Convince me not to buy this car

"Maxi Cooper ¯\_()_/¯" (maxicooper) 06/29/2015 at 21:23 • Filed to: None

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I’m looking at buying my first car to learn how to wrench on this and next summer, with the goal of making it a daily driver when I graduate from college in 2017. I want something interesting, hopefully some interesting combo of manual, RWD/AWD, wagon, other Jalop-ish weirdness, etc. Not super-into the whole brown thing, but hey, to each his/her own. So I stumbled across this on my local Craigslist and I’m probably being way too optimistic, but... For a car that runs/drives, with replacement parts already located (see ad description), how can I go wrong for $200??? (I could even part it out and more than make my money back if it turns out it’s less of a runner than advertised.) Seriously, someone please tell me this is a bad idea so I don’t make a fool of myself.

Link:

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Supreme Chancellor and Glorious Leader SaveTheIntegras > Maxi Cooper ¯\_()_/¯ 06/29/2015 at 21:26

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...how can I go wrong ....

Famous last words

jkm7680 > Maxi Cooper ¯\_()_/¯ 06/29/2015 at 21:28

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The 30v 2.8 is a good engine. Reliable and cheap to fix and work on. Nothing like the nightmares of the 1.8t. I’ve got a ‘97 A4 with the 12v engine and it’s been a good car.

Parts are cheap, the price is right and there’s a huge aftermarket community filled with people always willing to help. Go for it!

AM3R shamefully returns > Maxi Cooper ¯\_()_/¯ 06/29/2015 at 21:28

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For $200 i’d definitely do it.

Maxi Cooper ¯\_()_/¯ > Supreme Chancellor and Glorious Leader SaveTheIntegras 06/29/2015 at 21:28

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Seriously... just waiting for someone to make me look dumb on this one. I’d be relieved, honestly.

Party-vi > Maxi Cooper ¯\_()_/¯ 06/29/2015 at 21:28

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Did you want to drive it or wrench on it? A late ‘90s Audi pretty much only lets you pick one of those options.

RustedSprinter > Maxi Cooper ¯\_()_/¯ 06/29/2015 at 21:29

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buy it buy it buy it

Maxi Cooper ¯\_()_/¯ > Party-vi 06/29/2015 at 21:30

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Ah, the brutal honesty makes its way in. I know that on newer Audis, you pretty much have to remove the whole front clip to work on the engine since it’s so far over the front axle to allow for Quattro. Is that true of the earlier B5 A4s as well?

Alex from Toronto > Maxi Cooper ¯\_()_/¯ 06/29/2015 at 21:30

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I would stay away. The ad said it was in a

jkm7680 > Party-vi 06/29/2015 at 21:31

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shhhhh

GeorgeyBoy > Maxi Cooper ¯\_()_/¯ 06/29/2015 at 21:31

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Pay me $200 to take my junk.

Party-vi > Maxi Cooper ¯\_()_/¯ 06/29/2015 at 21:32

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yep.

Maxi Cooper ¯\_()_/¯ > Party-vi 06/29/2015 at 21:32

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Yikes. Okay, some rationality is beginning to make its way into my thought process here.

Party-vi > Maxi Cooper ¯\_()_/¯ 06/29/2015 at 21:34

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Like JKM said, they’r reliable engines but everything else might give you issues. Plus it’s been hit before. I’d start with something that isn’t going to cost bundles of money for replacement parts.

GhostZ > Maxi Cooper ¯\_()_/¯ 06/29/2015 at 21:36

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I’m looking at buying my first car to learn how to wrench on

No. If this is your goal, you do not want an Audi, a BMW, or even a VW, which is (like most modern cars, and yes even a 1994 audi is serviced more like a modern car than something you can wrench on) going to have higher tolerances, unique parts, and need specific tools for things. This is a general opinion and a bit biased (I’m not a mechanic) but there are very few first cars you can wrench on without blowing tons and tons of money.

Get something you can get off the shelf aftermarket parts for everything . Get something with simple electronics and an LS engine. Something you can keep running with a small set of tools and a Haynes manual.

KusabiSensei - Captain of the Toronto Maple Leafs > Maxi Cooper ¯\_()_/¯ 06/29/2015 at 21:36

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Well, I mean you only have to remove a few things...Like the bumper, the radiator support, the radiator, the lock carrier...

Caution. Lock carrier, radiator support, and radiator not removed for this picture. Also would require removal of SMICs if so equipped.

Supreme Chancellor and Glorious Leader SaveTheIntegras > Maxi Cooper ¯\_()_/¯ 06/29/2015 at 21:39

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the idea of buying an Audi, none the less a 90’s audi that has already been damaged to work on and (I assume) to eventually get to driving sounds like a horrible idea to me and my wallet. Course, each his own.

KusabiSensei - Captain of the Toronto Maple Leafs > Maxi Cooper ¯\_()_/¯ 06/29/2015 at 21:40

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If you want a car/truck you can learn to wrench on, I’m selling my 1995 F-150. 98K miles and I’ll include the Haynes manual. 351 Windsor V8 and E4OD (sorry, no Mazda M5OD manual).

That’s how you learn to wrench.

CCC (formerly CyclistCarCoexist) > Maxi Cooper ¯\_()_/¯ 06/29/2015 at 21:40

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A little too reliable for a 1st car...but if you need a carfax, hmu.

dogisbadob > Maxi Cooper ¯\_()_/¯ 06/29/2015 at 21:42

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Audis are NOT for rookies! Or even if you’re experienced :(

The only VW product that’s actually reasonable is the Beetle,

You’re better off with a Civic or Corolla

Steve in Manhattan > Maxi Cooper ¯\_()_/¯ 06/29/2015 at 21:45

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How hard can it be?

KusabiSensei - Captain of the Toronto Maple Leafs > dogisbadob 06/29/2015 at 21:46

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or a domestic pickup. The older ones that are still running around are cheap to fix, and cheap to insure, but not cheap to fuel.

5-Speed Gangsta > Maxi Cooper ¯\_()_/¯ 06/29/2015 at 21:47

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For $200, I’d do it. least it’ll do is keep you entertained until you find out how to get rid of it.

qbeezy > Maxi Cooper ¯\_()_/¯ 06/29/2015 at 21:59

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I’m looking at buying my first car to learn how to wrench on this and next summer, with the goal of making it a daily driver when I graduate from college in 2017.

There’s levels to this $#!t. - Meek Mill

You’d be wise to heed those words young man. You don’t want to start out with that. Get something not necessarily easier to work on, but something that you can use to build your knowledge on. Plus, either the car’s been hit, or the owner has had to work on it so much that the bumper clips broke.

Either way, get something that won’t cost so much to work on then save your cash for performance parts.

Maxi Cooper ¯\_()_/¯ > dogisbadob 06/29/2015 at 22:02

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Ideally, I’d like a car that doesn’t scream, “This guy couldn’t afford an interesting car,” even if that is probably the honest truth. I’ve also looked at some e34 5 series, 2nd gen Supras, 280zs, older Legacies, etc., to give you an idea of what I find interesting.

Nibbles > Maxi Cooper ¯\_()_/¯ 06/29/2015 at 22:03

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If you’re willing to entertain a FWD that feels nothing like one, consider a pre-GM Saab 900. They’re reliable as all get out, easy to wrench on (for the most part) and easy on the wallet

Maxi Cooper ¯\_()_/¯ > Nibbles 06/29/2015 at 22:04

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Ooh! That’s interesting. Currently driving the parents’ beater 760 Turbo, it would be cool to jump into another (hopefully turbo’ed) quirky Swede.

DoctorNine > Maxi Cooper ¯\_()_/¯ 06/29/2015 at 22:05

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Buy it for $200. Then donate it to a local charity, claiming just a bit less than Blue Book (between $2-3K) This then becomes a significant deduction on your taxes. You will make money.

Do not attempt to turn this into a driver, unless you have $5K laying around, and you really like the interior on this car. You will be unsatisfied.

dogisbadob > Maxi Cooper ¯\_()_/¯ 06/29/2015 at 22:10

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So you’d rather them look at you and say “This guy can’t afford to keep that shit on the road” :p

And for a college car, nobody cares what kind of car you have, and they probably don’t care in high school, either.

Know why they’re called Avants? Because avant to suck your blood (or, wallet)

That Bastard Kurtis - An Attempt to Standardize My Username Across Platforms > Maxi Cooper ¯\_()_/¯ 06/29/2015 at 22:13

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Here’s what you’re probably not going to be told about doing the timing belt on an A4/A6 V6: it isn’t difficult.

What it is is extensive and time consuming. There’s a lot to do, but there’s really nothing about it that’s actually hard. None of the bolts are really a bitch to get at, and if you’ve got the right tools, you actually can’t really fuck it up. So yeah, you have to remove the front bumper, but even that isn’t very difficult. The single toughest part of the one pictured above? Removing the lower radiator hose. That thing fought and fought and fought, then finally gave up in a giant gush of coolant which I did a heroic job of not swallowing.

You don't want to have to do this job over a weekend. I was able to drive a spare car and do mine over the course of a month, working an hour or two at a time and not necessarily every day. Try to rush through it and it'll seem overwhelming, because yeah, there's a lot to do. But take your time, bag and tag EVERY PART AND BOLT, and it's absolutely a doable job.

twochevrons > Maxi Cooper ¯\_()_/¯ 06/29/2015 at 22:14

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I can heartily recommend the Volvo 850 as well, especially in turbocharged form. I picked up an 850R for a pittance last year, and while it hasn’t been perfectly reliable, has been easy to work on, and it hits a great balance between being a civilised highway cruiser and a tire-shredding hooligan-mobile. Good Rs are hard to find cheaply, but the more common 850 Turbo can be tuned to an equal level of performance with very little effort.

US-market 850s are all FWD, and the turbocharged models are all automatic, but they’re still grin-inducingly fun, and immensely practical. I’d recommend against the ‘99 onwards models, though – working on their more complicated AWD systems and fancy engine electronics is not for the faint of heart.

Conan > Maxi Cooper ¯\_()_/¯ 06/29/2015 at 22:16

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All probably easier to deal with, sadly.

jester74 > Maxi Cooper ¯\_()_/¯ 06/29/2015 at 22:18

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Something that is super easy to work on and really teaches the basics would be an air-cooled VW. Bug, Bus, Fastback, Kharmann Ghia, etc. You will learn a lot, parts are cheap, and they will run forever. Maintained correctly and kept in good shape, they will only appreciate in value. Just my two cents.

HFV has no HFV. But somehow has 2 motorcycles > Maxi Cooper ¯\_()_/¯ 06/29/2015 at 22:26

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DO IT...

I’m bad at this. but seriously If you have the space, and aren’t in a hurry to get it fixed, than why not?

Herr Quattro - Has a 4-Motion > Maxi Cooper ¯\_()_/¯ 06/29/2015 at 22:52

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Buy it.

Engine swap it.

Put a RS4 kit on it<—-

Besides it shares many of its components with the Passat, and have you seen the Passat/VW forums?

kalfaz > Maxi Cooper ¯\_()_/¯ 06/29/2015 at 22:52

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I had a Saab 9-5 for 12 years, put 200k miles on it and the turbo thrill is still something I miss. Helpful user forums like SaabCentral.com made repair work easy. Great sense of community there. Parts availability is still great and will be for a few more years. The resale value of a Saab and therefore your purchase power on a Saab will be better than any other wagon worth driving. That was bad for me, I sold mine in good shape last year with 200k miles for $2k. Seriously, if I had any extra garage space I’d still have a 9-5 wagon and I’d keep it for the rest of my life.

V8Demon - Prefers Autos for drag racing. Fite me! > Maxi Cooper ¯\_()_/¯ 06/29/2015 at 23:10

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Maxi Cooper ¯\_()_/¯ > Nibbles 06/30/2015 at 03:29

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When you say it “feels nothing like a FWD car,” is that because the engine in the first gen 900 was longitudinally mounted?

Nibbles > Maxi Cooper ¯\_()_/¯ 06/30/2015 at 08:08

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It does help. The suspension in the 900 was so well engineered that it handles, well, not really like a FWD car. I can’t say it handles like an RWD but it’s more sure-footed and flingable than a FWD car should be.