B2 Coupe 5Cyl - should I buy one?

[athwyorks]

Hello. Relative newbie here, although an Audi-phile for 45 years. I'm always a bit anxious posting a new thread/topic in case I haven't found an existing one to add to but here goes. I owned a 1983 Coupe 5E Fi for a few years in the early 90s (A260MUM) and was lucky enough to own a 1984 UR Quattro Turbo for a couple of years in the early 00s. I regret selling both, bitterly, but circumstances prevented me from keeping either at the time. Now I have some time and funds I'm keen to recapture my youth and replace the 1980s 2WD Coupe, preferably with one like I had, the pre-facelift 1983/84 model. I won't have a garage big enough to dry keep it for a few years but I feel like if I don't acquire one soon they will become too pricey and rare for my wallet so I may have to buy and dry store until I have the correct facilities. My question, after all this waffle, is how practical is it for me to consider having one at all? What is spares availability like generally? My impression is that bodywork, interior, lights and fittings are rare and expensive. Running gear, mechanicals and electrics are reasonable. I consider the B2 Coupe to be reasonably simple to work on but I was in my 20s when I last owned one. All opinions welcome. Should I just be happy with a more resilient and plentiful Mk1 TT Coupe Quattro as my weekend toy?

[Steve Q]

Corrosion can be problematic and parts are starting to become scarce. On the plus side as you're looking at an 83/84 model it should be tax exempt. 

Go for it I'd say. You only live once. 

[athwyorks]

Thanks for the encouragement. I recall carrying out the common (although I didn't know at the time) welded repair to the OS lower door hinge A-pillar due to the probably blocked sunroof drains. It was about 10 years old when I sold it so the other usual rust spots hadn't developed. Plus being a pre-facelift there were no enclosed bumpers to hide salt and grit behind. I'll keep looking then.....

[Steve Q]

Keep us posted on how you get on 

[athwyorks]

I will do...but it may take a while as they are quite rare now. I'm kicking myself for missing the perfect car a couple of weeks ago. I was abroad when one turned up at auction. I couldn't get registered in time to bid and it went for a figure within my budget. Hey ho.

 

Anyone any tips on where to look beyond this forum, eBay and Car & Classic?

[Steve Q]

I'm a firm believer that everything happens for a reason. 

Definitely try eBay, car and classic and even Facebook marketplace. But with Facebook marketplace or eBay don't hand over any cash without seeing the car as there's a lot of scams. 

[athwyorks]

Thanks again Steve, I'll try them all, and yes, always cautious.

[Steve Q]

Please keep us posted on how you get on 

[Pineapple]

Hi....If you're still looking for a coupe GT I have a blue 2.0 auto one available if you're interested?

[RShole]

After picking up my dream car a few days before christmas with a "why the hell not" attitude, i say go for it.

They're getting harder to find every year

[athwyorks]

Hi Pineapple. Thanks for the message and the offer. I am a dyed-in-the-wool manual transmission guy. I like an automatic about 10% of the time - eg city driving - but I find most of the time they are never in the right gear for me. Separately I have also recently discovered that if/when I acquire a b2 Coupe I'm going to need appropriate remote temporary storage as my garage isn't really big enough with all the other c**p I tend to keep. I don't have a problem with this as I'll be keeping the car indefinitely and I'll include its storage needs in my next house move in 3-4 years time. 

[athwyorks]

2 hours ago, RShole said:

After picking up my dream car a few days before christmas with a "why the hell not" attitude, i say go for it.

They're getting harder to find every year

Hi RShole and thanks for your encouragement. I am naturally cautious but I do feel like I should get one sooner rather than later for the reason you mention. Just trying to resolve the medium term storage issue - see my reply to Pineapple. What was your dream car BTW?

[RShole]

It is my current RS5 , loved them since they day they came out but never imagined i'd actually have one.

There used to be a gold coloured B2 coupe down the road from my mums many years ago, did you have a preferred colour in mind?

[athwyorks]

Good choice the RS5. As for the B2 Coupe, my 1983 5E was black metallic with silver below the rubber bump strips, silver front spoiler and the fade out Audi rings on the door bottoms so if I was going to relive my twenties then that would be it. Gold wouldn't be my choice unless it ticked every other box. My preference would be black, blue or red, but never white.

[athwyorks]

On 10/22/2024 at 5:30 PM, Steve Q said:

Please keep us posted on how you get on 

Okay, so I've bought one. Not the 1983/83 model I was initially after but a 1988 2.2fi FWD in tornado red - it was the fuel injected 5cyl that was most important to me. I was swayed by the current condition, recent body work and steady use over recent years - currently 181K but 50K over the last 20 years. It looks great with just enough tidying jobs to keep me busy when I have time. Bonus is that it fits in my garage at home and with my wife's consent we can move the exercise equipment into another room so I have space to work on it too. It is SORN at the moment and I'll probably keep it that way and tax it during the summer months. If you are interested it featured in a number of recent YouTube videos by OG Cars. I'll be selling the current private plate which is a bit geeky even for me. Wish me luck reliving my twenties! I suspect I will need plenty of support from the forum to begin with.

[Steve Q]

Sounds lovely! Bet your pleased 🙂 I'll look forward to seeing some pics. 

[athwyorks]

Just now, Steve Q said:

Sounds lovely! Bet your pleased 🙂 I'll look forward to seeing some pics. 

Thanks. Still reeling a bit TBH but she looks great. Runs well and passed the MOT a couple of weeks ago with no advisories. Underneath, running gear and engine bay all need a good clean to match the bodywork appearance. Can anyone recommend books that cover the Bosch K-Jetronic fuel injection relevant to this model please? Nothing needs doing now but I'd like to understand better how it works. Also trying to update my profile to include details and pictures.

[Steve Q]

Fantastic stuff. Glad it's got an MOT so it can be used 🙂

[RShole]

1 hour ago, athwyorks said:

Okay, so I've bought one. Not the 1983/83 model I was initially after but a 1988 2.2fi FWD in tornado red - it was the fuel injected 5cyl that was most important to me. I was swayed by the current condition, recent body work and steady use over recent years - currently 181K but 50K over the last 20 years. It looks great with just enough tidying jobs to keep me busy when I have time. Bonus is that it fits in my garage at home and with my wife's consent we can move the exercise equipment into another room so I have space to work on it too. It is SORN at the moment and I'll probably keep it that way and tax it during the summer months. If you are interested it featured in a number of recent YouTube videos by OG Cars. I'll be selling the current private plate which is a bit geeky even for me. Wish me luck reliving my twenties! I suspect I will need plenty of support from the forum to begin with.

Good stuff! glad you found one you liked. Can't wait for the pics to appear.

So....lets see it then

[Pineapple]

1 hour ago, athwyorks said:

Thanks. Still reeling a bit TBH but she looks great. Runs well and passed the MOT a couple of weeks ago with no advisories. Underneath, running gear and engine bay all need a good clean to match the bodywork appearance. Can anyone recommend books that cover the Bosch K-Jetronic fuel injection relevant to this model please? Nothing needs doing now but I'd like to understand better how it works. Also trying to update my profile to include details and pictures.

I recently bought a Haynes manual off eBay which includes the jet tronic system...cheap...around £10 delivered

[athwyorks]

22 hours ago, Pineapple said:

I recently bought a Haynes manual off eBay which includes the jet tronic system...cheap...around £10 delivered

Thanks Pineapple. Was it a fuel injection specific manual or just the correct one for the car?

[athwyorks]

22 hours ago, RShole said:

Good stuff! glad you found one you liked. Can't wait for the pics to appear.

So....lets see it then

 

[athwyorks]

On 1/4/2025 at 2:22 PM, Steve Q said:

Sounds lovely! Bet your pleased 🙂 I'll look forward to seeing some pics. 

Hi. Some pics posted below if you are interested. 

[Pineapple]

5 minutes ago, athwyorks said:

Thanks Pineapple. Was it a fuel injection specific manual or just the correct one for the car?

Just the Haynes manual for the Audi 80 that also covers the GT Coupé variations 

[Pineapple]

4 minutes ago, athwyorks said:

 

Is this the barn find quattro recently for sale on eBay?