Just when you think you know everything about a car, one pops up to surprise you. In today’s case, it’s the color which this early U.S. bound Audi Coupe was delivered in – LA3Y Surinam Red Metallic. It’s seriously rare and the first time in my many years of Audi Coupe following that I’ve seen one. Now, off the bat many would be forgiven for believing that all 2-door Audis from this period were GTs; however, the Coupe didn’t become the “GT” until the late 1983/84 models. There are actually a host of changes that differentiate them from the early GTs. First off, the early cars carried the code WE 2.1 liter inline-5 instead of the later KX or NG equipped 2.2/2.3 Coupe GTs. It wasn’t much less power than the later cars, but was rated at 100 instead of the later 110/130 horsepower GTs. Gearing was longer, too – intended to give the GT better fuel economy, coupled with the lower power the early Coupes are a few seconds slower to 60 than the ’84 up cars. The early cars also ran 4×100 instead of 4×108 wheels with smaller brakes. Inside, there were no big changes to the Type 81 between 1981 and 1984, though some of the interiors are more rare to see. In this case, the build sticker tells us this car was equipped with interior “KC”, which thanks to the B2 Resource Guide tells us this was the Negro interior with Tweed Check. The car was also pretty heavily – and somewhat oddly – optioned. For example, the buyer selected sunroof, air conditioning and power mirrors, but oddly not power windows. Whatever their motivation, the buyer clearly coveted this expensive Coupe as witnessed by the condition:
CLICK FOR DETAILS: 1982 Audi Coupe on eBay
Year: 1982
Model: Coupe
Engine: 2.1 liter inline-5
Transmission: 5-speed manual
Mileage: 70,040 mi
Price: No Reserve
Up for auction is the cleanest, most highly optioned, unmolested original Audi Coupe I have ever seen. This is a 1982 Audi Coupe (front wheel drive) that came to the dealer with the coveted inline 5 cylinder motor, factory A/C, 5sp manual transmission, sunroof, cruise control and many more options that make this car not only desirable but very rare. Total delivered price on this car was $16,020, that was a lot of money back in 1982!
I was given the option of purchasing this car from (unfortunately) a friend’s parent’s estate sale. It was a one owner car from 1982 until present. The reason I liked it so much was the story that went along with it. My friend’s Dad, a well established architect in town, bought this car brand new at the local Audi dealer nearly 33 years ago and drove it until the day that he passed away in 2009. His wife continued driving it until she passed away last spring. My friend, knowing that I was an Audi/VW fanatic, contacted me first. This highly optioned 82’ Coupe is the cleanest car I have ever seen from that time period. It is a true “time capsule†vehicle with 70,040 true original miles. I was ecstatic at finding such a rare and original German car that was so religiously maintained.
The original window sticker, sales receipt and 33 years of meticulously kept records and repair receipts will go along with the sale of this beautiful car. Take a look at the repair record that I have included in the picture album. The original owner was basically changing the oil every 1,000 miles based on the recommended time interval (not mileage) for maintenance. It is astounding going through the records that I have for the Coupe. I also have the original paper “Car Credentials Folio†from Jesse Boyce Motors, Grand Junction, CO. I had no idea there was ever an Audi Dealer in this area until I bought this car.
My original intention was to swap a turbo diesel motor in but after months of deliberating, I just couldn’t bring myself to do anything but keep it original. This car is just too clean to tear apart. I stored the vehicle all of last fall and winter in anticipation of said TDI swap but I just can’t do it. I would rather pass this incredible vehicle off to someone that will drive it and take care of it for a long time to come. I have owned many Audi’s, Vw’s, and BMW’s from the 80’s and 90’s but I’ve never come across one this nice.
Condition:
The paint on the vehicle is a 9/10 considering the age and the fact that its all original paint. As pictured in my gallery, there are several paint chips and a few small areas where the clear coat has come up a bit. The blemishes are very subtle. The body is remarkably straight with no rust or damage anywhere. The passenger side rear arch just in front of the rear wheel has a few rock chips from normal driving (see pictures). Otherwise, the car is immaculate for its age. To my knowledge, this vehicle has never been in an accident but I haven’t cleared this with a Carfax report.
The interior is an 8/10. It would be a 9.5/10 if I had gone to the effort of having the front seats reupholstered. I even found the original fabric from a website in Germany but never pulled the trigger because I already put so much time and money into making the car safe and current to drive. The seat fabric shows signs of wear but the bolstering in the sport seats is nearly perfect. There is nothing wrong with these seats at all. When I purchased the car it had seat covers on and I will include those with the sale. I wanted to take pictures of the vehicles true condition so that the next owner can see what is required to make this a perfect car. The dash is almost perfect with the exception of a few VERY VERY SMALL cracks that are starting to develop where the dry, Colorado weather has started to take its toll. You can’t even see these minute cracks while sitting in the front seats. The sunroof functions properly and the headliner and visors are in excellent condition. As an aside, this car was garaged its whole life and it shows. There is not a single spot of rust anywhere on the car. NO RUST! Take a look at the pictures of the undercarriage that I took when it was being aligned recently, its spotless.
Mechanically the car is currently an 9/10. To my knowledge, every single gauge and component is functioning properly. The only thing I am aware of that is not working is the A/C (it blows it just doesn’t blow cold). I depressed the valve and found that the A/C compressor is still holding a (small) charge, although it probably needs a recharge because it doesn’t seem to be blowing ice cold. Its winter so I haven’t messed with it. The heater and fan controls work phenomenally well. The speedometer and tach work great and I have tested the accuracy of the speedo with my GPS, its spot on. The headlights and turn signals all function properly. Cruise control works perfectly! I’ve just purchased a brand new Duracell Battery that is under warranty from ‘Batteries Plus.‘ I also just installed a new exhaust system and muffler within the last 50 miles. These maintenance and repairs have taken a good chunk out of my pocket book but I just love making these original cars run properly and function as they did new.
Since purchasing the car, I have gone through it and done any service that I felt necessary. This Audi Coupe mostly sat in the garage for the last few years as the widow of the original purchaser only drove it back and forth to the grocery store. Literally. I have documentation that shows the effective date of cancellation for insurance was in August of 2011. Since then it was garaged and fired up occasionally by the son of the original owner. I also have a receipt from State Farm Insurance that shows the “principal driver of this vehicle to be age 74.†In the last 5 years it literally became the grocery getter.
As soon as I purchased the vehicle I went through and drained/flushed all the fluids. This included a full brake fluid flush with ATE Super Blue and new brake lines just because. Oil change, radiator flush, and new OEM shocks/struts were installed. New windshield wiper blades. I also invested in a pair of Brand New BF Goodrich G-Force Super Sport All-Season tires were fitted to the car. These have about 40 miles of driving on them and the original receipt from Discount tire will be included. I just didn’t feel good about my pregnant wife or I driving on old tires.
I encourage you to take a look at the photos and compare them with my description. The original interior code sticker tag is still attached to the underside of the rear hatch. Original tool kit is included along with the original jack and “donut†spare tire. This car is not a perfect “concours†car but isn’t far away from that. If I didn’t have the need for a 4 door car (2yr old daughter and another due in June) I would keep this car and drive it myself. Its just too much of a chore dealing with a 2 door coupe and kids. This Audi Coupe drives and handles as it did over 30 years ago!
Please feel free to contact me with any questions you may have. I am willing to arrange shipping or travel up to 1000 miles to deliver the vehicle at a rate of $1 per mile. I also have more photos than the 24 allowed pictures on Ebay. If you want more pictures I can email them to you! I’ve included a quick list of service history below. I have an entire folder of receipts since new.
Maintenance Schedule: I have each and every receipt listed below.
June 2014: $800.40 Service that included full inspection belts/hoses/fluids
-New 72 month Interstate Battery + terminal pads
-New fuel pump and fuel filter
-Odometer 69,939
August 2011 Insurance cancelled and car went into storage. As of August 2011, Insurance card stated that “principal driver of this vehicle is 74 years old.”
November 2008: Oil change and full inspection. Odometer 69,233
February 2008: Replacement of original fuse box with brand new OEM fuse/relay panel.
February 2007: Full Service oil change/filter, fluid check, belt and hose check. Odometer: 68,808
September 2006: New timing belt, water pump, thermostat and fan switch installed.
Odometer: 68,363
January 2006: Full Service oil change/filter. New muffler and tailpipe installed.
Odometer: 68,170
Sept 2005: New tires installed
Odometer: 67,759
December 2004: Full Service oil change
Odometer: 67,269
March 2004: Full Service oil change, new door handle installed.
Odometer: 66,860
April 2003: Full service oil change and tire rotation
Odometer: 66,203
November 2002: Full service oil change, fluid top off.
Odometer: 65,720
November 2000: Full service oil change, install new power steering pump.
February 2000: Full service oil change and spark plug replacement.
Odometer: 62,197
November 1999: Full service oil change. Replace left rear wheel cylinder, brake system flush and rebleed. Bled cooling system with new fluid.
Odometer: 60,008
September 1999: New battery installed.
February 1999: Full service oil change. Replaced oxygen sensor.
Odometer: 55,787
March 1998: Full service oil change, fuel system cleaning, install new valve cover gasket set, new exhaust hangers, Radiator/cooling system flush.
November 1997: Full service oil change and checkup. Brake fluid flush.
Odometer: 54,148.
February 1997: Full service oil change. Replace fuel pump, fuel accumulator, O2 sensor, rubber mounts.
Odometer: 51,310
Sept 1996: Full service oil change, install new battery and pads, check all belts and hoses.
Odometer: 50,346
February 1996: Replace fuel filter, replace air filter, new spark plugs. Replace brake master cylinder and flush brake system. Replace distributor cap/rotor. Replace valve cover gasket.
Odometer: 47,886
April 1996: Thrust alignment
November 1995: Oil change, check hoses/belts/battery. Check and top up all fluids.
Odometer: 47,661.
October 1994: Oil change. Check hoses/belts/battery and top up fluids.
Odometer: 46,985
January 1993: New 185/60/14 Dunlop All-Season tires. Oil change. Check fluids/belts/hoses. Replace Trunk Support Shocks. Check E-Brake.
Odometer: 46,146
February 1993: Oil change. Check fluids/belts/hoses. Replace front and rear muffler. 4-Wheel alignment service.
August 1993: Full service oil change. Check fuel pressure and replace fuel pump relay.
Odometer: 42,231.
May 1991: Full service oil change. Rebuild power steering pump.
November 1990: Full service oil change. Check all hoses/belts/fluids. Replace window parts. Odometer: 37,429.
March 1990: Full service oil change. Odometer: 32,569.
March 1989: 30k service performed. Full service oil change. Replace front brake pads and rotors. Odometer: 30,254.
July 1988: Full service oil change and checkup. Odometer: 27,482
March 1988: Lube, check all fluid levels/belts/hoses/tires. Odometer: 25,205.
August 1987: Alignment. Oil change and fluid service. Odometer: 23,551.
June 1987: 4 new Nitto tires from Discount Tire. New window handle. Odometer: 22,000.
November 1986: Full service oil change. Steam clean engine. New Spark plugs. New Air filter. New Valve Cover gasket kit.
May 1986: Full Service oil change.
January 1983: Oil change. Replace air filter. Repair slow tire leak. Odometer: 11,311.
November 1982: Oil Change. Replace air filter and spark plugs. Odometer: 8,450.
1982: Oil change. Odometer: 3,975.
On Feb-19-15 at 14:33:35 PST, seller added the following information:
Update: I just ran a Carfax report and there are no accidents or collisions reported.
I also wanted to mention that this car has ALL original Audi glass. That is incredibly rare for any vehicle this old.
On Feb-20-15 at 07:48:08 PST, seller added the following information:
I’ve had so much interest in more photos that I opened a new album on Flickr. I’ve made notes of important things. Thanks for looking.
Flickr Link of more photos:
72157650920562642On Feb-20-15 at 07:54:54 PST, seller added the following information:
I also wanted to point out that the original “Cookie Cutter” 14″ Alloy wheels that came from the factory will also be included in the sale price. They are shown in the picture at the gas pump.
I will also include the Bentley Manual that I purchased for this car.
There were additional changes to the Coupe versus the Coupe GT; the lower, spongy spoiler was a dead giveaway and generally a spot of concern for rust on the early examples. However, rust doesn’t seem to be of much concern on this particular car. The car features Ronal R8 wheels that many later models ran in various bolt configurations and are usually associated with the B2; however, the original “Cookie Cutter” alloys are also included. Unfortunately, the interior shows some wear to the Tweed which will be difficult to fix because of the material; mechanically though, outside air conditioning that needs attention this car is far above average. It’s just so rare to find the early Audis in any condition close to this that it’s really a treat to see. While – respect to the seller – it’s not the nicest, most original example I’ve seen, it’s not far off and is pretty unique. Unsurprisingly, bidding has been very active on this rare example, and it’s already past $4,500 – what would have been considered the ceiling for even a very nice, late run ‘87.5 “Special Build” Coupe GT only a few years ago. The appreciation for these models is growing and they offer plenty of character in a package that stands apart from the Volkswagen crowd. It will be very interesting to see where bidding ends on what’s an irreplaceable bit of Audi history; I’d expect it should end between $5,000 and $6000 and would consider it a well bought classic at that price!
-Carter
