Hi All,

I am thinking of buying a 1997 Cabriolet in CT before I move to CA, but I am not sure if it will pass CA emissions.

Does anyone know right off if there are any problems, and if so, any fixes?

Any help would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks!

 

my advice would be to have the car inspected. If you live near Stamford I could throw it on a lift to see if its in good condition (Im the manager of a dealership here). It should pass CA emmisions. I used to live there and it seemed pretty easy to pass cars even when they werent legal by slipping the guy a 50 or whatever. Still, the cab from that year has a lot of rough areas. Steering and suspension bushings/control arms tend to wear out really quick. You will want to inspect the top operation very carefully for signs of trouble and definitely do a water test on it to make sure there are no leaks. Normally you would want to buy a car in Cali instead of the NE. The cars out there tend to be in much better condition due to no salt on the roads and lack of winter...

 

Thanks for the info!

I had to weigh out the benefits of getting a car there as opposed to here.

I did some research on availability of cars in this area and there, and there was a significantly higher selection of cars here. This may be due to the fact that people are able to keep them on the road all year long there and so aren't as likely to give them up. On top of that, since people are tring to get rid of cars for the winter here, there are more on the market now, and the prices are more reasonable.

I'm just not familiar with Audis, and a bit paranoid about passing CA emissions.

I'll make sure to get it checked out and specifically test those areas you mentioned.

Thanks again-

 

Questur83-

One more question-

What are your thoughts on a Cabriolet? Do you think it would last?

 

My honest advice on a Cab would be to pass. Its not the greatest platform to begin with and the maintenance costs are pretty steep. Of course it depends on what you are paying for it. Forget the Blue Book, the car is not worth much. If you dont mind me asking...what is your budget?

 

I was trying keep it in the 8K range so I could buy a warranty and get both for no more than 10K altogether. Given the stats on the car, its probably the best deal I am going to get for my price range and still have a nice car.

I couldn't find a whole lot on the cabriolet, but what I did find for reviews was pretty positive, except for expensive repairs when needed. I'm used to the high maintenance costs because I currently have a Saab. I wanted a nice car that happened to also be a convertible, with low miles for the price range. I don't want a car note, so I am paying outright for it. I figured that I can have a budget for repair costs and given the overall cost of the car, it wouldn't be that bad. I'm only concerned with the value of the car for insurance reasons just in case anything were to happen to it.

It will only be 15 minutes each way every day for work, and no long distance to speak of so hopefully it will last a while. It is a 97 in great condition with just over 59,000 miles. I had it checked out and it sounds OK.

You never know what you are getting with a used car, so I'm keeping my fingers crossed. I figure if I don't like it in a couple years when the warranty expires, I can sell it for what I can get and get another car.

I prefer more of the older body styles for cars, so I can't really ever see getting a new one anyway.

 

BTW.. cute car Ques

 

I would think if you keep good care, and get a mechanic that understands AUDI, then it be very cheap.
most likly the CV boot be ripped or gona, bushings, they dont really cheak them, just visual. brakes. and thats all, cats should be good.

 

Also, keep in mind, it won't be held to CA standards. "49 state cars" (cars sold outside of CA) are held to less strict standards than CA cars. If you are really worried about it, find out what level of smog the car requires. Its fairly new, so you should be able to go to "Gold Shield Test and Repair" station. These guys are easy to pay off for a pass. "Test Only" stations are much tighter and are signifigantly more regulated than a Gold Shield station.

My 87 Jetta requires Test Only, and I've been having a real pain trying to find one to ignore illegal exhaust modifications, and pretty soon I'll need one to ignore engine swaps.

 

thanks Jess! Yeah I guess for your situation, price and overall condition of the car it actually is sounding much better. My offer still stands if you want it inspected! Sounds good!!!