sorry its a 1988...

i have a 97 a4 but ive always wanted a quattro...who doesnt lol? but anyways i found a 1988 audi 90 quattro that hit a deer so it needs a new healight and maybe the a new fender or the current one pounded out? i have yet to find out everything that is wrong with it, i know the heater core is going, but he says it runs. i was just wondering what all goes wrong with these cars, i know about my a4 but nothing about the 90, just what i should look for. hes not asking much for the car at all, and i was just going to get it for a toy to screw around with and to fix up, and also for the quattro because i live in the mountains and fwd isnt amazing on ice. here are some pics http://www.jefflane.org/uploads/Audi90/ what do you guys think?

 

I also bought an 88 Q90 5 cyl. I thought it just needed an alignment and shocks and paid for it and left. I found out it needed so much more. It was the first time I've bought a used car and I'm not a mechanic. The good thing was that I've found an abundance of new replacement parts for it because it was a common car. In the year I've owned it, I've changed the oil, oil filter, air filter, radiator, right ball joint, front brakes and rotors, outside lights, spark plugs and a couple of vacuum lines. I have had people try to sell me $12 spark plugs when I can get them for $3. I have found actual in stock availability of the parts I need to the car. The above mentioned items were just to get it safe and driveable. I still have so much more to do. I too, have body damage on a few panels and you can get them from a few places online and bolt them on (!) including all the lights and housings for the lights. It depends on where you live. I live in a major metro area so I have 3 places that will sell me parts without ripping me off. I stay away from the dealerships. In some areas where you don't have progressive specialty shops, you may be forced into a dealership or go online!!! I would highly recommend getting this vehicle. It didn't take much to get mine humming again. Now I'm motivated to continue repairing. Common car = parts for years to come.

 

If you are not a mechanic and unfamiliar with the car Then try taking a different approach, (not the flip this house approach).

Assume that everything Rubber is shot. T-Belt,all belts, CV Boots, Vacuum lines, seals, gaskets, motor mounts.
If they are good that's ok you'l find out later-Bonus for you not them.

With a FWD A4 you probably know how to check the CV Joints. But just in case. Cut the wheel and nail it in forward then reverse - both sides- and listen for clicking. Same as FWD the front outers are common cause they work the hardest.

Obviously every imaginable fluid in the car has gone bad. most likely sometime in 1995 so replace it all. powersttering, brake,coolant differential, final drive, engine oil, and transmission fluid (check to see if it smells burnt first if it does don't change it. also change every filter. possible battery too.

make sure the trany shifts fine if it's automatic or I would leave the car where it sits. Better their yard than yours!

Also assume that some vacuum operated and electrical crap will be bad and give yourself an allowance for that.

Listen for anything that makes a funny sound. Even if you don't know what it is figure a thousand to fix it. Unless it's a whining sound than automatically assume it's the trany unless it's std.

Once you have it home you can spend hours combing through it and hopfully things won't be so bad. But a 20 year old car is going to need alot of repairs.