Audi 80e 2.6 & 2.8 advice

jimboy

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I am looking to buy one of these soon, the 80 coupe quattro.

What should i look out for? Any problem areas?

Are they any services/belts etc that are due at a certain mileage as i see quite a few nearing 80,000 - 90,000
 
I'm not sure if Audi quote an interval for the timing belt, but I would expect it to have been done at 60-80k?
The V6 is durable, but has been known to leak oil, valley pan gasket and head gasket usually. It is sometimes possible to cure oil leaks from the head gasket, by
retorque-ing the headbolts.
The hydraulic system is the same as my 20v. They have hydraulic brake assist, so you want the (!) symbol to disappear after you use brakes first time. =pressure ok. Also after turning off engine, press brake repeatedly until it goes 'hard' ideally you should get more than a dozen, but if its less than 4-5 there is probably a problem with the 'bomb' = hydraulic accumulator.
Other things are usual 80 niggles, check handbrake holds well, also that it releases properly if possible, the mechanism is prone to siezing on the calipers.
the hyd system is shared with power steering, needs to use mineral hydraulic oil which is green. If there is red fluid (atf) in the tank, walk away, it kills the seals in the rack!
Check the windows work properly, the regulator mechanism is expensive.
I find the heater control for selecting floor/dash/screen can become stiff, causes the knob to break if forced.
look out for wet carpet, esp in the boot, the rear light clusters tend to leak, the door seals also struggle esp when the door drops a bit. This is no big deal, the hinges are adjustable, but the doorseal is £100+
Worth checking the exhaust, you have to get an original one, or have one made up at eg longlife or powerflow, also 2 cats to replace, so make sure they aren't rattling.
Can't think of anything else at the moment, see www.12v.org also possibly www.20v.org for more v6 and coupe info.
 
I happen to know that there is going to be a short article on buying an 80 Coupe in Pratical Classics next edition. May be worth a look.

I have a 2.6 sallon that I bought cos it was cheap, I am very pleased with it but given the choise I would go for the more powerfull 2.8.
 
thanks guys,

is there much difference between the 2.8 and 2.6 performance, whatabout fuel consumption?
 
I think you will find that most 2.8's are quattro, and most 2.6 are 2wd. The extra drag with the quattro system will cost a few mpg's over a 2wd version. I know the 2.8 is booked at 137mph.
 
Now that's a car on my wish list! But you need to be careful buying a vr, it seems they need a big rebuild at approx 100k.
If you can afford one, why not go for an S2?
 
I've had the privalidge of being driven in a S2 on several occasions! Now WOW What a car that is, if you can afford one! It is superb!
 
ooh vr6 'rado. i had one for 6 months and it nearly bankrupt me.

Eibach spings, bars, bilstein and poly bushes.

I have to say its the second best car i've ever driven (and to be honest i haven't really driven that many)... the only thing that lets it down is the gearing...and the fact that it just isn't as fast as you expect it to be.

that said, if i could find a minter without any electrical problems or overheating problems, then i'd still buy another one.