I don't know if i can... i'd probably take a chance on it for that asking price, offer $1250, drive it away for $1500 and just laugh if it E36 M3s the bed in the next 6 months.
In reply to Swank Force One:
+1. I owned a '98 A4 Avant (wagon), 2.8 quattro, 5 spd. It was a nice car, although the mpg was a bit rough for me to deal with at the time (low-mid 20's). I'd probably live with it now.
Just make sure whoever does a timing belt change knows what they're doing. Whoever did the one in my car didn't and it blew up on the drive home from the dealer. You're damn right it's an interference engine... $5K in damage (parts & labor). Fortunately, not paid by me although I was out of the car for 6 weeks while the local Audi dealer fixed it.
Between the MPG and general fear, I sold the car 4 months later.
No.
I would buy it.
buy it
It's beige. That's all I've got against it.
It can't be that bad. I think it would make it to 170k miles at least before something major breaks.
You know what is more expensive than a cheap Porsche? A cheap Audi.
Unless you plan on gutting it and turning it into a challenge car, move along nothing to see here.
97 2.8 is the 12v without any of the issues the later 30v had. I owned that exact car from 40k to 193k and only had to replace the AC compressor and a couple of sets of front control arm (ball joints are non-serviceable, 60k item), and a couple headlight switches
I was using mine for rallyx and cracked the lower oil pan and unknowingly ran it out of oil until the light came on. JB welded the pan back together changed the oil and ran it for years without issue (105k to 195k). Only sold it due to the clutch getting close to being worn out and I didn't want to deal with it.
To this day it was the best car I have ever owned and the one I owned the longest. My current G37 may be a contender, by the A4 still has top billing.
Absolutely buy it. Drive it till it dies. Enjoy a semi-lux car for beater corolla pricing.
In reply to former520:
Is this related to the VW VR6(with the timing chain on the transmission side)?
That would be mine if it was not so far way. Get it.
Paul
The H-vac system greets you! "Hello." 
I do have one issue with it. How is October (Okt) 2014 a recent oil change?.
The_Jed wrote:
That's more recent than the last change i did on our Blue Cherokee.
Actually more recent than the change on anything except the red cherokee.
As a previous owner of a 99 Passat, please just run away.
The earlier cars are worse, although the V6 maybe okay.
B5's are just a bad idea. Nice looking cars but just grab your wallet and light it on fire. REALLY - it would just be a lot easier.
petegossett wrote: In reply to former520: Is this related to the VW VR6(with the timing chain on the transmission side)?
It is not related at all. It is a 60* IIRC proper V6. It is a carry over from the Quattro 90 that it replaced. In the 90 it was know as reliable except for the early ones had a oil pick up tube that would crack, suck air and do bad things. Not an issue in later 12v such as in this.
Wait, Chumbawamba has their own Craigslist?
Gone.
There I talked you out of it. 
In reply to bgkast:
Yeah, you guys didn't do a very good job...I emailed him last night. Fortunately he already had someone committed to buying it. Didn't want to explain this to SWMBO after the fact. 
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