B20bomber

Hey people of the forums. I feel this is odd for me finding myself on an Audi forum or really any European car forum for that matter due to the fact that I am an intensely devoted enthusiast of the Honda/Acura brand and am not familiar with many things European in terms of vehicles. I will be using this forum to ask questions to hopefully willing people to answer about my next purchase of a vehicle.....yes it's an audi

Here is my first question and it has everything to do with me buying this car or not. I have started a new job at a clean up shop here in town, and the owner has had his 1998 Audi A4 Quattro sedan (5 speed, silver) sitting in the back of the shop for over a year and a half. The history behind the car is this, when he first bought the car it ran mint. After a short period of time, apparently the timing belt was about to need changing so it was replaced. He finishes the timing belt change and runs into some internal problems with the head of the motor so he sent the head out to be rebuilt (by Audi mechanics) and received it back and installed it himself. Now everything seemed to have gone fine even after he started up the motor for the first time. Basically what was happening (a year and a half ago) was when he starts the car it goes no problem as long as you hold the revs up manually with your foot. If you let the car idle it will bog out and stall. The strange thing is as long as you take it out and continuously drive it without hitting and stops it's mechanically sound, but as soon as you idle it'll die.

With my experience in Honda (which I'm sure their systems are much more simple in comparison) is the first thing I would assume would be some sort of vacuum system problem or potentially some sort of sensor either IACV, FITV, or even MAP sensor(If Audi's have MAPs). Now here is the kicker, after 7K in parts after he had purchased the car, all kinds of things replaced and all the head work, he just gave up and it has sat there ever since. Take my word for it this car is absolutely pristine, silver in colour, 5 speed, all black leather interior /w woodgrain trim, 6 disc changer in te back, full options, heated seats.....im sure you get it, the works. He want's to get rid of the car for 2300$ because he just wants it gone, it's taking up an entire bay in our detailing shop.

It sounds like one of those too good too be true sort of deals for me, but then again I always wonder how some of my friends get these STEALS of a deal on some great cars and I don't. Perhaps it's because I'm always skeptical and pass on things like this, when they just kind of take the plunge and see what happens.

Please guys I could really use all the advice on this as possible. Recommendations on the buy, suggestions to what the problem could be and how much it is to fix it, anything really. I have always loved the whole Euro tuning side of things, and I really dig this A4 so I want to make sure I make the right decision on a platform.

Thanks in advance, and sorry for the novel I wanted to be descriptive

-Emilio


P.S. Please feel free to ask any questions about anything that didn't make sense or I didn't explain clearly, thanks!