need an honest opinion

[E30Idea]

Keep your E30

[allwheeldrive]

How deep is your wallet?

[bimmerboy08]

seems too good to be true. keep the e30.

[nickpdx]

I'd take that audi n fix it n sell it.

This. Then buy a decently nice e30 for a good price and use the extra cash to fix it up.

[Alkasquawlik]

Depends.
If you feel like you can fix up the audi a little bit and flip it, I'd do that, but you obviously run a huge risk on not being able to sell it, especially in this economy, and then you're stuck with a POS audi.

Are you feeling lucky?

[einstein57]

Ladies will prefer you own the A4. After a year you'll wish you kept the e30. The only way i'd consider it is if it was a 1.8t

[TDE30]

Derailing from Danny's postwhorefest, that A4 might be something worth looking at. Bottom line, you have an M10-powered E30 with some minor rust issues, if someone is offering you anything else besides a Flintstones-mobile you should take it. There are plenty of electronic quirks on those B5's, that sunroof situ might just be a regulator, do some reading/searching around the 'net. Check for sludge, check to see if the timing chain has been replaced, check any leaky gaskets (VC is a popular one,) check the records too. The only downside about the A4 is that it is nearing the mileage where lots of little things will pop up and cost you shittons.

This might not be the ideal B5 to pick up (or to trade up to,) but it may not be bad way to ditch the semi-rusty M10-powered car.

/$0.02

Addendum: Don't even consider trading if it's a FrontTrak/FrontCrap.

[spooledtt]

I would seriously consider it, then i saw it was a 2.8. 1.8t is the only way to go on a b5 imo

[e30lov]

i appreciate all the input in this thread, when the offer was initially put in front of me i thought it was some sort of joke, however as days passed noises started to appear that concerned me. I posted this exact thread over on fourtitude's b5 forum and everyone in the thread told me to keep the bimmer, however here at r3v more people seem to be siding with the b5. interesting. TDE, i really agree with the whole ditching of the semi-rusting m10 car, its only showing minimal rust in the wheel well, however the trunk gets wet and the windshield leaks into the glove box...the more i think about it im almost damn sure there is more cancer elsewhere.

[TDE30]

^ Yeah, the rust just seems like it could really put a damper on the car later on (making it more difficult to sell, making it pointless to modify, and making that A4 you blew off months ago seem like a decent deal.) I'm not saying the A4 is without it's potential issues, and I hope you do your homework before making a move, but it seems like a good chance to unload your current car that could cost you lots later on. I'd say, if you're hooked on the B5 thing, check out your friend's car and have someone well-versed with VAG cars go through it thoroughly.

Best of luck.

[daniel]

it seems like you could straight trade sell the audi and buy an e30 again that's nicer. haha.

i think this is what you should do.

[northwestm3]

The squeaky noise is a worn out control arm which is a very common problem. About $600 in parts to replace all of them which is the proper way to do it. They do not sell the ball joint so you have to buy the whole arm with joints. You can buy one for a little over $100 but the rest are soon to go if one is gone. The also have very common problems with the tie rod ends. Bearing noise from the tranny is the scary part. They use yellow metals for gears so they are extremely expensive if the tranny is on it's last legs. A new tranny would be more than the car is worth. I would say no thank you and keep your car.

[robmespeedy]

Your car gets 40+MPG???

[e30lov]

my last trip to ocean city MD i put in 10.7 gallons when my fuel light was on. I drove all the way there (179 miles) drove the whole time i was down there (TONS of red lights and traffic), and drove all the way back, 422 miles total, 39.4mpg

[88e30is]

The 2.8 has a very very very low mod ability ceiling. Meaning after suspension/exhaust there is not much else you can do. Ask me how I know. I had a 98 a4 quattro with a 2.8 and I did everything I could to it. The car was a very nice ride and had plenty of luxury but if you plan on making it a fast car I would skip that and go with the 1.8t.