is this a virtually certain money pit...?

Or should I seriously be interested?  I've been looking for a cheap sedan for some time now.

'86 Audi 4000 manual FWD $500 in KC NMNA

It's an Audi. The circles in the logo are where you stack $100 bills to appease the German gods of complication. 

If you want a cheap sedan why the heck are you looking at a 35 year old Audi?

The other cars in the picture are the fleet the owner had to buy to use when the Audi wouldn't run.

I once owned an Audi, they are great cars when they run but are often sidelined with failures of the stupidest, most insignificant seeming parts.  Parts that on nearly every other car sold in the U.S. hardly ever fail.

That said, it still makes me think this could be an interesting/fun car to own.  But then I have 2 cars already so having to rely on this 4000 as my sole means of transportation would not be an issue.

In reply to stroker :

If that were a rust-free Quattro I'd say buy now & figure out what to do with it later. However, being FWD & having fuel system problems you should pass on it. If the FWD is like the AWD ones, the pickup screen in the tank can get clogged, and there's potential for CIS problems just due to its age. 

I'm virtually certain that's a money pit. In person I'd simply be certain.

Nothing cheap about that..... 

Not to dogpile on it, but I bet the taillights didn't work properly within a year of leaving the factory, and still don't.

As a four-time (and current) Audi owner, you'd be money ahead buying a boat and an airplane on both maintenance costs and how long they would actually work between breakdowns compared to that Audi.

Javelin (Forum Supporter) said:

As a four-time (and current) Audi owner, you'd be money ahead buying a boat and an airplane on both maintenance costs and how long they would actually work between breakdowns compared to that Audi.

You forgot to add a horse...  :)

A friend of mine bought one of those lightly used after graduating college and before going into the Navy in 1985.  It immediately stacked up large repair bills for all sorts of things.  He loved the car, but sold it before going on his second deployment because he wanted something that would survive 6 months of sitting.

Buying this would qualify as some sort of S&M.

Hey guys, how's it going in this "I want a cheap sedan and am thinking about getting this old Audi with 'fuel system problems'" thread?

calteg said:

If you want a cheap sedan why the heck are you looking at a 35 year old Audi?

Are you new here? ;)

Co worker racked up 350,000 miles on one before the odometer broke. He drove another year before selling it. That guy got a year out of it before wrecking the car. Still drove to the junkyard.

Gearheadotaku (Forum Supporter) said:

Co worker racked up 350,000 miles on one before the odometer broke. He drove another year before selling it. That guy got a year out of it before wrecking the car. Still drove to the junkyard.

I had an Audi 80 (same car as the 4000) in the late 1990s when I was in Germany. It drove to the junkyard too.

Honda Accord

Kia Forte

Shows as sold, so there's a masochist out there somewhere...

I'm reminded of that old SNL "Bag Idea Jeans" spoof commercial...

"I didn't have any condoms but I thought, when am I going to be in Haiti again"

"I've got two kidneys so I thought, why not give one away"

"I wanted a reliable, easy to maintain car so I thought I'd get a '86 Audi"