Original 20V RR Qauttro
Discussion
I've been thinking for quite a while about buying a good early 20V RR quattro (original shape).
What kind of vehicle would £10K buy me & does anyone out there have experience of running one as a daily driver in a suburban traffic environment.
How reliable/ expensive to maintain are they, how much would you allow for annual repairs/servicing & how are they on fuel (again mainly through the 'burbs commuting).
Also, given my intended usage pattern, how are they to live with, do you think they would prove to be tiresome & hard work once the initial excitement had worn off?
What kind of vehicle would £10K buy me & does anyone out there have experience of running one as a daily driver in a suburban traffic environment.
How reliable/ expensive to maintain are they, how much would you allow for annual repairs/servicing & how are they on fuel (again mainly through the 'burbs commuting).
Also, given my intended usage pattern, how are they to live with, do you think they would prove to be tiresome & hard work once the initial excitement had worn off?
Edited by volvos60s60 on Thursday 28th February 11:26
There are plenty of people on here who could vouch for running one of these on a daily basis so I am sure you will get all the information you require.
In the meantime I can offer you all the information I have gathered over the years. Basically you need to make sure that you buy the right car, this doesn't neccessarily mean it has to have a full service historty, but it needs to have stacks and stacks of receipts to show it has been cared for. If you don't buy a good example it will cost you a fortune in the long run.
These cars will need regular oil changes, I run an Audi S2 and I change the oil every 5000 miles and the gearbox oil every second oil change.
Traffic could prove fairly tiresome for the quattro, you just have to remember to drive it sympathetically in traffic. I suppose the added bonus of being in an immaculate quattro in traffic is that you will be the subject of alot of attention. As soon as the traffic opens up again, you will be having the time of your life!
Parts are getting scarce for these cars and some parts can be very hard to get ahold of so it's important to belong to forums/clubs that can help you on your way and they will save you alot of money in the long run.
Don't be too put off my running costs as if you keep on top of maitenance and drive the car gently when cold you shouldn't have too mnay issues.
In the meantime I can offer you all the information I have gathered over the years. Basically you need to make sure that you buy the right car, this doesn't neccessarily mean it has to have a full service historty, but it needs to have stacks and stacks of receipts to show it has been cared for. If you don't buy a good example it will cost you a fortune in the long run.
These cars will need regular oil changes, I run an Audi S2 and I change the oil every 5000 miles and the gearbox oil every second oil change.
Traffic could prove fairly tiresome for the quattro, you just have to remember to drive it sympathetically in traffic. I suppose the added bonus of being in an immaculate quattro in traffic is that you will be the subject of alot of attention. As soon as the traffic opens up again, you will be having the time of your life!
Parts are getting scarce for these cars and some parts can be very hard to get ahold of so it's important to belong to forums/clubs that can help you on your way and they will save you alot of money in the long run.
Don't be too put off my running costs as if you keep on top of maitenance and drive the car gently when cold you shouldn't have too mnay issues.
There are no "early" 20valve Quats, they only made them for a couple of years or so.
My advice is don't get one, unless you have the passion. I mean you must really love it, otherwise you'll just suffer pain. They can be daily drivers but you can suddenly find yourself off the road for weeks/months chasing down spare parts. Lucky to get decent one for £10k now.
Also completely wasted in traffic.
My advice is don't get one, unless you have the passion. I mean you must really love it, otherwise you'll just suffer pain. They can be daily drivers but you can suddenly find yourself off the road for weeks/months chasing down spare parts. Lucky to get decent one for £10k now.
Also completely wasted in traffic.
I've used mine pretty much every day for the last 3 years.
Started out as a 2nd car, but I found I couldn't leave it alone so ended up driving it all the time.
I may have been lucky, but in 3 years (45k miles) mine has used nothing beyond regular consumables. It's now 18 years old and has covered 180k miles, so I think the old girl has done very well.
You need to take care of them and have a good look round every now and then but the RRs seem to be very solid cars from the time of German over-engineering, when they were all built with the Eastern Front in mind. I'd only really advise that you treat it with a little sympathy - don't thrash it until the oil is up to 80 degrees, let it cool down before turning off after a good run, etc. But it'll cruise through Europe, at 100+mph, for hundreds of miles without complaint.
MPG wise you'll be doing well if you can average mid 20s - 26mpg on my trip computer is always a reason for celebration. Mine always runs on V-Power, so recently it's become rather dear.
I've just retired mine from daily use, mainly because I think it deserves it, so have picked up an A4 TDi. Quattro will soon be going for a mini-restoration, a few tweaks and a look at 3rd gear.
Will it become tiresome? God no! Almost every time I drive mine I think about how good the steering feels, how incredible the traction is and how great the engine sounds at high revs. It's an occasion, not a commute. It's also quite cool walking back to it in car parks, because it's almost always the meanest car there...
Started out as a 2nd car, but I found I couldn't leave it alone so ended up driving it all the time.
I may have been lucky, but in 3 years (45k miles) mine has used nothing beyond regular consumables. It's now 18 years old and has covered 180k miles, so I think the old girl has done very well.
You need to take care of them and have a good look round every now and then but the RRs seem to be very solid cars from the time of German over-engineering, when they were all built with the Eastern Front in mind. I'd only really advise that you treat it with a little sympathy - don't thrash it until the oil is up to 80 degrees, let it cool down before turning off after a good run, etc. But it'll cruise through Europe, at 100+mph, for hundreds of miles without complaint.
MPG wise you'll be doing well if you can average mid 20s - 26mpg on my trip computer is always a reason for celebration. Mine always runs on V-Power, so recently it's become rather dear.
I've just retired mine from daily use, mainly because I think it deserves it, so have picked up an A4 TDi. Quattro will soon be going for a mini-restoration, a few tweaks and a look at 3rd gear.
Will it become tiresome? God no! Almost every time I drive mine I think about how good the steering feels, how incredible the traction is and how great the engine sounds at high revs. It's an occasion, not a commute. It's also quite cool walking back to it in car parks, because it's almost always the meanest car there...
Post on www.quattroforum.com to get a wider audience.
There are only about 200 RRs (being optimistic) left in the UK, so I suspect your audience won't be terribly wide anywhere...
There are only about 200 RRs (being optimistic) left in the UK, so I suspect your audience won't be terribly wide anywhere...
Edited by Ahonen on Thursday 28th February 16:47
There were only ever 293 RRs imported into the UK & there are estimated to be perhaps 100-150 left.
I think 10K will buy you a dog. Mine has done 43K from new & I wouldn't part with it for less than double that.
Really you need to be looking at about 15K for a good car - not that price & quality are always commesurate.
It wouldn't be my choice as a daily driver purely because of the parts situation & the rarity of the thing should some numb-skull having a brain fart give you a smack!
There are estimated to be a total of about 800 Ur quattros in the UK of all types. Only about 3,300 RHD quattros were built from 1980 - 91.
Build quality was superb - as it should be for a car hand-built by a team of 22 at the rate of 3 a day!
I think 10K will buy you a dog. Mine has done 43K from new & I wouldn't part with it for less than double that.
Really you need to be looking at about 15K for a good car - not that price & quality are always commesurate.
It wouldn't be my choice as a daily driver purely because of the parts situation & the rarity of the thing should some numb-skull having a brain fart give you a smack!
There are estimated to be a total of about 800 Ur quattros in the UK of all types. Only about 3,300 RHD quattros were built from 1980 - 91.
Build quality was superb - as it should be for a car hand-built by a team of 22 at the rate of 3 a day!
There are basically two generations of 10-valve - the WR (1980 - late 1987) & the MB (1987-88). The main differences between the two are:
(1) The WR has solid tappets & the MB has no-maintenance hydraulic items;
(2) MB has the Torsen centre diff;
(3) MB has a smaller turbo & slightly more sophisticated engine management system (less turbo lag);
(4) MB has twin pot front brakes;
(5) MB has orange digital dash.
Both are a rawer driving experience than the RR - more more turbo lag, particularly in the WR - but many would argue that they're a more fun drive because of this!
The MB is a lower maintenance vehicle than the WR overall. They each have their adherents, but the Torsen centre diff of the MB & the reduced turbo lag motor improved its manners.
Your 10K budget should buy you a good MB & a really top WR will be 7-8K.
The MB is much rarer than the WR - approximately four times as many WRs were made as MBs.
For more regular use I'd recommend the MB - a superb package.
The 10-valvers have the advantage of being more vocal than the 20-valve with that great gruff off-beat roar which used to echo through the forests during rallies of the mid-'80's!
(1) The WR has solid tappets & the MB has no-maintenance hydraulic items;
(2) MB has the Torsen centre diff;
(3) MB has a smaller turbo & slightly more sophisticated engine management system (less turbo lag);
(4) MB has twin pot front brakes;
(5) MB has orange digital dash.
Both are a rawer driving experience than the RR - more more turbo lag, particularly in the WR - but many would argue that they're a more fun drive because of this!
The MB is a lower maintenance vehicle than the WR overall. They each have their adherents, but the Torsen centre diff of the MB & the reduced turbo lag motor improved its manners.
Your 10K budget should buy you a good MB & a really top WR will be 7-8K.
The MB is much rarer than the WR - approximately four times as many WRs were made as MBs.
For more regular use I'd recommend the MB - a superb package.
The 10-valvers have the advantage of being more vocal than the 20-valve with that great gruff off-beat roar which used to echo through the forests during rallies of the mid-'80's!
Gassing Station | Audi, Seat, Skoda & VW | Top of Page | What's New | My Stuff