1987 Audi UR Quattro
Discussion
Morning all, after many years of looking through the PH website on a daily basis and wanting to comment but realising that when I do I'll likely whittle away hours of my life mindlessly gassing about all things car related my temptation has finally exceeded my resistance!
So, about the car... (warning I’m giving a longwinded intimate history of the car – I’ll post up a summarised version later!)
Well I had been bitten by the Audi bug at the age of 19 when I was at University in Aberdeen. My ageing Renault 21 Monaco (remember them!) had an electrics problem and so I enlisted the help of my brothers mechanic to source me a car with as many toys as possible for £1,500. After about 2 weeks I was shown a 1985 Audi Coupe Quattro (non turbo) which I immediately bought post test drive. I've been hooked on these motors ever since.
It took another 10 years before I was finally in a position to buy my own URQ. Having been a member of classic Audi for about a year at this point I knew that research and a thorough examination of any prospective purchase was absolutely necessary. So when a car surfaced at a very tempting price in Holyhead (I was in Plymouth at the time) I got in touch with the owner and before I knew it I’d negotiated an absolute ‘bargain’ price and as fate would have it a close friend of mine was holidaying in Barmouth down the road. Before I knew it I’d transferred the money into the sellers account and my friend was in possession of the URQ which I’d never physically laid eyes on let alone tested or had inspected. My first feedback from my friend that the car was satisfactory was when he called to say “I’ll pay for the fuel and travel costs back to Plymouth if you let me keep the car the weekend!” Deal!
The car arrived on the Monday after purchase, I heard it about a minute before it pulled up infront of my drive. It looked great in the metal (on a rare hot sunny day for Plymouth!). Unfortunately the first of many problems surfaced that day.
Getting into the car I realised that the racing seats fitted (the previous owner had decided to make a show car quality Quattro into a rally rep!) were bolted into place with no adjustment – that would have been fine save for the guy being 6’ 5”. Needless to say with me being only 5’10” this posed somewhat of a problem in reaching the pedals as well as the gearstick and all the dash controls! Second problem once strapped into the car was that it wouldn’t restart – hotstart problem so had to wait until it cooled down before I could drive it myself. But even so when I did get the beast running, my god what a car, being fettled with under the bonnet it was carrying closer to 300bhp than the standard 200 so it’s fair to say that it shifted, and the sound – loud!
That was 2009 and it’s been a bloody long hard slog ever since. I knew buying a car like this for the price I paid meant that there’d be a huge need to invest in the car to get it right, but sometimes it feels like the cars taken more than it’s given.
For example the day of my stag do, I picked up two friends from the station who’d not seen the car yet and took them out for a blast. Got on the A38 and buried the throttle, within seconds smoke started bellowing from the digi dash and the screen went black, I cut the power and coasted to the hard shoulder – the dash thankfully failed to catch fire. The cause turned out to be a loose connection on the battery sending a surge through the dash panel and frying everything in its path. Got the car restarted and slowly (I think – I didn’t have a dash to check speed!) made my way home with two mates howling with laughter. But it didn’t end there, oh no, ¼ from home the exhaust falls off! The slowest, loudest and most embarrassing ¼ of a mile in my life driving with the centre section trailing on the road. I got very drunk that night! Thankfully I had both the dash rebuilt and a stainless exhaust fitted in the week between my stag do and my wedding so I could still drive the car to the registry office and back with my soon to be wife. Morning of my wedding – try the car – nothing. Flat battery. Turns out the rebuilt dash had caused a power drain overnight. No time to recharge the battery so had to get taxi to my own wedding. Gutted.
The other big howler it threw in my direction I’m still trying to sort. At a job interview in Basingstoke Setember 2012. Took the Quattro and pulled into the car park of the company I was interviewing at. Engine cuts out, trying not to worry I got out to let the car cool down and had my interview. Get back to the car 90 mins later. Nothing. Starter motor is turning over but no life. A guy at the company next door offers to give me a bump start which I accepted. Being towed, I drop the clutch to bump it, all I get is a hesitation followed by a massive bang, plume of black smoke and death. To top it off the tow cable snaps, flings back and smashes one of my foglights. What had happened is the garage who replaced the cambelt six months previous had failed to tighten the crankshaft pulley bolt – over those six months of great driving pleasure the woodruff key had worn down until that point in the carpark where the last little bit snapped off. Result was cracked head, bent pistons, and upon rebuild identified that the hybrid turbo exhaust housing was badly cracked in four places.
So with the help and massive generosity of the guys at classic audi I had sourced a replacement head , a spare turbo (which luckily turned out to be the same turbotechnics hybrid unit – lucky doesn’t even come close!) and a parts hunt in Germany I had sourced everything to get the car back on the road. 11 months later I’m in the final stages of getting her back on the road.
It’s been a hell of a journey so far but the car is becoming mechanically well sorted with only bodywork to go.
So, what have I done in the four years I’ve owned it? Well in the 4,000 miles I’ve had the following done:
Full engine rebuild
Full turbo overhaul, rebuild & service – looking mighty shiny!
Original interior sourced and refitted;
Original fuel tank refitted;
Replacement of lowered suspension with original – shocks & springs all round
New calipers, discs and pads all round
Braided brake hoses & replacement of all fuel and brake lines
Cambelt changed!!
Dash rebuilt
Stainless steel exhaust fitted
Polybushed throughout
Pretty much everything else mechanical has been overhauled or replaced with new.
What’s left to do?
Refit the interior as it could be better fitted;
Sort out surface rust on wheel arches
Respray
Hope you've enjoyed the read. Time will tell whether I keep the car once all is done - I've lost quite a bit of hairline in those four years!
So, about the car... (warning I’m giving a longwinded intimate history of the car – I’ll post up a summarised version later!)
Well I had been bitten by the Audi bug at the age of 19 when I was at University in Aberdeen. My ageing Renault 21 Monaco (remember them!) had an electrics problem and so I enlisted the help of my brothers mechanic to source me a car with as many toys as possible for £1,500. After about 2 weeks I was shown a 1985 Audi Coupe Quattro (non turbo) which I immediately bought post test drive. I've been hooked on these motors ever since.
It took another 10 years before I was finally in a position to buy my own URQ. Having been a member of classic Audi for about a year at this point I knew that research and a thorough examination of any prospective purchase was absolutely necessary. So when a car surfaced at a very tempting price in Holyhead (I was in Plymouth at the time) I got in touch with the owner and before I knew it I’d negotiated an absolute ‘bargain’ price and as fate would have it a close friend of mine was holidaying in Barmouth down the road. Before I knew it I’d transferred the money into the sellers account and my friend was in possession of the URQ which I’d never physically laid eyes on let alone tested or had inspected. My first feedback from my friend that the car was satisfactory was when he called to say “I’ll pay for the fuel and travel costs back to Plymouth if you let me keep the car the weekend!” Deal!
The car arrived on the Monday after purchase, I heard it about a minute before it pulled up infront of my drive. It looked great in the metal (on a rare hot sunny day for Plymouth!). Unfortunately the first of many problems surfaced that day.
Getting into the car I realised that the racing seats fitted (the previous owner had decided to make a show car quality Quattro into a rally rep!) were bolted into place with no adjustment – that would have been fine save for the guy being 6’ 5”. Needless to say with me being only 5’10” this posed somewhat of a problem in reaching the pedals as well as the gearstick and all the dash controls! Second problem once strapped into the car was that it wouldn’t restart – hotstart problem so had to wait until it cooled down before I could drive it myself. But even so when I did get the beast running, my god what a car, being fettled with under the bonnet it was carrying closer to 300bhp than the standard 200 so it’s fair to say that it shifted, and the sound – loud!
That was 2009 and it’s been a bloody long hard slog ever since. I knew buying a car like this for the price I paid meant that there’d be a huge need to invest in the car to get it right, but sometimes it feels like the cars taken more than it’s given.
For example the day of my stag do, I picked up two friends from the station who’d not seen the car yet and took them out for a blast. Got on the A38 and buried the throttle, within seconds smoke started bellowing from the digi dash and the screen went black, I cut the power and coasted to the hard shoulder – the dash thankfully failed to catch fire. The cause turned out to be a loose connection on the battery sending a surge through the dash panel and frying everything in its path. Got the car restarted and slowly (I think – I didn’t have a dash to check speed!) made my way home with two mates howling with laughter. But it didn’t end there, oh no, ¼ from home the exhaust falls off! The slowest, loudest and most embarrassing ¼ of a mile in my life driving with the centre section trailing on the road. I got very drunk that night! Thankfully I had both the dash rebuilt and a stainless exhaust fitted in the week between my stag do and my wedding so I could still drive the car to the registry office and back with my soon to be wife. Morning of my wedding – try the car – nothing. Flat battery. Turns out the rebuilt dash had caused a power drain overnight. No time to recharge the battery so had to get taxi to my own wedding. Gutted.
The other big howler it threw in my direction I’m still trying to sort. At a job interview in Basingstoke Setember 2012. Took the Quattro and pulled into the car park of the company I was interviewing at. Engine cuts out, trying not to worry I got out to let the car cool down and had my interview. Get back to the car 90 mins later. Nothing. Starter motor is turning over but no life. A guy at the company next door offers to give me a bump start which I accepted. Being towed, I drop the clutch to bump it, all I get is a hesitation followed by a massive bang, plume of black smoke and death. To top it off the tow cable snaps, flings back and smashes one of my foglights. What had happened is the garage who replaced the cambelt six months previous had failed to tighten the crankshaft pulley bolt – over those six months of great driving pleasure the woodruff key had worn down until that point in the carpark where the last little bit snapped off. Result was cracked head, bent pistons, and upon rebuild identified that the hybrid turbo exhaust housing was badly cracked in four places.
So with the help and massive generosity of the guys at classic audi I had sourced a replacement head , a spare turbo (which luckily turned out to be the same turbotechnics hybrid unit – lucky doesn’t even come close!) and a parts hunt in Germany I had sourced everything to get the car back on the road. 11 months later I’m in the final stages of getting her back on the road.
It’s been a hell of a journey so far but the car is becoming mechanically well sorted with only bodywork to go.
So, what have I done in the four years I’ve owned it? Well in the 4,000 miles I’ve had the following done:
Full engine rebuild
Full turbo overhaul, rebuild & service – looking mighty shiny!
Original interior sourced and refitted;
Original fuel tank refitted;
Replacement of lowered suspension with original – shocks & springs all round
New calipers, discs and pads all round
Braided brake hoses & replacement of all fuel and brake lines
Cambelt changed!!
Dash rebuilt
Stainless steel exhaust fitted
Polybushed throughout
Pretty much everything else mechanical has been overhauled or replaced with new.
What’s left to do?
Refit the interior as it could be better fitted;
Sort out surface rust on wheel arches
Respray
Hope you've enjoyed the read. Time will tell whether I keep the car once all is done - I've lost quite a bit of hairline in those four years!
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