The 1984 Audi 4000S quattro is a bit of a unique beast. Though it appeared for all intents and purposes identical to the 4000S Limited Edition from the same year, underneath the two shared little in common. Indeed, when you lifted the covers much more of the quattro model was shared with its bigger brother, the exotic Quattro – the so called “Ur-Quattro” by fans. Herein lies part of where things get confusing in Audi history, since the actual development mules for the boxflared rally wonder utilized the 4000 (née 80). You could make a pretty convincing argument that the small sedan was the original, but that’s neither here or there at this point and is generally semantics (though, it’s occasionally nice to splash the waters of reality on enthusiast’s ill-informed fires of unshakable belief). Whoever was technically first, there’s no denying that the 4000/80 model brought the idea of permanent all-wheel drive to a much more affordable market of rally-bred enthusiasts who eagerly snapped up the roughly 4,500 examples of the first year model. Radical looking changes came for the 1985 model year with a thorough refresh, and there are those who love both generations with equal aplomb. Admittedly, I’m a fan of the post 85 models, sometimes referred to the as the “sloped grill” cars. But you don’t have to go far to find fans of the more square ’84 model. One reader of ours tasked me with the goal a few years back of keeping an eye out for a clean ’84. Easy, right? Not so fast…
CLICK FOR DETAILS: 1984 Audi 4000S quattro on eBay
Year: 1984
Model: 4000S quattro
Engine: 2.2 liter inline-5
Transmission: 5-speed manual
Mileage: 144,701 mi
Price: $8,995 Buy It Now
1984 Audi 4000 S Quattro
~ QUATTRO AWD ~
~ 5 speed manual ~
~ Differential locks ~With ONLY 144k MILES
WE OFFER FLAT RATE SHIPPING ANYWHERE IN THE CONTINENTAL US
PLEASE CONTACT US FOR A DELIVERY QUOTECar is Fully Loaded as follows:
* All Power Options *
* Factory tilt-slide power sunroof *
* Alloy wheels *
* Center and Rear Differential locks *
* Rare and desirable ’84-only code 016 gearbox with shorter 5th gear *
* “Quattro” script on the back glass and rear vent windows *
Just say, Show Me the CARFAX!
* Owners’ manuals are present *
* Complete $1200 service just performed by Quattrohaus LLC (best classic Audi/Porsche shop in NJ) – references available *
* Runs Fantastically *
* Has a functional power antenna, radio and working AC *
* Brand new brakes, rotors, battery, etc – too much to list here *
Please Contact (484)222-1002 with questions or offers
CARFAX Price Adjustment
Worth $390 more than
retail book value
From far away, this 4000S quattro looks great. Gleaming white paint in what appears to be all original condition is hard to find these days. Stepping inside is the brown Kensington velour looks generally nice and the only item which looks out of place is the far too new radio. But zoom in a bit and the details begin to emerge; inside alone there’s broken and cracked trim and dash and a wrecked shift knob. It’s all there, but it looks pretty tired. Step back outside for a moment and that gleaming white paint is a respray, and what looks to be a budget one at that as many of the trim screws and detail work was left in place and painted over. The wheels are curbed and tired, and the studless snow tires and block heater indicate that this car was probably a winter ride; problematic for these rust-prone early examples. At least one of the tires is completely bald, too – probably an indication of an ill-aligned car pushing or pulling one wheel around. Back in 1995, when my 4000CS quattro was only a scant 9 years old, the rear tie rods were completely rusted frozen and the result was that I pulled the rear wheels around everywhere I went. It only took a few weeks to destroy a set of tires. Under the hood looks also pretty typically tired; not a mess, but not pristine by any stretch of the imagination. While the dealer claims that $1,200 has been spent on service recently, what was done with that $1,200 isn’t disclosed.
Is this car salvageable? Certainly. You might be able to find a crack-free early dash, but probably the easier solution is to upgrade to the later style dash. Wheels and mechanical suspension bits can be easily fixed, and even rust can be remedied if it’s not too far gone. But one has to wonder what lies under the recent respray, and certainly for me the car is not worth anything close to the $9,000 asking price. I could see value at around $4,000 assuming there isn’t some major problem underneath being hidden, because finding relatively clean 1984s at all is pretty hard. At this price it will have to take someone who is desperate for an ’84 and has deep pockets to trade hands, but I think we’re likely to see this one linger for some time with some price drops before it moves.
-Carter
