Got a new (used) car for free - Tilted Forum Project Discussion Community

merkerguitars · 04-18-2006, 04:15 PM

Well I ran into an old friend and he told me about this audi he had, he said it had bad brakes and needed a clutch. He told me I could have the car for free as long as I would have it towed out within a month. So here it is.

Then I started to work on the brakes, I eventually did get it running (it had rotted fuel lines) and had a vacuum leak in a vacuum hose. This is what I ran into

politicophile · 04-18-2006, 04:47 PM

Looks like a nice find! What year is it, how many miles does it have, and what engine does it have in it? Audis are quality, man.

Borla · 04-18-2006, 07:04 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by politicophile

Looks like a nice find! What year is it, how many miles does it have, and what engine does it have in it? Audis are quality, man.

I'd guess 197,403 miles.

I guess you can't beat free, eh man? As long as you can do most/all of the work yourself, it very well could be worth the money in parts, though I'm guessing the rotors and clutch for an Audi that old probably are a hassle to find?

merkerguitars · 04-18-2006, 07:14 PM

It's a 1988 Audi 80.
Well the big thing I found out is to alot of VW people the block is really desirable.
Rotors aren't a bad deal, should be about $20ish a piece. And for the clutch and other VW parts I have a hookup for factory parts.

newtx · 04-19-2006, 07:35 AM

That is hard to beat for the price. Your friend was probably sick of all the little things that go wrong with cars after they get a little older. With some troubleshooting and a few repairs that should make you a great car. Should be pretty quick and handle well.
Upgraded wheels with a set of low profile Toyo's................

Have Fun

Rippley · 04-19-2006, 08:06 AM

I love it - "it has bad brakes...." Ya think?! Excellent find there. I suspect it'll make you a really nice car in the end. But what's the engine?

Poppinjay · 04-19-2006, 12:44 PM

Have you finished your Mustang? Most of your later pics of the Mustang are rexed.

Scorps · 04-19-2006, 02:16 PM

LOL just what you need is another car to work on.

BigBen · 04-19-2006, 02:28 PM

Jesus, look at those brakes....

Tell me that it had been sitting for years, and that what happened to those poor rotors.

Noone was driving it for the past couple of years, and the owner liked to sprinkle salt on the brakes every morning. Please tell me that is the story.

I will take anything if it is for free. Except for an STD.

I hate having to qualify my statements around you guys. You are always finding holes in my arguments.

Whaddya think you are going to do with it? Part it? Run it? Sell it? How is everything else?

merkerguitars · 04-19-2006, 03:01 PM

Actually I from what I heard from the kid it was sitting for about a year. His dad ended up buying a new car so he gave the car to his kid with bad brakes and a clutch because the kid was thinking he was gonna fix it. I'll fix it up and drive it. The only other major thing that might be bad is the clutch. The other problems are little things, so I'll keep it. No sense parting it out due to the body and the interior being in pretty nice shape and the body being very good shape for being how old it is. And no since selling it since i'll need a spare car soon since my nissan has 234k on it and probably won't last too much longer.

Scorps · 04-19-2006, 03:41 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by merkerguitars

Actually I from what I heard from the kid it was sitting for about a year. His dad ended up buying a new car so he gave the car to his kid with bad brakes and a clutch because the kid was thinking he was gonna fix it. I'll fix it up and drive it. The only other major thing that might be bad is the clutch. The other problems are little things, so I'll keep it. No sense parting it out due to the body and the interior being in pretty nice shape and the body being very good shape for being how old it is. And no since selling it since i'll need a spare car soon since my nissan has 234k on it and probably won't last too much longer.

Didn't you just rebuild the nissians motor?

BadNick · 04-20-2006, 11:42 AM

Just turn the rotors and throw new pads on it and you're good to go

How bad is the rust? It looks like I see some along the rocker panels under the doors. Otherwise, not bad especially for free. Good luck with it. Plus I want to congratulate you on your positive D.I.Y. attitude and spirit.

merkerguitars · 04-21-2006, 03:08 PM

Well today I picked up four new rotors for it from napa, grand total $79, picked up a set of pads for it $21. Also went to fleet farm and picked up a set of torx bits so I could get the rear caliper brackets off. Hopefully this weekend it'll move under its own power.

Zodijackyl · 04-24-2006, 06:55 PM

Nice find, and it's a standard!

Gotta love the oldschool car phone too.

merkerguitars · 04-24-2006, 08:17 PM

Well got a little bit more done on the car, picked up new brake pads for the rear. Also got thecaliper mounting bolts for the rear calipers out. Broke a freaking a torx bit but nothing a pipe wrench didn't solve. Then I ran into a nightmare. The freaking rear calipers where all messed up. The Parking break is/was seized, so I decided I'll rebuild the calipers, which should cost me $40 at the most for the pair. Here's a how to i'm going to use http://www.20v.org/brakere.htm

So hopefully by this weekend the car will move under its own power. I still need to redo the fuel lines properly, and fix a major exhaust leak.

Fixed the ripped vacuum line with a 5/16" to 3/8" splice and some silicone vacuum line.

New and Old Rear rotor comparisons.

Yummy fresh new rotors.

Scorps · 04-26-2006, 01:38 PM

There was nothing wrong with the old ones....LMAO

merkerguitars · 05-14-2006, 09:15 PM

Well after trying to bleed the brakes the proper way (pushing fluid up through the bleeder) the clutch kind of worked...wouldn't disengage but had some give, but wouldn't return to the fully "up" position. So I decided to tear into the clutch master cylinder, this is what I found. These are pics after I cleaned everything. Notice the springs, its supposed to be dual springs.

merkerguitars · 06-04-2006, 11:16 PM

Updates updates and more updates....

Well I rebuilt the clutch master cylinder, cost me a whopping $15 to do. The only problem I ran into was the spring for it...the kit didn't include a new one so I put a spare nissan clutch master cylinder spring in it.

Put it together, still wouldnt' go into gear while the car was running, so I pulled the slave cylinder, my friend jose helped and he had to beat the living snot out of it to break free. Tested the slave cylinder out of the car and the hydraulics now work perfect.

Then I checked on www.partsamerica.com and it seems they listed a $300 clutch for $78 so elbobo was nice enough to order it for me, now I just have to pay him back.

I figured while the transmission is out i'll clean it and replace the rear seal and all other transmission seals...since I'll probably won't want to pull the transmission ever again.

Things needed to be done..

Drop transmission.

Get flywheel reground.

Fix fuel lines permanently.

Replace valve cover gasket..

Do timing belt tensioner..

Replace valve cover gasket.

Replace cap rotor, wires, spark plugs...

Oil change is desperately needed.

Trace down some wiring, I found a misc relay (industrial style) and I don't know what it does.

Finally a good wash and wax.

merkerguitars · 06-20-2006, 02:42 PM

Well pulled the transmission out. Took about 5 hours to do...Ran into a few snags but they where resolved. Now I need to pull the engine to redo the oil pan gasket, which hopefully shouldn't take too long since there is not much holding it in.

merkerguitars · 08-04-2006, 02:07 PM

Well since I haven't updated in awhile..

I put the new clutch in, also did the rear seal while i was there. Also I put all new seals in the transmission. The transmission went in ALOT easier with the tie rods disconnected. I also did the valve cover gasket, I put the newer style all ruber gasket for a ABA style 2.0L on it. I also did spark plugs. I had issues with my clutch not bleeding properly, but that was solved after I tighten the line that goes to the slave cylinder. Also I had no brake and reverse lights. The problem with the brake lights where the guy who previously owned the car had some fuse taps installed for the car phone. And when I pulled them out the fuse didn't make a good connection. Fixed that and then my 3rd brake light didn't work, I checked for voltage and it was good. Now its just 10 burnt out little light bulbs, which luckily , where easy to find and only $1.75 for a 2 pack, I might replace them with LED's later on. The problem with the reverse lights is a bad switch...I'll have to pull it out and fully manually test it, if its still good then the transmission linkage needs adjusting. Also the car doesn't idle well. I checked resistance of my spark plug wires...they all where supposed to be 6k ohms and the no. 2 cylinder wire was at 12k ohms. Explains why it sounds like the car is miss firing. Also I have to remember the car has the original wires with 197k on them...and the wires sat on the car outside for 9 years, which does pose some problems. I ordered some new wires off of ebay for $28. Also my knock sensor looks like crap and I'm not willing to trust it. Cause if it doesn't work properly it throws the ignition timing out of wack. Hopefully all will be good. I'm just waiting for the knock sensor to come in the mail.

magictoy · 08-16-2006, 02:43 PM

The difference between you and me on things like this is I can change parts, but diagnosing the problem requires knowledge and experience I don't possess.

Edit: I meant that I admire your diagnostic acumen.

Edit edit: I was able to diagnose the rotors.

Have you told the friend who said it needed "brakes and a clutch" everything you've done?

P.S. You'll never be a real mechanic until you get some pants that show the crack of your ass more when you bend over.

04-18-2006, 04:15 PM	#1 (permalink)
merkerguitars Buffering......... Location: Wisconsin...	Got a new (used) car for free Well I ran into an old friend and he told me about this audi he had, he said it had bad brakes and needed a clutch. He told me I could have the car for free as long as I would have it towed out within a month. So here it is. Then I started to work on the brakes, I eventually did get it running (it had rotted fuel lines) and had a vacuum leak in a vacuum hose. This is what I ran into __________________ Donate now! Ask me How! Please use the search function it is your friend. Look at my mustang please feel free to comment! http://www.tfproject.org/tfp/showthread.php?t=26985

04-18-2006, 04:47 PM	#2 (permalink)
politicophile Addict	Looks like a nice find! What year is it, how many miles does it have, and what engine does it have in it? Audis are quality, man. __________________ The peculiar evil of silencing the expression of an opinion is, that it is robbing the human race; posterity as well as the existing generation; those who dissent from the opinion, still more than those who hold it. If the opinion is right, they are deprived of the opportunity of exchanging error for truth: if wrong, they lose, what is almost as great a benefit, the clearer perception and livelier impression of truth, produced by its collision with error. ~John Stuart Mill, On Liberty

04-18-2006, 07:14 PM	#4 (permalink)
merkerguitars Buffering......... Location: Wisconsin...	It's a 1988 Audi 80. Well the big thing I found out is to alot of VW people the block is really desirable. Rotors aren't a bad deal, should be about $20ish a piece. And for the clutch and other VW parts I have a hookup for factory parts. __________________ Donate now! Ask me How! Please use the search function it is your friend. Look at my mustang please feel free to comment! http://www.tfproject.org/tfp/showthread.php?t=26985

04-19-2006, 08:06 AM	#6 (permalink)
Rippley Insane	I love it - "it has bad brakes...." Ya think?! Excellent find there. I suspect it'll make you a really nice car in the end. But what's the engine? __________________ roadrazer - 300kgs, 300hp = pure fun.

04-19-2006, 12:44 PM	#7 (permalink)
Poppinjay You had me at hello Location: DC/Coastal VA	Have you finished your Mustang? Most of your later pics of the Mustang are rexed. __________________ I think the Apocalypse is happening all around us. We go on eating desserts and watching TV. I know I do. I wish we were more capable of sustained passion and sustained resistance. We should be screaming and what we do is gossip. -Lydia Millet

04-19-2006, 07:35 AM	#5 (permalink)
newtx Addict	That is hard to beat for the price. Your friend was probably sick of all the little things that go wrong with cars after they get a little older. With some troubleshooting and a few repairs that should make you a great car. Should be pretty quick and handle well. Upgraded wheels with a set of low profile Toyo's................ Have Fun

04-19-2006, 02:16 PM	#8 (permalink)
Scorps Lost!! Location: Kingston, Ontario	LOL just what you need is another car to work on.

04-19-2006, 02:28 PM	#9 (permalink)
BigBen Comedian Location: Use the search button	Jesus, look at those brakes.... Tell me that it had been sitting for years, and that what happened to those poor rotors. Noone was driving it for the past couple of years, and the owner liked to sprinkle salt on the brakes every morning. Please tell me that is the story. I will take anything if it is for free. Except for an STD. I hate having to qualify my statements around you guys. You are always finding holes in my arguments. Whaddya think you are going to do with it? Part it? Run it? Sell it? How is everything else? __________________ 3.141592654 Hey, if you are impressed with my memorizing pi to 10 digits, you should see the size of my penis.

04-19-2006, 03:01 PM	#10 (permalink)
merkerguitars Buffering......... Location: Wisconsin...	Actually I from what I heard from the kid it was sitting for about a year. His dad ended up buying a new car so he gave the car to his kid with bad brakes and a clutch because the kid was thinking he was gonna fix it. I'll fix it up and drive it. The only other major thing that might be bad is the clutch. The other problems are little things, so I'll keep it. No sense parting it out due to the body and the interior being in pretty nice shape and the body being very good shape for being how old it is. And no since selling it since i'll need a spare car soon since my nissan has 234k on it and probably won't last too much longer. __________________ Donate now! Ask me How! Please use the search function it is your friend. Look at my mustang please feel free to comment! http://www.tfproject.org/tfp/showthread.php?t=26985

04-20-2006, 11:42 AM	#12 (permalink)
BadNick Riding the Ocean Spray Location: S.E. PA in U Sofa	Just turn the rotors and throw new pads on it and you're good to go How bad is the rust? It looks like I see some along the rocker panels under the doors. Otherwise, not bad especially for free. Good luck with it. Plus I want to congratulate you on your positive D.I.Y. attitude and spirit.

04-21-2006, 03:08 PM	#13 (permalink)
merkerguitars Buffering......... Location: Wisconsin...	Well today I picked up four new rotors for it from napa, grand total $79, picked up a set of pads for it $21. Also went to fleet farm and picked up a set of torx bits so I could get the rear caliper brackets off. Hopefully this weekend it'll move under its own power. __________________ Donate now! Ask me How! Please use the search function it is your friend. Look at my mustang please feel free to comment! http://www.tfproject.org/tfp/showthread.php?t=26985

04-24-2006, 06:55 PM	#14 (permalink)
Zodijackyl Tilted Location: CT/USA	Nice find, and it's a standard! Gotta love the oldschool car phone too.

04-24-2006, 08:17 PM	#15 (permalink)
merkerguitars Buffering......... Location: Wisconsin...	Well got a little bit more done on the car, picked up new brake pads for the rear. Also got thecaliper mounting bolts for the rear calipers out. Broke a freaking a torx bit but nothing a pipe wrench didn't solve. Then I ran into a nightmare. The freaking rear calipers where all messed up. The Parking break is/was seized, so I decided I'll rebuild the calipers, which should cost me $40 at the most for the pair. Here's a how to i'm going to use http://www.20v.org/brakere.htm So hopefully by this weekend the car will move under its own power. I still need to redo the fuel lines properly, and fix a major exhaust leak. Fixed the ripped vacuum line with a 5/16" to 3/8" splice and some silicone vacuum line. New and Old Rear rotor comparisons. Yummy fresh new rotors. __________________ Donate now! Ask me How! Please use the search function it is your friend. Look at my mustang please feel free to comment! http://www.tfproject.org/tfp/showthread.php?t=26985

04-26-2006, 01:38 PM	#16 (permalink)
Scorps Lost!! Location: Kingston, Ontario	There was nothing wrong with the old ones....LMAO

05-14-2006, 09:15 PM	#17 (permalink)
merkerguitars Buffering......... Location: Wisconsin...	Well after trying to bleed the brakes the proper way (pushing fluid up through the bleeder) the clutch kind of worked...wouldn't disengage but had some give, but wouldn't return to the fully "up" position. So I decided to tear into the clutch master cylinder, this is what I found. These are pics after I cleaned everything. Notice the springs, its supposed to be dual springs. __________________ Donate now! Ask me How! Please use the search function it is your friend. Look at my mustang please feel free to comment! http://www.tfproject.org/tfp/showthread.php?t=26985

06-04-2006, 11:16 PM	#18 (permalink)
merkerguitars Buffering......... Location: Wisconsin...	Updates updates and more updates.... Well I rebuilt the clutch master cylinder, cost me a whopping $15 to do. The only problem I ran into was the spring for it...the kit didn't include a new one so I put a spare nissan clutch master cylinder spring in it. Put it together, still wouldnt' go into gear while the car was running, so I pulled the slave cylinder, my friend jose helped and he had to beat the living snot out of it to break free. Tested the slave cylinder out of the car and the hydraulics now work perfect. Then I checked on www.partsamerica.com and it seems they listed a $300 clutch for $78 so elbobo was nice enough to order it for me, now I just have to pay him back. I figured while the transmission is out i'll clean it and replace the rear seal and all other transmission seals...since I'll probably won't want to pull the transmission ever again. Things needed to be done.. Drop transmission. Get flywheel reground. Fix fuel lines permanently. Replace valve cover gasket.. Do timing belt tensioner.. Replace valve cover gasket. Replace cap rotor, wires, spark plugs... Oil change is desperately needed. Trace down some wiring, I found a misc relay (industrial style) and I don't know what it does. Finally a good wash and wax. __________________ Donate now! Ask me How! Please use the search function it is your friend. Look at my mustang please feel free to comment! http://www.tfproject.org/tfp/showthread.php?t=26985

06-20-2006, 02:42 PM	#19 (permalink)
merkerguitars Buffering......... Location: Wisconsin...	Well pulled the transmission out. Took about 5 hours to do...Ran into a few snags but they where resolved. Now I need to pull the engine to redo the oil pan gasket, which hopefully shouldn't take too long since there is not much holding it in. __________________ Donate now! Ask me How! Please use the search function it is your friend. Look at my mustang please feel free to comment! http://www.tfproject.org/tfp/showthread.php?t=26985

08-04-2006, 02:07 PM	#20 (permalink)
merkerguitars Buffering......... Location: Wisconsin...	Well since I haven't updated in awhile.. I put the new clutch in, also did the rear seal while i was there. Also I put all new seals in the transmission. The transmission went in ALOT easier with the tie rods disconnected. I also did the valve cover gasket, I put the newer style all ruber gasket for a ABA style 2.0L on it. I also did spark plugs. I had issues with my clutch not bleeding properly, but that was solved after I tighten the line that goes to the slave cylinder. Also I had no brake and reverse lights. The problem with the brake lights where the guy who previously owned the car had some fuse taps installed for the car phone. And when I pulled them out the fuse didn't make a good connection. Fixed that and then my 3rd brake light didn't work, I checked for voltage and it was good. Now its just 10 burnt out little light bulbs, which luckily , where easy to find and only $1.75 for a 2 pack, I might replace them with LED's later on. The problem with the reverse lights is a bad switch...I'll have to pull it out and fully manually test it, if its still good then the transmission linkage needs adjusting. Also the car doesn't idle well. I checked resistance of my spark plug wires...they all where supposed to be 6k ohms and the no. 2 cylinder wire was at 12k ohms. Explains why it sounds like the car is miss firing. Also I have to remember the car has the original wires with 197k on them...and the wires sat on the car outside for 9 years, which does pose some problems. I ordered some new wires off of ebay for $28. Also my knock sensor looks like crap and I'm not willing to trust it. Cause if it doesn't work properly it throws the ignition timing out of wack. Hopefully all will be good. I'm just waiting for the knock sensor to come in the mail. __________________ Donate now! Ask me How! Please use the search function it is your friend. Look at my mustang please feel free to comment! http://www.tfproject.org/tfp/showthread.php?t=26985

08-16-2006, 02:43 PM	#21 (permalink)
magictoy Crazy	The difference between you and me on things like this is I can change parts, but diagnosing the problem requires knowledge and experience I don't possess. Edit: I meant that I admire your diagnostic acumen. Edit edit: I was able to diagnose the rotors. Have you told the friend who said it needed "brakes and a clutch" everything you've done? P.S. You'll never be a real mechanic until you get some pants that show the crack of your ass more when you bend over. Last edited by magictoy; 08-16-2006 at 09:34 PM..