(first posted 5/5/2013) Having sold my first car the summer after my freshman year in college, it was now time for something different; more mature, perhaps. I have always had a bit (OK, more than a bit) of a wandering eye as far as potential new cars are concerned, and ardently devoured each issue of the Los Angeles-area publications The Recycler (imagine a weekly print version of Craigslist; placing your ad was free, but the publication cost $1.00), and PhotoBuys, also published by The Recycler and very much like today’s print-version of AutoTrader. Anyway, it provided hours of cheap enjoyment for a young car nut. So what did I find in that week’s issue that merited serious consideration?
First, there was a Ford Fiesta S. My buddy and I went to see it, and while we liked the way it drove during the test drive, it was a bit beat so I passed. And then I stumbled across the car that would become mine, a 1980 Audi 4000 (no suffix) with a four-speed manual transmission. I recall that it had about 80,000 miles on it and was being offered for about $1,600, an amount I could handle. It also was “owned and maintained by a Porsche-Audi factory tech”, which I figured could only be a good thing.
So we made the hour-and-a-half drive to La Canada Flintridge. The Audi looked good and drove well, so I bought it on the spot. The color was Merion Brown (non-metallic, the same shade that is part of Audi’s ’80s and early-’90s factory racing colors), with a Gold/Brown checked-cloth interior in superb condition. The 13” alloys were the exact items found on early VW Sciroccos, but with center caps bearing Audi’s logo in place of VW’s.
The drive home was fantastic; having been born in Germany (my dad almost always had an Audi when we lived over there during my first 11-or-so years of life), it was a bit like a homecoming. I had always been (and remain) a huge fan of the rally Audi Quattros, as well as of the whole Audi rally team. The way the 18-year-old me figured, I now owned a bit of the magic…you know, win on Sunday, sell (a used car) on Monday. The picture at the very top of the page shows my car in the foreground; the silver car you see across the street, a 1984 Audi 4000 Quattro, was always an object of desire at the time.
The next day I awoke to find that the car wouldn’t start. Scheisse! I had to drag my dad outside to look at it with me. He figured out that the “Porsche-Audi Factory Tech” apparently did not specialize in wiring, having rewired the aftermarket tape deck to the ignition in a way that drained the battery very quickly. So he (as a German-trained Electronics Engineer) rewired it, all the while muttering in German under his breath. We recharged the battery, and that was that.
It was great driving back up the 101 from the San Fernando Valley to San Luis Obispo, where I was starting my second year of college: Three hours on 185 miles of good freeway roads, with a short detour through the pass above Santa Barbara and through the Santa Ynez Valley behind Solvang/Buellton, cemented my feelings for the car. It went and handled great, and was quiet and very comfortable.
The 4000 in 1980 (its first year over here) came equipped with a 1.6-liter, four-cylinder engine. In California tune, it made 76 hp at 5,500 rpm, with 83 lb-ft of torque at 3,200 rpm. With only 2,305 lbs to lug around, that wasn’t terrible, at least for the time. Gas mileage was in the upper 20s. Base price new back in 1980 was $7,685–quite a lot of money compared with the domestic offerings. (Data from a contemporary Road and Track road test). Nevertheless, Audi managed to sell over 14,000 of them during its first year here.
The Audi’s four doors, clean uncluttered styling and very roomy and vertically deep trunk (thanks to its fuel tank being positioned upright behind the rear seat–no pass-through or folding seats possible), all made for a nice ride that looked good and felt very solid. This car (unlike the later ones) also had the pop-out front vent windows–which were a godsend, since the car didn’t have A/C.
Those vent windows were just like those in a VW Bug or Bus: You could aim them directly at yourself, and the mechanism was stout enough to keep them from slamming shut in the slipstream. Audis of that era still came with various (and obviously) VW parts. The vent-window knob mechanism was shared with the air-cooled VWs, as were the interior door-latches and a few other bits and pieces. These Audis are also well known for failure of their exterior door handle mechanisms, although mine was unafflicted.
Over the fall semester I took the car on road trips to San Francisco and Oakland (Voice Farm was playing at the Omni, and not to be missed!), driving back to LA and Orange County every few weeks to visit the folks and my friends. All was great–until Thanksgiving. On the Friday evening after Thanksgiving Day I was driving back alone, and since I was scheduled to work Saturday, I decided to save some time by taking the shortcut through the pass. The car started cutting out while I was driving the mountain road. I nursed it to a Buellton gas station, but it would not re-start after stopping. It was 9 PM. On the Friday. After. Thanksgiving. NOTHING was open. No cell phones. Sixty miles from destination, with a broken German car. Super.
I pushed the car into a parking spot and walked to a motel, where I used my parents “only use this for emergencies” credit card and spent the night. The next morning I took a Greyhound the rest of the way. On Sunday, my boss and I took his Mazda B-2000 pickup ($5,795!–remember those commercials?) and a tow dolly, and hauled the car north. Metric Motors, in San Luis Obispo, diagnosed it as needing a new distributor: A looped wire inside the rotating assembly had been chafing against the housing, causing momentary disruptions in power as it rotated until eventually it wore all the way through. We ordered the part, the tech installed it and two days later, all was well again.
Later in the school year, (and with my Dad’s help) I installed a very nice Panasonic head unit from an early Hyundai Excel that I’m pretty sure was stolen (the guy had stacks of them in his garage). I had no idea Hyundais came with good stereos, but considering its $50 cost to me, this one was great. I drove the car the rest of the school year, and while I really enjoyed it, I finally sold it to a foreign exchange student; you see, during that college summer of 1989 I started thinking bigger and my wandering eye locked onto two new targets in very quick succession…
If you missed last week’s installment (the first one), click this link.
Great story about, wiring issues aside, a great car. Makes me wish I’d owned one.
Wow – lol, I had a 1980 4000 Mexico beige. Living in Downey it took me to Weho, Laguna Beach, Panguitch Utah, West Street Gay beach blah blah blah. It was a dream and a nightmare. Wiring also strange. It would start only when God willed it. I learned how to replace the 65 amp alternator myself. A chincj one monkey wrench and proper tension and electricity…. I remember the wiring issue well, driving up 605 off 405 the lights would go to one million candle power and back to is there any light? In a half mile. German Chrysler tech at its finest? Well next to domestic cars at 56 horse power or the 110 horseys but 9 millions pounds to pull about, yes my butch little Audi eas the shit.
Oh, boy does this bring back memories. My first new car was a 1980 Audi 4000, 4-speed, no a/c, checked cloth interior like you describe, but mine was tan. One reason I bought the car was the salesman. “Text” Hopkins, had been an official in the Sports Car Club of America, was a well-known road racer in the 1950’s and was a friend of my dad. I figured he knew something about sporting machinery. The Audi was a hoot to drive, and got about 27 MPG in mixed driving despite my flogging it pretty hard.
Among my friends, I had the only car capable of taking 4 adults and their stuff, so it made numerous long trips. There were a few times when I wish it had folding seats, but the unusual vertical trunk shape did hold a lot. Those long drives which probably helped the engine get cleaned out from what it did most of the time: commuting and local driving.
I lived in a hilly area on the west side of Alexandria, Virginia. One night we had a big snowstorm. The next morning I went out to drive to work. I got to the base of the biggest hill, and found a variety of vehicles (including a bus) attempting to make it up, and failing. I got my turn and very gently got going fast enough to get the car in 2nd (the typical VW-Audi stump-pulling 1st made that pretty easy). I just motored on up, to be greeted at the top by a bus stop full of wildly cheering people. Another Audi winter rally victory! They probably thought I had a Quattro, but it was light weight and careful inputs that got me up the hill and to work. I have re-learned that lesson autocrossing.
The only thing that gave me trouble was the electrical system. I had a lot of trouble keeping the car in good tune. The Bosch fuel injection worked flawlessly, but the ignition was kind of iffy. Eventually, my independent mechanic traced it to the distributor (sound familiar?), and simply replacing that made a host of problems go away. I sold the car in 1988 with at 84,000 miles and replaced it with a first-generation Accura Integra. The Integra weighed only 100 pounds more, but had 40 more horsepower. I currently drive a Mini Cooper S. Do we see a pattern here?
A deep blue 1983 4000 was my parents’ first car as a couple and the earliest one I can remember. I was probably brought home from the hospital in it, and when I came along I they gave it a name, “Wilhemina.” It’s amazing how the mention of those vent windows (and roger628’s mention of hand cranks below) could trigger my memory of it. Although all my experience in the car was as a passenger, my parents still say she was the best car they ever owned, and it provided eleven years of spirited driving while remaining practical and economical (“It burns every molecule of fuel!”). While my father, in particular, loved the 90 that replaced it (also deep blue and kept for twelve years), I get the impression that nothing can ever live up to Wilhelmina, which is probably a function both what she was and when she was bought in my parents’ lives.
That’s great! You pretty much sold yours at the exact time and mileage that I bought mine. Great car. I remember that tan color as well, there was one around.
Great car. I have a blue 1980 Audi 4000 5 cylinders. Has 26,000 miles. Only one issue with it is when the weather is above 90 it is hard to start. My hubby gave it to me when I first started to drive.
It’s strange to see one so basic. The ones imported into Canada came one way, loaded with AC, Sunroof, Power windows/locks ETC.
Also re the radio wiring, when I sold VW in the late 80s they were set up to work without the key. It was a big PIA to have to turn it off separately, sometimes I forgot.
They’re still set up to work without the key.
The most annoying part is that my VW is wired to kill the radio when I shut the engine off; there’s no “Accessory” position “On” and “Off” unlike every other car in the free world with a keyed ignition. So, if I want to sit and finish listening to something after I’ve parked the car, I have to turn the radio back on…and then remember to turn it back off.
Stupid. Some cars with keyless ignition have similar problems (Nissan, I think). I had a Ford that was set up so the radio stayed on until you removed the key AND opened the door…why couldn’t they do something like that?
Yeah, we knew about that “feature” but that wasn’t the issue in this case. I wonder what the Canadian base price was at the time loaded up with everything.
Yes, the 4000’s sold here were loaded to the gills and man’o’man was it had to keep them running. The basic car as a real gem to drive; typical VW stuff, light on its feet, rev happy engine, great seating positing. The problem in our cars was keeping all the electrics working. That on a car that was being marketed as luxury as our Peso was worth diddly squat at the time, making a loaded 4000 a very pricey thing indeed. Anyway, when an owner pays big Pesos for a car, they want it perfect. Our shop spent quite a lot of time trying to keep up with all the electrical maladies; eventually the owners all gave up. Five year old 4000’s went for peanuts
Not only were Canadian cars fully loaded most were 5 cyl. After 1983 all were 5 cyl (FWD) and many autotragic.
The problem with falling in love with a (used) European car is it will guaranteed break your heart at some point in time.
Maybe it’s the injector and rack (my 2002tii….fix or finish college, which one?). Dodgy door handles (AUDI REPRESENT!) and aluminum heads. AC, ABS, and electrical gremlins (Volvo). Hydraulics and electric (Saab).
I’m sure we can find a correlate between Euro car ownership and abused spouse syndrome…”Maybe it’ll be different this time….”.
Sure it will.
That may be but when it’s working well it can be so much more than just a dull, soul-less appliance…not that there is anything wrong with that when all you want to do is have it get you to work every day.
At my age, I realise that time is limited and any time I have owned a German car, new or used, it took up a lot of my time. It also took up a lot of my money. Thus, I drive a Japanese sport sedan. I agree that the diving dynamics are only 90% of say, a 5 series BMW but they utter reliability of the thing more than makes up for it, in my case, anyway. Besides, putting around in heavy traffic practically all the time it doesn’t make a lot of difference.
On the other hand, perhaps it does, because on my non-German sedan I can be assured the a/c will work when I turn it on.
Finally, said sedan is hardly “soulless.”
Didn’t mean to come across so harsh, I was envisioning the difference between for example a Jetta vs a Corolla or a W124 vs a LeSabre.
In your particular case, 90% is close enough (and would be for the vast majority of people), the two examples listed might muster 50% or less but make up for it in utter reliability/dependability. I’m guessing you drive an Infiniti M-series or similar?
As one gets older, time becomes more precious. When one is young & with little life-experience & more time to spare, car issues aren’t necessarily a letdown; they can even be educational. But when one has family as well as work responsibilities, & thus little time to spare, car troubles are always a hassle, for even warranty service takes time & creates logistical headaches, coupled with the confidence factor (Did they really fix it? Or is it a design flaw that’ll recur?). So while I admit the gap has closed somewhat, Reliable Nippon (by Deming) still trumps German Engineering every time.
Or let me put it this way: If I drove a German car to the level where it made a difference, my insurance premiums would reflect it.
Stockholm syndrome? Or does that just apply to Volvos and Saabs? 🙂
Ingolstadt syndrome in this case…
4000 quattro was the most reliable car I have ever owned. I used to rack up 75,000km per year and they loved it.
On my ’85 Jetta, I wired the radio through a junk yard- sourced fog light switch that I popped into one of the many available dummy holes on the IP. It was only on or off when I wanted it to be.
One of many things VW has done over the years that just makes you scratch your head.
I bought an Audi 4000 5 + 5 (5 cyl/5 speed) new in 1981, and drove it around 100Kmiles in ten years, registered it in four different states while I had it (CO, WY, CA, and PA) made several epic multi-day trips including a couple of CO-PA and TX-CO runs. I seem to be the only person who never had any engine or electrical problems with these things, although I the water pump and a/c compressor failed, and the cabling on the sunroof mechanism broke at one point. Other than that, though, the car was stone reliable. Not particularly quick but could cruise all day at 90 if I cared to challenge the Law, great steering and brakes, and very comfortable seats. I loved the little beastie and consider it one of the top three cars I’ve ever owned.
I watched Michelle mouton and Fabriza Pons howling through night stages in an Audi Quattro the rally versions were really something, the road cars like yours can be had here for peanuts the massive cost of keeping something from Germany alive here negates any value they may have and VW reliability has always been more myth than fact.
My aunt had an ’86 (I think) 4000s, 5speed back in the early-mid 90s. I thought it was a pretty cool car but like many of her cars, it fell victim to her poor driving record, and met its demise when she failed to yield on a rainy on ramp.
I love these cars, and came very close to owning one at one point. It was an ’84 4000S Quattro in red with a black/white checkerboard interior- 5cyl, 5-speed, sunroof, factory alloys, the little trunk spoiler, power everything… I had been noticing it parked at a house along the main thoroughfare in my town for as long as I could remember, and then one day a For Sale sign popped up in the window. Audis, especially the 5000 and it’s offspring, had long been extremely popular in my neck of the woods (and still are to this day), but the early B2 cars were never a common sight, so this one really piqued my interest. I actually kinda like the look of the early US models better than the later composite headlamp ones, although maybe it’s just that they’re rarer and thus more interesting in my mind.
Anyway… I knocked on the door and spoke to the wife of its owner. The price was very reasonable (about $1,500 if I’m remembering correctly) and it was in extremely good shape with around 130k miles. The paint was a little dull but looked like it would come back up with a good waxing, otherwise it was flawless. She tossed me the keys and I fired it up for a spin around the block. It sputtered to life and idled nice and smooth, everything was a little creaky as I first backed out of the driveway – it had been sitting awhile – but it dusted off the cobwebs by the end of the block. I remember being surprised by how slow it was – I didn’t know all that much about these back then, and it being a top-of-the-line Quattro model, I was expecting a turbo (turns out the 4000 never got one). It wasn’t actually slow, however – just a little short of my expectations. The engine was a little rough and noisy, but had good power off idle and still pulled hard near redline, the shifter was nice and tight, the seats were amazingly comfortable and everything seemed extremely high quality. I had spent some time driving a FWD Volkswagen Quantum sedan in my high school auto shop class (B2 VW Passat to the rest of the world), another car I really liked, and the 4000 was nearly the same exact thing… except with a tighter suspension and more gizmos. I was in love. I made arrangements to pick it up the next day without even trying to haggle on the price.
The next morning I stopped at the bank and then went over to meet the owner, who was a pleasant fellow and had owned the car since new. He mentioned a few little quirks (window motor gets stuck sometimes, RR tire has a slow leak, probably something else I’m forgetting) and then went to start it up. The starter cranked but nothing happened. Whir whir whir whirrr pfffft. Zip nada nothing. Hmmm… an hours worth of hood popping and head scratching ensued but the little Audi just didn’t want to fire up. The owner apologized and said he’d have a mechanic friend come by and look at it. We were both sure it was something minor and probably a result of the car having sat for awhile. A week went by and I never heard back from him, one day I happened to drive by and I saw it being worked on but I couldn’t stop since I was on my way to work. Another week passed and by that time I had given up hope completely. Eventually he called me, more than a month later, saying that they couldn’t figure out what the hell was wrong with it and asking if I’d like to buy it, non-running, for $700. I was tempted, but I passed. By that point I had already owned a number of weird and finnicky cars and I wasn’t in the mood for another one. Plus, I was living with my parents then and I knew they would kill me if I dragged home another piece of crap. That poor Audi sat in the driveway for another year or so, covered in tree sap and sinking into the ground on its rotting tires before I finally saw it being taken away on a flatbed one day, probably being brought to the scrap yard to be crushed. Depressing, especially since I had taken it on its last drive ever, but I was glad it wasn’t my problem!
The car looked exactly like the one in this ad:
Truth in advertising! Impossible to live with!
Sorry, I’m about the biggest Audi hater on the planet after my parents experience with theirs, plus what I witnessed at the dealership when I sold them, plus everything I’ve ever read about them since that time. I remember Car and Driver had a long term 90 Quattro in about 1994 and the trans failed. Covered under warranty, they wrote it would have been $10,000 (WTF!@#) had it been off warranty.
Roger, that was the new A4 that ate its tranny for C&D in 1996, I remember that well. I remember C&D saying how great it was that it was covered under warranty but noted that they did not seem to think it was a huge fail!
Sean, I’ve since driven several 4kq’s and a friend of mine has one in his “fleet”, for about a decade I was on the hunt for one but the right one never popped up for me and now…. Great little cars when they are running.The price new was about half of that of the Turbo-charged Ur-Quattro over here. All you really lost was the turbo, other than that it was a very well balanced little car that was pretty unstoppable in almost any weather. In case you didn’t realize it, there also existed the VW Quantum Syncro which was a Quantum wagon like you mentioned but with 4000 quattro mechanicals underneath. Fairly rare but a very nice car…The one you looked at if it was a faded red probably would have come back, Audi/VW did not clear coat that Tornado Red color for some reason so they tended to fade fairly quickly. Later Audi’s and VW’s all had the same issue with that particular color, it needs to be well maintained to keep its luster.
Interesting about the lack of clear-coat, never knew that – but it makes sense, since any other VW or Audi I’ve seen in that color was also faded.
I’ve always known of (and wished I could own) the Quantum Syncro, although until today I didn’t know that they used Audi’s quattro AWD system. I always assumed they were the same as the Vanagon/Golf Syncro, not that I really know the exact differences between the two.
I’d still love to own any one of these cars, but they’re few and far between these days. I saw a very early (’80 or ’81) 4000 5+5 2-door recently in an underground parking garage, but I didn’t get a chance to snap any pictures of it.
While I was trying to find the picture I posted up above, I came across a variation of the B2 I never knew existed – a Quantum 2-door hatchback. Apparently VW only imported ~2,000 of them to the US for one model year. Not exactly a pretty car but still pretty cool… looks almost like a VW GTV-6.
Yep, the Quantum Syncro used the original Audi full-time AWD system with lockable diffs as its own as well, note the longitudinal engine orientation that made it possible. Really the Quantum (Passat in other markets) and later models up until 2006 is all Audi 4000, 80/90, and then A4/A6 under the skin and always had been. The VR6 Passat engine in the B3 chassis was exclusive to VW but the next gen Passat used the same Audi 2.8 V6 and of course the 1.8T’s are all the same architecture. Golf and TT are the same transverse-engined platform, AWD Golf’s are basically TT’s. It’s amazing what kind of a parts-bin special you can build, most of the engines mix and match into the different chassis, the hardest part is usually matching up the wiring harnesses (I am grossly over-exaggerating but I think you catch my drift).
Those Quantum fastbacks are rare, you are correct, they are also exceedingly ugly in the flesh. They are quite large, they look to be the same size as the sedan and wagon. Not really a style that the US ever embraced but they were never a big seller in the old country either…
The early 4000 5+5 was cool, it very quickly morphed into the Audi Coupe GT which over here always had the naturally aspirated 5cylinder. Then the original turbo quattro had the AWD, turbo engine, fender flares and a few other bits (along with an additional $17k or so in 1983 dollars) to differentiate it from that. There was also a 4000 4E which was basically the same as mine with an overdrive 5th gear on it. The engine size went to a 1.7 I believe then in 1983 or ’84 it went to the 1.8 that was the same as the VW GTI which it remained until the end of the line in ’87. All 4000 quattro’s in the US were always the 2.3l 5-cylinder with the 5speed. I have too many of these facts running around in my head, I kind of feel like Carmine discussing a Caprice. 🙂
I’ve got a love-hate relationship with VW-Audi products. Any of them I’ve ever driven I really loved, and I think most of the cars they’ve built over the years are also extremely good looking… but for the most part, they are brittle, fragile, expensive to repair things and I often wonder how the hell VW-Audi has been able to remain so successful in the US. As much as I do like them, I’ve also never owned one – though this wasn’t the only time I came very close.
With complicated and expensive European cars, I also find that very often people who know them inside out can coax tons of reliable, trouble free miles out of them. Mainstream owners and mechanics usually aren’t willing to follow maintenance procedures or think outside the box when it comes to diagnostics. Anybody who buys a car like this used should know what they’re getting into and be a capable DIY mechanic, or at least willing to learn – or spend a fortune paying someone else to do it. IMO, it’s somewhat less of a crime for a car to be temperamental, complicated and costly to repair than it is for a car to be dull and uninspired. Personally, I like to have one of each – something that’s interesting and fun to drive (even if I spend more time under the hood than behind the wheel) as well as something I can count on to get me to work every morning.
I think we are on the same page. The internet has helped tremendously in keeping maintenance and repair costs lower especially for the DIY’er for non-mainstream and even for mainstream cars. Parts are easier and cheaper to get and just being able to tap the knowledge base that is out there is now very simple. Even the most oddball car will have at least several like-minded individuals that have a meeting place on the web to explain issues to each other. This goes for mainstream cars as well; there are plenty of supposedly reliable Toyotas and Hondas out there that suffer from chronic issues that are well-documented if you just take the time to research a bit. Shop labor costs too much to just always drop the car off with a blank check. I’ll have a few specific examples later on in this series…once it gets into the internet age!
+1
The internet is the greatest thing that ever happened for fans of obscure and needy cars. In the Subaru Justy article on here, some guy in the comments mentioned that he worked at a parts store and thought those cars were horrible to own because replacement parts were “impossible” to get. I had to LOL at that… welcome to 2001, guy. All of the specific hard-to-find stuff he mentioned was listed on Rockauto.com, very cheap – although some of them took 7 days to ship instead of the standard 3.
For any car that was ever built in volume, the parts are out there… and more often than not, cheaper than they’ve ever been. For Chrysler Turbine Car parts or Pont-a-Mousson transmissions, you’re on your own. Short of that, the internet has it – as well as someone who can tell you how to put it on.
Your article brought back memories for me too, but of the Solvang/Buellton area and not of the car – I have a lot of family there (yes, all Danes), and know a lot of the backroads in the area which is one of great natural beauty.
I’m glad to see so many Audi fans and that almost all have not had significant reliability issues with their cars. From my experience driving in the 70s, Audi’s had one of the highest SBTSR quotients of any brand – SBTSR = Sittin’ By The Side of the Road.
In Ohio, seems you couldn’t pass two exits on the Freeway without seeing an Audi 100 LS or Fox parked dead on the shoulder.
That somewhat soured me on Audi’s, and European cars in general, but as they say, “time heals all wounds…” – I now drive a 2012 Volvo C30 and love it……
I had the “pleasure” of owning two 80s Audis. First up was my 1980 Audi 5000S diesel. Good gracious, was that thing slow. But she was solid and had a sunroof, so I didn’t give a darn. It was metallic maroon and looked smashing for my prom. It bought the farm when some chowderhead in a mid 70’s Ford wagon stopped rather suddenly in front of me. 2nd was a 1985 4000S…metallic gold, leather, rather tasty looking sedan that strutted her stuff at the college scene for me, except for when she didn’t (which was most of the time). The 4000S ranks in the top 5 worst-reliable cars I ever owned, and was a constant money pit. It’s rather ironic, as my mother fell in love with the new 5000S when it came out back in the mid 80s…that rounded body style was sleek and stylish. By the time my parents got around to looking at one (we were in Germany at the time), the DM to $$ rate had tumbled, making said purchase beyond the reach of a SFC’s salary. Still, I can remember exactly how those little door handles felt when I grasped them…how seeing my then-GF sitting in the seat next to me smiling made me feel…and then I remember the huge bills for repairs I faced with the 4000S. Still, time heals (most) wounds, and I look upon my Audi ownership with somewhat rose-colored glasses…
Wow – what memories! My first car was a 1981 4000, which I got used in 1983 while I was in high school. It was “Saturn Red,” which depending on the light looked brown, maroon, or sometimes even purple. Sadly, three years later I totaled it in college and ended up with a boring Accord. That 4000 was an awesome car – truely a lot of fun to drive! In the three years I had it, I never had any major problems, but little things were starting to fall apart at the end. The lock button on the emergency brake popped right out, the top of the gear shift was split and just about torn off, I had to preplace the dome light, etc. At the time it had 84,000 miles. Back then, that was no small amount, but today that’s a young car.
I loved the German way of doing things. Rather than including chimes to let you know your headlights were still on, they just turned off when you shut the engine off. Rather than having a chime to let you know your key was still in the ignition when the door was open, it wouldn’t let you lock the door without the key (unless you tricked it).
As far as it being a VW, I do remember half the parts were labeled “VW / Audi,” including the engine. After I totaled it, I gave that replacement dome light to a friend with an Rabbit.
That all said, I’d give a lot today just to be able to drive one again for a day. I can’t even remember, though, when the last time was that I saw one on the road. Oh, well – at least I’ll always have my memories!
The other day we had the post nominating the best CC cover shot; well I pick this one! A duo of Audis, a pair of Celicas, AND what appears to be a modified Beetle under a cover in front of a Rabbit. * drops ? *
My Fiats had auto-shut-off headlights. I liked that. When I got the Celica GT, I asked a mechanic about installing a similar circuit; he said it would be too complicated. Boo.
What year was your Celica? My ’95 had that feature. Just curios.
My 1990 ES250 and 1995 Camry both have that feature. I’m guessing the Celica was a mid-80’s version if it replaced a series of Fiats.
Throughout the ’80s, I drove one of those ’70s Audis Lincolnman spoke of – a ’71 Super-90 wagon. In fact it did wind up at the side of the road in January 1982, when #2 exhaust valve decided to go through #2 piston. But I loved how it drove and repaired it, and it’s subsequent problems, until parts supplies dried up in the early ’90s.
Happy Motoring, Mark
I bought a white ’87 4000 quattro with 154K on it at the end of 1999. I solid it in August 2015 with 264K on it. Most fun car I’ve ever owned. It hadn’t become terribly unreliable, but I have a commute, and parts were getting harder to get. I had some electrical problems with it, but not too bad. My current 2008 Honda Accord is a good grocery getter, but not the driver’s car the 4000 was.
I am chucking reading about all the problems you guys have had with your Audis/VWs over the years. I too, have a sad story concerning one 1987 Jetta Carat, for which I had high hopes. How do you say “hopes dashed on the rocks” in German?
We had a 1990 Jetta Carat for a few months back in 2006. It was given for free on the local Craigslist with a bad transmission and my brother and I, both about 15/14 at the time were first to reply and took the bus to meet the owner at service department at Santa Monica VW because a no teen turns down a free car, even non running.
It turned out that reverse still worked so my brother backed it several blocks to a parking space until we could tow it home. We foolishly thought we could wring it back to life with a simple fix but it sat in our garage for several months until we sold it for scrap for about $400.
I remember sitting in that car for hours and making note of all the Germanic qualities I had never experienced before. The tachometer that read in a x100 format, two rows of basic LED’s for the warning lights, and the manual windows and sunroof on what was the highest trim level. What impressed me was the upholstery; sixteen years old and not a spot or sagging cushion.
I had a 79 Fox, the predecessor to the 4000 – same car with new name and a few styling updates? Like so many, I had issues. And no good mechanic in the area that would stay sober for more than a week at a time. I always and still feel that Audi is German for “a fool and his money are soon parted”. It had transmission issues (trans quit on the day I made first payment). Electrical – one “good” mechanic charged me for a lot of diagnostic and a fuel pump relay. He apparently wired the old relay to come on whenever switch was on. HVAC – got to where it would work however randomly it felt like – somedays you got cold up top and heat on feet or whatever it felt like. Brakes – master cylinder went bad – repaired but never worked “right” afterwards. CV joint boots and of course lastter, CV joints. What else? oh yeah, head gasket. probably some other stuff I have forgotten in the 30 years since.
Now, when it ran right, it was a fun car. Comfy. Sporty enough. Blaupunkt OEM and replaced it with a Blaupunkt cassette deck. Sway bar upgrades from a friend that had them left from his experience. I knew where every Fox/Dasher junker was withint 20 miles. Cause you always needed something.
It was durable. I t boned a Nissan 4 door something at slow speed and killed the Nissan. Their fault but college boy was pissed because he wrecked his car and had no other wheels. Asked the cop how he was going to get home, would they find him a car. yes really. The Fox had no visible damage – cracked one of the black headlight trim mounting points.
I always thought they were very sharp cars, the 400s and the Quattros. I even defended Audi’s honor when the 5000 had it’s “unintended acceleration” issues. But I would NOT own another, period.
Buddy in high school’s dad divorced and moved away and left him a VW Quantum of this generation. It had a cool ‘secret compartment’ in the trunk where he always kept a bottle of vodka stashed.
Later on he bought a Audi Quattro Coupe, which I still think is gorgeous in certain respects. However it was like a $3500 car and it immediately needed a $2000 brake job and various other work, so he ended up giving it away .
My second car was a black 1980 Audi 4000.
Bought it in 1987 after my 1978 Accord was stolen and totaled.
It had 100k on it and drove like it was new.
Had AC, but a black European car in the deep South stands no chance in the summer. Seriously, it was HOT.
Loved that car and every VW/Audi that I have owned (1980 4000, 1990 100, 1991 100 and 1995 or 6 Jetta), but hated the upkeep.
Drove the car for 1 year until the timing belt broke. Managed to get the car ‘fixed’, but the fix only held for a few months.
Engine exploded spectacularly while cruising down the interstate at 80 mph.
Every so often I go on ebay and look for 4000’s and 100’s. Would love to own one again.
Mentioned in passing…. those weekly newsprint auto sales rags were juicy reading in their day. I bought more than one car through the “Auto Locator” that served my Dad’s neigbhorhood in Eastern PA; I would pick one up on a drive down from NY for the weekend, and Pop and I would check out the talent in those tiny, grainy, 75 dpi photos. Never knew what you’d find until you got there.
My 1980 Audi 4000, in Deep Blue with a 2-tone Blue interior. Blaupunkt Sound system and 4 speed manual. Loaded to the gunnels with German engineering goodness. handled as I on rails, an Audi trait. Had it until 1986, when I was rear ended on the top of an exit ramp on I-44 in St. Louis by a semi hauling Ketchup. Rear was crushed, and I was pushed into the intersection. However all 4 doors still opened and closed without any binding. I awarded Audi by buying another, an 86 4000 in a dark Gray with Gray and Silver interior. I love Audis and would have another 4000 if I could find one in passable nick. They have gotten a mite scarce. Love the long, low, and linear with a tall greenhouse.
Voice Farm! Yes. Dude, you had great taste. Cool car and excellent music. I was a huge fan of theirs. They don’t do VF anymore but they’re still both in SF making art and being rad.
I still have great taste 🙂 Glad to finally see someone pick up on the Voice Farm reference four years after I wrote this! I found the CD again last year and gave it a listen. “Johnny Belinda”, “Hey Free Thinker” and other tracks were just as good as back then.