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Author: Carter

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Deja Vu All Over Again: 1986 Audi Coupe GT

Edit 10/8/2017 – This car is back up again on a new auction with the vinyl removed and/or replaced. The seller removed their ~$5,000 asking price but the car has gone through several reserve auctions and not cleared $3,000.

Do you ever see a car and think it looks awfully familiar? Probably like a lot of you, I scan listings nearly every day, and every day provides a wealth of new examples of rare cars that encourages a lot of what we do here at GCFSB. But, once in a while, one pops up that sticks out like a sore thumb.

Now, being the chief (and only) Audi Coupe GT enthusiast in the world at GCFSB, I’m obviously prone to remembering these cars. Sure enough, with so few hitting the market these days I tend to remember every single example I’ve written up – meaning, basically every single example which comes to market – sorry about that.

But this one is particularly interesting. I immediately recognized the Team Dynamics wheels that this 1986 was wearing, but the two-tone paint color was off. Not many Oceanic Blue Metallic Coupe GTs are still kicking around, but at least the sides of this one were the neat and oh-so-80s-electric hue. But closer investigation of some of the details in the description revealed what I thought; this was the same GT I knew from the early 2000s. Originally, the car was Graphite Metallic with black leather – a rare combination on an infrequently seen car – and had been upgraded to participate in track events in Pennsylvania with a cage, a hotter NG motor, rear discs and upgraded suspension, those great looking Team Dynamics wheels and a few other odds and ends. Later it turned up on the West Coast with a notorious flipper of Audis; now with European H1/H4 lights and little else but failing paint, the flipper was looking to make a profit claiming it was one of the best GTs in the country. In 2015 it turned up on eBay with a Missouri dealer who had wrapped the car in matte blue vinyl to cover up the failing paint; otherwise, there were no changes. The car sold for $3,250 and was gone.

Well, it’s back again. Now apparently in Indiana with a repainted top section in what appears to be matte black and with what appears to be much brighter blue sides, the H1/H4 lights are gone replaced by standard 9004 U.S. spec lights and strangely the black leather late B2 interior has been swapped for a brown leather Quattro stripped interior. Otherwise, few miles have been accrued. The seller is looking now for $7,450 – some $4,200 more than they (or someone before them) paid a few years ago. While the Quattro interior is worth a pretty penny in good shape alone, the removal of the Euro lights and no other additions have me scratching my head as to where the value came from. Nevertheless, I enjoy a mystery from time to time, so here you can look back at what I wrote in 2015, including links to the original build of the car, and decide if it’s worth it for yourself.

CLICK FOR DETAILS: 1986 Audi Coupe GT on eBay

The original post below appeared on our site in June, 2015

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2001 BMW M3 with 10,000 Miles

EDIT 8/10/2017 – IT’S BACK! Now with a $58,900 asking price, according to Hunting Ridge Motor’s site. With prices on the rise when the right combinations appear on these E46s, it will be interesting to see when and what amount it finally sells for.

EDIT 7/25/2014: with a few well placed seeds and some research, it appears that this car is the same one as the 10,000 mile M3 I wrote up in May here. That makes the asking price and modifications all the more puzzling. Thanks for the interest and sorry that I didn’t catch it the first time around!

What is the price for perfection? What would you be willing to pay for a brand new example of the car you love? There are certainly a lot of people who love the E46 M3 including me. I really think it was a high point of design for BMW; those sweeping arches, the delicate lines in the hood, the hunched, angry stance – it’s perfect, and best of all, it’s relatively affordable still. But many have already begun to fall into disrepair, and of course when you’re buying an older car you’re subject to what comes to market and managing repairs, restoration and asking price. But what if the car was effectively brand new? Chances are everyone would say “Sign me up!”, especially if that car was in one of the most sought after color combinations. They would, that is, until they saw the price tag:

CLICK FOR DETAILS: 2001 BMW M3 on eBay

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Forbidden Fruit: 1992 Volkswagen Passat G60 Syncro

There was nothing particularly revolutionary about the B3 Passat G60 Syncro. The prior Quantum (née Passat) had borrowed Audi’s full quattro setup in the Syncro model. The G60 supercharged engine had debuted in the Golf in Europe as early as 1988, but it wouldn’t be until late 1989 and the new Corrado model’s introduction that the G-Lader would become better known on these shores. But the G60 Syncro Passat was the first time that all three were combined, and it took the more exotic drivetrain setup from the Rallye and brought it to a mainstream market.

The PG G-Lader devoted to the Rallye, G60 and Passat Syncro wasn’t the most powerful unit VW of the time period at 158 horsepower and 166 lb.ft of torque (the 3G 16V version in the Golf Limited had 50 horsepower more), but the combination of these items seemed awesome at the time to U.S. fans because, of course, in the midst of VAG’s early 90s sales slump they opted not to bring the package here. Like the Corrado, based on Mk.2 underpinnings the Passat’s engine configuration had moved from longitudinal in the B2 to transverse in the third gen, meaning that Audi’s quattro system remained unique to that brand. The Golf’s transverse engine placement precluded use of the Audi longitudinal design, which used output shafts and mechanical differentials. Instead, Volkswagen turned to Austrian company Steyr-Daimler-Puch for development.

Noted for development of four-wheel-drive systems and probably most recognizable for the Pinzgauer military vehicle, Steyr’s solution to the transverse problem was to utilize a viscous coupling similar to the AMC Eagle. However, while the Eagle’s system was all-wheel drive, all the time, Volkswagen’s system would only engage when the front wheels slipped.

Like the Audi 90 quattro it competed against, the Syncro Passat wasn’t particularly quick but was pretty expensive in period, and neither sold very well in the grand scheme. The G60 Syncro was offered in the Great White North, though, and now that enough time has passed these forbidden fruits can finally be brought in to the U.S. – if you can find one….

CLICK FOR DETAILS: 1992 Volkswagen Passat G60 Syncro on eBay

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1986 Audi Coupe GT with 3,390 Miles

If yesterday’s 76,000 mile Audi Coupe GT was impressive, today’s example is close to unbelievable. Yet here it is – a 1986 model with a scant 3,390 miles showing on the odometer. You’re probably used to seeing very low mile Porsche 911 models, and occasionally we see similar time capsule Mercedes-Benz or BMWs – but nearly never an Audi. Once again, it would be simple to default to the ‘broken odometer’ argument, but the evidence does seem to mount that this might be a fully original example. Welcome, then, to what is as close to a museum-quality example of a Coupe GT as might exist in the U.S.:

CLICK FOR DETAILS: 1986 Audi Coupe GT on Charleston Craigslist

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1986 Audi Coupe GT

Within the world of older Audis, it’s often a case of pick your poison. Do you want low miles? Do you want good exterior condition? Do you want good mechanical condition? Do you want a manual? Do you want a desirable model?

Running down the checklist when considering the pool of available candidates, infrequently are you allowed to shout out “BINGO”!

But today (and, as it turns out, tomorrow!) we look at something special for fans of the two-door variety:

CLICK FOR DETAILS: 1986 Audi Coupe GT on eBay

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