an endless amount of issues to surface? I know it needs shocks which will be fun to change out, but am worried that after I start driving it, electrical gremlins will appear, brake hydraulic issues, coolant and oil leaks, fuel system problems, etc. car has 160,000 miles

has anyone brought back a long time dormant car successfully?

onlyaudis

also , what is it worth do you think?

Rogviler

Well, that car is worth any work you have to put into it.

Looks just like my main one, but nicer. Although I'm jealous of the side skirts, something I always felt those needed.

A lot of people will say that a car is junk if it's sat that long, but really your only two things are going to be the fuel system and brakes. This is assuming not being driven at all... Flush the brakes really well and then flush them again. As for the fuel system, with CIS you really need to drain what you can and then flush it all the way to the injectors (unplugged from the engine), as the fuel distributor is where gunk tends to form. Get a good system treatment like Seafoam.

Other than that you might have some electrical gremlins but being garaged (and it definitely looks like it was) I doubt it'll be anything like some of the ones I've dealt with and still got them running. In fact I would be pretty surprised if you had anything major. Little things like changing the differential and transmission fluids, like I would do with any car of unknown maintenance level. They all leak, but a product called ATP AT-205 will change your life.

Honestly, I've seen them sitting in junkyards for years that start right up, even with old gas. They're pretty durable, but you should take as much care as you can to get it going even better.

Worth? Hard to say since they're all over the map. The one I have like that one was $1500 about ten years ago. There are some '85+ cars on Motorgeek for between $1000 and $2500, of varying degrees of cleanliness. Being an '84 will get some points. Sitting for awhile will take some off.

I wouldn't feel weird about paying $2000 for it. If I could get it for less I would do a little jig. Much more than that and I'd really want to give it a thorough shakedown to make sure I wouldn't have to put any big money into it.

-Rog

audi-driver1126

i wish i could find a car like that. The pictures of this car makes me depressed a little. so clean and beutifull compared to mine. i would buy it, and when you are done with it, give it to me

onlyaudis

went and looked at it today, and decided to bring it home. the body is really clean, and so is the interior. Speedo/odometer, sunroof, power windows, and power door locks all work. A/C works but should blow colder--will try to have it charged. brakes feel soft, and i know the guy flushed them out and bled them several times. have to figure out what is up with that asap. front end control arm bushings/steering parts are tight, and so is the rear suspension bushing.

shocks are completely shot. what's the best shock for the money with stock springs? Sach's? Bilstein heavy duty?

CV's look good, it shifts like a dream, and it pulls really hard. drove it for an hour at freeway speeds home from where I got it, and it seemed to love it. idles smooth, starts right up. It passed California smog easily the first try.

left tail light lens is cracked, fuel gauge isn't working. fuel pump seems noisy. tires are old. will have a few things to sort out I am sure, but I am very pleased with it already. took out the red Momo wheel and put a black one in I had here. looks much better.

Rogviler

Congrats! Looks like a nice find.

Brakes could be a few things. They could just need a good power bleed. The rubber hoses could also be deteriorating. The brake booster could also have a leak in it. Sometimes you can hear it as a hiss under the dash when you press the pedal down.

I like the Sachs Super Touring struts myself. I'm actually using the Rabbit version with a spacer (~45mm) because they're about half the price of the 4kq version, plus I have lowering springs in the front. You'll need the Rabbit top bearing too if you decide to go that way. I have some Konis in the back, but Sachs or Bilstein would be just as good for the street and easier to find.

I actually bought some Monroe Sensa-Tracs before I decided to go with the Rabbit struts, and they're a nice ride with noticeably tighter handling. I'm planning on putting them on my '85 (the turbo project) when I get it going.

Tail light lenses can be found on eBay. Make sure you're getting the 80-84 version as they don't always have pics...

Fuel gauge could just be corrosion on the connector at the back of the cluster. Water loves to get in there and screw with things. Otherwise it'll be at the tank most likely.

Does it have an exhaust system or just a new tip? If it's stock, they sound awesome with the rear muffler deleted (and not loud at all)...

-Rog

onlyaudis

Hi Rog

thanks for the input. i am planning on checking the wires to the fuel gauge at the gauge and tank. may pull the sender and clean it really good.

what do you think of the KYB Exel-G / Gr-2 inserts?

http://www.tirerack.com/suspension/s...4&autoModClar=

Trying to keep the cost down, and read good things about these new low pressure KYB's. Most people online at various forums seem to like them better than the Monroes.

is a noisy fuel pump a sign its on its way out? Not a cheap part.

The exhaust looks pretty newish and has larger diameter main pipes than I remember. will have to measure them.

on the fence about just getting some Falken Ziex 912's in a 195 60 14 size and just cleaning up the stock wheels and calling it a day, or finding a decent looking 15 X 6.5 wheel so I can run a better tire in a 195 55 15 size.

have to check the brake hoses. Booster was replaced I am told. i did a quick brake inspection and the pads and rotors are very worn--could just be their are no brakes left. have to get the wheels off today and see what I find. planning on upgraded pads and new rotors--any suggestions?

I am very excited about the car. it looks great and the engine is really strong for a 2.2. Maybe its because the 84 is a bit lighter than my 87 was, but I don't remember my 87 pulling this hard. I drove a couple of Coupe Quattro 20V's last year, and this car feels stronger to me. have to do a compression check at some point.

Rogviler

KYB reviews are usually pretty split, but if that particular line has had lots of thumbs up I'd say go for it. With these cars it's about whatever you can find. I've never used KYB so I can't comment specifically.

I've had a noisy fuel pump for the entire decade or so I've had my car. Most people comment that they're pretty noisy. The only time it gets scary loud is if I'm about to run out of gas or if it's really hot out. It's like lifter tick- with other car brands it might signal a serious problem, but with these it's fairly normal. I'd keep an eye on it but not worry.

A good source for nice looking wheels is Saab. Here's a link to pretty much all the ones they made:

http://jpowell.tripod.com/saab-wheels/

I have the ones on the 4th row down, all the way to the right. They look a lot like the stock 4kq wheels but in a 15". But there are also some nice basket weaves and five spokes, whatever your taste is. Make sure you're getting 4-lugs is all. You'll also need cone seat lugs. There's not a huge selection of 4x108 (4x4.25) wheels, but there's enough that you'll almost certainly find something you like. Ford/Mercury also used that bolt pattern for awhile (most older Mustangs and the Focus, for instance).

I believe I have the Bendix ceramic pads on mine, but haven't really noticed a difference versus the OEM ones. With 4-wheel discs it's pretty good at stopping anyway. If you wanted to go through the process to convert to 5-lug hubs you can get larger rotors and run Porsche big brakes (and a wider wheel selection). Otherwise I'd just get a stock replacement rotor and some nice pads.

BTW, it's hard to beat Amazon.com for parts for these. They have a big selection on most things and free shipping. I also like AutohausAZ, but there are quite a few sites out there. The local chain stores usually "can get it in a few days" but it's almost always the house brand.

The 2.2 can certainly be a fun engine with some tuning and simple things, like advancing the timing (which could have been done already if it pulls good). But I learned that while it feels fast I shouldn't be tempted to race at any stoplights as feel doesn't translate to reality.

How about some more pics? Especially of the engine.

-Rog

onlyaudis

what advance do you like to set your car at, at idle and full advance?


the old high pressure KYB's were awful on anything but old heavy american made cars-they acted more like helper springs than shocks. these new ones are a twin tube low pressure set up, and people seem to think they ride good with a bit more control than OEM. Monroe are decent as well, and I almost went with them. But they still gets only so so reviews for longevity and customer support. I thought about spending a bundle on Konis, but decided I do not want to start dumping a ton of money into the car going all out. Fun to just make it as good as new.

I decided to just keep the OEM wheels and get some 195 60 14 Falken 912's. those tires are better than anything made when that car was new. I will have the old tires pulled off, redo the wheels, and then have the new tires put on a day or so later. In some way I like the wheels in white on this car, which was a period German rally sedan look. OE Silver might be more classic though. what do you think?

I ordered a full brake kit from R1 Concepts. I have used them before with good success. they are sending their drilled/slotted cad plated rotors,(Centrix makes them), a semi metallic posi quiet pad set (those come pre scorched for easy break in-Stop Tech owns that company as well) 4 caliper rebuild kits, a brake hardware kit, and 4 new brake lines. all for $305.00

by the way, those cool period side skirts are Zenders. I first thought they were later 4000Q ones, but they are correct period aftermarket. I am repainting one today that was scuffed up and rattle canned at some point. I am a car restorer and painter by trade. doing a few other small touch ups on the car as well.

Rogviler

That is a very nice looking engine!

For the timing, around 12 degrees is the standard. The more the better until the power starts to fall off. The key is to find your car's sweet spot.

The white wheels came on select cars, such as the full "Alpine" package option (white car, mirrors, wheels), so if they originally came that way I'd keep them. I don't think they offered that on '84 cars, so they would either be swapped from a later car or painted. It's hard to tell from the photos. White and black both look good with red. Silver is overwhelmingly common. Just depends on which way you want to go.

BTW, in a pinch, Rustoleum's Sunrise Red is a perfect match to Tornado Red. It even looks the same when dirty. It's good for touching up small things if you need to.

-Rog