My new (old) daily driver

[frankiess]

So, after having to depart with the trusty old 518i Bavaria, I spent three months using public transportation. And if you ask me, that's three months more than anyone should. Then, a certain rainy morning, cursing myself for not being inside a warm car, I realized this couldn't go on.

It was time to find another cheap old timer to get me through the freezing and snowy Finnish winter (read: wet, dark and a bit nippy). Good thing our local internet car search addict (forum name public) was around. With a budget of around 2000€, it was a bit of a challenge, as usual.

The first car to see was an '89 Merc 190E. With rusted front wings, and a conspicuously sanitized smell inside, we decided to look a bit further.

So the next candidate was an '88 Audi 100 2.0E, or an Audi 5000 whatever to the people overseas. As I got to see the car for the first time, I hated it. This six metre eighties' design moving lavatory, coloured with a grandfatherclocky beige, it really raised some doubts about wanting to own it. But, as there's been only one previous owner, and the car's got only 153000km on the odo, and no rust, it started to slowly make sense.

I'd never driven an Audi this old before, so I'd no idea what to look for, but then again, no prejudice either. So awaiting inside was this deep dark blueish interior, which seemed to be ripped straight out of a grandfather-style clothes' catalog, but it's actually quite nice once you get used to it.. Or I might be getting a bit gray, but all the same.

The owner's hippie-type grandson had been occasionally driving the car for the last five or so years, as he himself was supposedly unable to do so since retiring. And as was expected after not enough driving and neglecting the service schedule, starting it up was difficult to say the least, followed by about a dozen warning lighting up the dash, with a slight wheel wobble, and we ended up push-starting the thing because of an empty battery.. But blimey, was it charming. Anyone who's driven one of these will know what I'm talking about, when I say it must be one of the most relaxing drives ever. Quiet as a whisper on our Soviet-Finland-designed roadworks, and gentle to my sensitive old arse on the occasional bump (or occasional smooth bits between the bumps), I had to have it.

I say it'd been neglected of some recent services, but everything was in perfect order mechanically. I've now done all the basic maintenance work, such as replaced the battery, the stereo, the alternator, the belts, the wheels and rims (and had the one wheel aligned properly), and fixed a couple of other glitches. And the car is coming alive in a whole new way. A pair of cheap clear indicator lenses even made it look a bit younger.

So this is what I'm cruising with until I get my Z3 M Coupe-budget together. (scheduled for January, that)



Thanks to public for helping out with choosing the car. I took this picture with my phone, I'll get some more up as soon as our local photographer takes a look.

[Punisher Bass]

Public transportation is the great equalizer.

[tigger]

Originally Posted by Punisher Bass

Public transportation is the great equalizer.

Indeed it is. I love it, but I don't think I could go 3 months without any motorized transportation of my own.

That looks like a pretty good deal frankiess, the exterior is clean at least. Welcome to the forum.

[tquattro]

You're car looks really good.I love the 100's....great cars. I'm at the second one,first i had a 1986 2.0, and now i have a 100 turbo quattro. I'm glad to see another one on the forum.

[Eye-Q]

Originally Posted by frankiess

Anyone who's driven one of these will know what I'm talking about, when I say it must be one of the most relaxing drives ever.

I only have an Audi 80 B4 but I know exactly what you mean. On roads where others with their lowered Golfs and Beemers just jump around, old Audis glide over the bumps.

The engine isn't that bad either, it may have just 115 hp but as it is a 2-litre-engine it's that bit torquier (sorry if that isn't spellt right, I just guess... ) than 1.4- or 1.6-litre-engines with the same amount of power.

All in all it's a very understandable decision to get that car since old Audis are in general very reliable cars when they are being looked after.

[avanti]

Great car, one of my uncles once had the avant!

Get yourself some decals and you are ready to go rallying!

[frankiess]

Yeah, I mentioned having fixed the wobbly wheel. It was probably a bit premature to use the past tense here, because when I finally got around to it today, it didn't exactly turn out to be a walk in the park. Both track rod ends (excuse my crude translation, I'm not sure what they're called) had been rusted solid, so adjusting was quite impossible.

Try it again tomorrow with some brand new parts.

Still hasn't let me down though, I like cruising around with the old bird.