This car is my 6th Audi. All wheel drive, turbocharged and
intercooled. This car was the flagship for Audi in 1987, the best you
could get. Interior is the two-tone grey and black leather with heated,
power sport seats. Even the back seat is heated. The condition of this car is splendid for the year, the body has very few imperfections! The interior is almost as nice as the
outside too. I plan on keeping this car and rebuilding another 10-valve turbo MC engine for direct replacement along with a new clutch in a year or two. This car should last forever if I take good care of it and replace all the essentials. The galvanizing process and filler material and undercoating will ensure the body doesn't rust out. And since most of the car is already mint, it won't be too hard to do it over. Really the hardest part would be to take the car down to replace the wiring harnesses. Within a few years mine will be shot. It's already got issues. Hopefully I can work on that when I get another vehicle for a Daily Driver.
The engines on these cars are capable of extremely high boost, even in stock form, and the internals can withstand 500-hp race applications! I will be doing some work to the car to bring it to a new level of performance. The turbo boost can be increased with simple mods. So far the car has gotten some 225-45-17" Dunlop Graspic D2 tires and some 17" Maxxim wheels. This set is wide and I needed to trim the rear fenders to clear them! Using just a Dremel and Jigsaw, I cut through the double-walled body and removed about an inch or so in an arc, to clear the tires. They used to scrub a little. Someday when I get the paint redone, I'll weld in some small flares. But the car runs great and gets up to speed nicely. Quattro works great too, but the power windows and ventilation system need substantial work. Alot of time and money later, and this car will be perfect!
On the Lynnway in Revere, MA
This is what I have already repaired when I bought the car, just so you know better than to buy one of these money pits (I still love the car dearly):
Wheels and tires, damaged due to bolts not being tight when I got it
Spline drive lug bolts, all 20
Brakes, every rotor and pad on the car needed replacing (cost around $400 for parts)
Rear strut
Replaced center muffler section with straight pipe
Starter
Alternator
Batteries (twice)
Wiring to starter, terminals, etc replaced
Had to bypass starter solenoid wiring and its connection to ignition (yes the wiring in this car is real bad)
Headlights, grille and trim up front (car came with none of this installed)
Headlight and marker lights needed splicing, wires were cut
antenna, original was broken
Stereo, car had none when purchased
Speakers, all the way around (x6) and wiring (car came with none)
Door handles repaired (x3)
Master cylinder replaced (lost my brakes in Lynn, MA...)
Upper radiator hose ($60!)
Lost turbo coolant after-run pump, spliced lines for now
Disabled ABS system permanently
Bent and cracked one of the new 17"s... repair took four days and $140 (damn potholes!)
Removed stupid alarm system that seemed to be tied into every part of the car (BIG job)
Added Hella 500 driving lights
Added hella 500 fog lights
Installed Fiamm dual tone air horns
Fixed driver side window wiring and switch
Replaced alternator and hydraulic pump belts
Cleaned throttle body, it used to stick sometimes (!)
Just purchased Momo 2507 steering wheel adapter and leather/aluminum/chrome ringed "D" shaped wheel, replaced bolts with bigger black ones, constructed Audi logo center from scratch to replace horn button.
Modified shift knob: Aftermarket cheap titanium look, sanded down to aluminum. Replaced bolts with black, re-wrapped with original knob leather, painted Audi racing colors in center.
Cut shift lever down by almost an inch and a half for "shorter" shifts
This is what I need to finish the car, for now:
Power window repairs, pass. front regulator and left rear wiring
Remove power sunroof and rebuild
Replace all the vacuum tubing underhood
Replace timing belt/water pump/front seals/tensioner (need to do this SOON, tensioner is bad)
Replace plug wires, tune-up
Replace A/C compressor, recharge A/C, repair all ventilation issues
Replace various hoses, (coolant and turbo)
Make custom 2.75"-3" exhaust with one high-flow muffler (not a ricer one either!) and hollow cat, 3" outlet
Replace wheel bearings, all four wheels
Replace upper front strut bearings
Install Boge struts along with H&R springs, lowers car 1.5" (currently the car sits funny, low on pass. side)
Fix leaks such as oil pan, valve cover, trans and rear diff (oil pan needs to be replaced)
Rebuild turbo: seals leak oil into exhaust, smokes in the morning
Rear tie rods (dogbones) the seals go on them, and they begin to corrode from the inside
Clean up engine compartment and fix any other issues
Replace fuel injectors and fuel pump assembly
Replace "The Bomb" and replace the lines and seals
Replace wastegate diaphragm and add custom made spring tension adjuster
Add "Schrapnel-knobben" to interior for on-the-fly boost adjustment
Add resistor to ECM for higher boost mods
Convert to bumper mount single-pass intercooler, custom piping and mounts
Fabricate intake duct with ram air inlet
Clean CIS distributor assembly, replace injector seals
Driver seat heater circuit bad
Driver seat leather stitching needs repair (its worth fixing! these seats ROCK)
Reversing lights swapped for fog lights, modified housings and custom circuit with override switch
Installed two pairs of Hella lights, fog and driving.
The Audi 5000 Turbo Quattro (called a type 44 bodystyle, in Europe it is the 100/200. Some people call this car a "C3" chassis) is probably the most affordable exotic car you can get your hands on. Exotic? Sure. Just listen to the sound of the turbocharged 5-cylinder engine "barking" in its low-pitched glory and you will believe, too. Some people have never experienced one of these grand tourers of the 1980's, but I am one of the few left who remember. These cars were the first true sport sedans that came out in Europe in 1982 and were known for their very robust qualities. Far ahead of its time, the 5KTQ is straight from the wintry roads of Germany. These cars were designed to survive weather conditions far exceeding the German winter, and yet be a comfortable grand tourer that can cruise on the autobahn for hours at 130 MPH. It almost seems impossible what this car can do, given its heavy weight and limited horsepower stock powerplant.
Naugatuck High School in Connecticut
This is one of the three high schools I've attended
In a time when most cars had front-wheel drive (and not very well executed designs, I might add) the 5KTQ included the Quattro drive system. Even today some racers prefer the simplicity of this bulletproof driveline. You always see a Quattro of some type at venues like Pike's Peak. The execution of the 5000 quattro driveline allows for lots of power and quite a bit of abuse. Some of the bolts in the Quattro suspension look like they could be used to attach wheels to a truck. Would you like to do some pull-ups? Just put the 5KTQ on a lift and grab the front swaybar. If you weighed 500 lbs that bar will stay put. Even the crank pulley bolt is heavy-duty. It's torqued so much you need a breaker bar three feet long or better to free the bolt. This car is big, tough, and built to last.
Rear view... you can see the bypass of the center muffler (nasty job, but it works)
Backdrop is some kind of incinerator for Saint Mary's in Hooksett, NH
Of course there are always drawbacks to any good thing, and the 5KTQ is no exception. These cars are regularly thrown away as scrap in America because of the high price of parts and the mysterious nature of the way these cars are built. Not to mention the wiring problems that plague the type 44. To me the car isn't that complex; but most people don't share the same level of passion that I do. Everything you know about both American and Japanese cars can be disregarded here, because what you already know about cars won't help you fix this unique vehicle. Instead you need an open mind and an open wallet, of course! And the factory manuals are invaluable when it comes to repairs. The cheap ones you can get at the auto parts stores don't tell you much about the wiring and pneumatic systems on board. Tools are another "feature" of this car, as in you need to go out and buy some more, so get out that wallet. And once you get back home from buying those tools to fix the car, you will need yet another new tool and new parts again. Notice a resounding theme here? It really is too bad these cars never got the respect they deserved in America. But it's no surpise, either!
A shot of the leather interior. It's two tone grey and black, even the doors are wrapped in leather.
Installed the wheel and knob, made a world of difference!
I'd rather have one of these type 44 Audis from the 1980s than the newer ones built today. I think the car is an impressive attempt at building a respectable sedan with some real street and track cred. Just a few dollars and very little effort is all it takes to bring these beasts up to 250-300 BHP with stock gaskets and bolts. As long as the car is well maintained you can squeeze quite a bit of power from these engines. And the sound? Probably the best sounding engine in history, next to American v-8s and Italian v-12s. It sounds much better than nearly any car on the road today, even new Audis don't have the "sound". Many people ask what it has for an engine since it sounds so impressive. Go to a race with 5-cylinder Turbo Quattros invloved, and sit at a corner where the driver will need to shift- you will see flames at the tailpipe with that five-cylinder report. The sound is just as awesome as the sight of the fire.
An Audi drawing of the Quattro Engine
The engine itself is quite outstanding. It's only got 2.2 liters of displacement, but that small inline-5 has plenty of room for improvement on the cheap. My car has the turbocharger. But what most people don't know is that the car also comes with an oil cooler, an air-to-air intercooler and an external wastegate that you see more often on racing vehicles. These components along with some simple "adjustments" allow you to overboost the engine that results in a tremendous power increase. The camshaft is driven by a belt assembly which also drives the water pump, so even if you lose the main accessory belts you could still safely run the motor without overheating. Unfortunately, Audi chose to use the water pump itself as the tensioner for the timing belt! Little things like this would annoy most people, but us Audi guys don't mind. This engine can produce 170 hp in stock form. More impressive is the 250-300 hp some folks are getting from their five-cylinder turbo motors, with very cheap modifications (intercooler, wastegate mods, and exhaust mods.) Obviously it wouldn't be wise to overboost a car that needs repairs, so my particular car will remain stock for some time. It's amazing that the same engine I have is used in racing vehicles and the internal parts are that robust. Rachel's engine is in great shape, but has leaks in the oil seals and vacuum tubing like most Audis. Eventually she will be in tip-top shape and overboosting can commence...
In 1988 Audi won the SCCA Trans-Am series (!) with this car. The engine internals were mostly stock, and it ran over 500 hp! In fact, Audi used MORE stock components (including the body shell, other teams had purpose-built frames with lookalike bodies attached) than any of the American competition. Not surprisingly, Audi was banned from using its big Quattros in the race after that. It's an "unfair advantage." It's rare to find someone who actually knows about Audi's 1988 dominance in the American race, even American car guys rarely speak about it since it was such a resounding win by the Germans. The cars had the typical red, grey, and black stripes over the front and rear fenders in Audi tradition. I may someday add some details to my car to honor the win in 88. Just recently I saw a video of an Audi type 44 against a Dodge Viper on a quarter mile track, the Audi won! Do a search for Audi Viper Video in Google, you should find it, too. It's proof positive of the capabilities of the type 44 even with four doors, fully equipped interior and AWD hardware. The video is over 12 megs, so be prepared if you have dialup. She may be heavy, but she can haul.
An Audi drawing of the Quattro Transaxle and Center Diff Assembly
How's this for specs? All-wheel drive with giant CV axles. Fully independent suspension secured with the biggest hardware in Germany (at least it seems that way.) Four-wheel disk brakes, fronts are dual-piston. Antilock brakes with a disable switch. Lockable center differential, plus a rear locker as well. The lockers really do work incredibly well via vacuum lines and valves on linkage (thankfully mine is okay), and can be individually engaged at any speed on my car. Audi spent quite a bit of time researching and designing the type 44 body shell in particular. They went crazy with galvanizing and pioneered many new technologies with the construction of the type 44. There is a special insulating material on the inside of the double-layer construction, like a sandwich. The inner door steel can be removed complete with window regulators to aid installation of new components to the door. The wiring harness has a special connector panel in the driver's footwell that allows those items to be diagnosed directly through the plugs in that location. Many companies tend to do very little with the chassis/body shell after making sure it fits the design of the body and can have all its components attached. Safety was a major concern to Audi, as was road noise and corrosion protection. A welcome side affect of all the design work Audi did for the type 44 is the increased rigidity of the whole car. Add in all-wheel drive and this means insane handling potential. With the 225-45-17" wheel and tire combo on my type 44, the car can get away with some pretty scary antics, even with stock struts. The damping qualities of the stock hardware is fantastic for New England roads. But the original parts are pricy, so I will be replacing the springs and struts with good quality H&R and Boge parts within the year, which will drop the car 1.5" and tighten it up even more. Even with cost no object, this car is my favorite sedan of all time and the best part is I own it! New Mercedes and BMW sedans don't have the same kind of persona that this car has, and neither do new Audis. $30,000 for the car when it was new, and these days you can get one for about $500-1000 in poor mechanical shape, and $4000 in perfect near-showroom condition. In terms of reliability, this car will survive at least 250,000 miles without any major engine work. Now if only I could fix all the electrical gremlins...
There are many Audi Turbo modification pages available if you would like to modify yours. Unfortunately most of them have been "401" for a few months, but do a search on Audi turbo mods and you shouls find something. The mods are easy to perform and really all you need is about $60 cash and a well maintained car. You gain about 75 hp from simple mods! You can get even more power with a few hundred dollars worth of intercooler and exhaust. Most cars you need to spend more than $500 to get a small bump in power. But the drawback is this car costs much more to maintain: the front brake pads cost me $140 alone. Go to Force 5 Auto for used Audi parts. Chris from Force 5 sold me this car and many of the replacement parts I've needed, and he is an invaluable resource for anything Audi as well as a real nice guy. He has oddball parts that you can't find elsewhere such as unique wheels and aftermarket parts. He sells complete turbo five packages for conversion if you have a 4k or coupe, as well. Most of his business is from stripping Audis and selling used parts, but you can source new parts from him too. Guys like Chris need all the business they can get, he's done it all on his own and deserves your business!
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