I picked up this '87 4000CS quattro in the summer of '08 with the intention of using it for the 2009 BA/BE Rally, having already completed the event in '07 with this Renault Encore. It's seen better days, but I don't think it's out for the count yet. At the very least, it could make a good BA/BE Rally car, which is exactly what I plan to do with it. The price was well within the limit at an even $200, and came with a spare set of rims!

On to the problems. From what I can figure, one of the previous owners had one or both of the differentials locked and was hooning about like some wannabe racecar driver until the driveshaft tore off, taking the exhaust pipe with it. No idea where the driveshaft or missing section of pipe are, but the car is currently FWD only and quite loud.

Also, the seller told me it had jumped timing, and it certainly had a lot of trouble running, but my friend and I suspected the plugs were fouled. We were right -- they were pretty awful. I threw a new set in after towing it back to my house and it started right up, purring like a kitten with no muffler or catalytic converter.

Actually, though it held idle just fine, when I tried revving it up a bit it seemed to run just as rough as before (think Harley), and when I let go it dropped to a low RPM before settling at a slightly shaky idle again. Even with e-advice from some Audi enthusiasts, I was not able to figure out the problem on my own, and after I limped it to the local cheapo exhaust shop, we got it up on a lift and discovered two bolts were missing from where the center differential and front suspension attach to the frame. Someone had started the project of replacing the driveshaft and gave up. That was a bit more than I could handle without a flat workspace or floor jack, so I had the car towed to my uncle's shop, where it will sit until we can get it going.