5000S Wagon

Our Heart & Soul

A lot happens in 1,557 days. November 28, 2018 is a day that I no longer give much mind to, except on each November 28 that has come and gone since. I don’t actually drive on that day… Anywhere. Am I superstitious? Maybe a little. And yes, we lost a beautiful ‘84 5000 wagon that night, but I didn’t lose my life or become permanently injured, and I have a strong D-pillar to thank for that. I have my forever Audi sedans, which occupied a good chunk of those days locating and restoring. The 4000 and V8 were all completed during this time and will remain with me until the day I die, but something was still missing and I would be forever searching for the quad-headlight station wagon that made the ultimate sacrifice. Now, the search is over. And it’s a chapter of great weight that can be lifted off my shoulders. So for the 10-year anniversary of T44Brian in 2023, I found exactly what I was looking for.

ARLEY OVERVIEW 

Personality Profile: Throaty mostly for show, and with little reserve power to muster, the early-production 5000 quirks and refinement issues can easily be forgiven as these uniquely balance basic transportation goals with an aspirational luxury feel that is not felt in the later cars. Much like the C2 before it, thinking of these first year models as a “big 4000” rather than “flagship heart-stopper” isn’t totally wrong. However, with cargo room to spare and a profile that can’t be mistaken for anything else, a C3 5000 wagon is something you want to take everywhere for no other apparent reason except for… It just feels right.

1985 Audi 5000S Wagon (Production 2/85) 2.2L I5 (KZ) | 3-Speed Automatic (087) 

Stone Grey Metallic LY7U | Grey Perforated Leatherette

MSRP: $21,690

Dealer: Holbert Audi, Warrington, PA (now Audi Warrington)

Dealer Delivery Date: July 7, 1985

Factory Options: Perforated Leatherette Interior, Roof Rails, Rothenburg AM/FM Stereo, Power Sunroof

Dealer Installed Accessories: None

Member of T44Brian since 3/4/2023

Special Plate: 12453

Status: Completed Restoration, Permanent Collection

Usage: Show Car Only

Odd & Unique About This Car: 1985 US-Spec 5000S cars are somewhat of a transitional mixed bag. Aside from revised paint choices, there were also some design quirks from the base ‘84s that have been resolved: the window switches are now door-mounted rather than below the head unit on the center console, scratchy “not quite velour, not quite tweed” seating fabrics moved to the pinstriped mouse-fur “Kensington” style, and all models, including the 5000S Turbo, received wider-chromed door side moldings to now match chrome bumper filler trims, which were previously body-colored. On the wagons specifically, rear speakers moved from the cargo area to the rear door cards, and the perforated leatherette interior was now a $90.00 upgrade over the new standard velour (cloth was always standard on the sedans, and leatherette would disappear from the lineup after 1986). The 2.14L WU engine is now a 2.22L KZ, which nets a pleasant-on-paper but nearly undetectable 10 horsepower gain. The quad headlamp setup sees its final year across the line, and for ‘86, the wagon’s large rear spoiler will be reduced significantly in size for better rear visibility.

Name Origin: In Hebrew, Arley means “promise.” With a promise to myself to find another 5000 wagon and a re-commitment to drive exclusively 80s Audi vehicles, we kick off the next chapter of T44Brian with a fleet that was specifically curated and built to my personal tastes.

The life of Arley before coming here is not well known. We know he was purchased new at Holbert Audi in Warrington, PA and stayed within the area for nearly 35 years. At some point he was parked in a carport and left unused for some time. We assume that an estate sale or otherwise liquidation of property occurred, as he was removed by a tow company in PA around 2022. Arley was then listed by the company “for parts” on a Marketplace post, and that the car was going to scrap in short order. That’s where a friend of mine stepped in and was able to save the car from the crusher. He did put him back on the road successfully after a thorough mechanical refresh, though only for a limited time – as a hot start, then a more overall hard-start condition left the car stagnant again for almost a year.

Around this time I was working on my third 20v Avant, which was in theory still Lago Blue and cheap rescue I secured on Marketplace as well. Over the years I had amassed a decent collection of new parts and bits to throw on my cars, and this one got the full parts-bin treatment to a somewhat running/driving standard. While the goal of using up a few boxes of parts was met, there was another box that continued to collect dust in the garage, labeled “84 5000.” This box had been sealed for the past 5 years and its contents were the small things I was able to save from our unfortunately short-lived ’84 5000 Wagon, Zygmunt. No car added to the collection since has been able to use these items as they were very specifically for an ’84 or ’85 5000: as we know, Audi was not a stranger to sudden production changes and one-year only ideas earlier in the run of the C3. I certainly didn’t love having this box as a reminder of the past, but I had been, up to that point, holding out great hope to find another quad-headlight wagon eventually.

While we got the Lago 20v rescue to a decent standard, I started to lose interest in the car as it really just wasn’t a proper replacement for the wagon I had been looking for. I like to keep busy, but I felt my efforts were being wasted on a car I had no real intention to keep or take further. Knowing that my friend was holding Arley in the works waiting for the hard-start diagnosis, I drummed up the idea to potentially swap cars. After a few talks and some planning, my friend kindly delivered Arley to me and took the 20v Avant home. I suppose that all 3 20vs at that point had been placeholders; the things that got me (finally) to the one thing I had been missing.

So in March 2023, we finally opened up that “84 5000” box and used almost everything I had to fix up this car. My friend had included a new fuel pressure regulator with the “swap,” which did end up fixing the hard-start issue (though the ’84-85 cars are still known for hot start issues due to poor heat-soak management at the injectors, but you just learn to live with that at this point). I’m usually scrambling to find parts for new restorations, but after a thorough detail and once-over Arley proved to be in fantastic shape. And just a couple months later at Carlisle, which for 2023 Audi was the featured marque, I hit the jackpot and found some NOS items, including the completely unobtainable Walnut Trim decor kit from a father/son duo looking to unload their collection of VW and Audi parts in the swap meet section. After all the years of usually coming home empty handed from the show, 2023 will go down as the best Carlisle so far specifically for that reason!

Up until Arley’s arrival, the collection didn’t feel complete. Not only did it break the 6-year long search for a proper early wagon, it also meant I could finally take a break from hounding the internet and leads daily to any potential replacement to buy. In a way, Arley allowed me to take a needed step-back from the constant chase of old Audis and focus on other things for a while. You might even say I stopped being T44Brian for a bit: but as you know, cars come and go and sometimes certain cars come into my life that really re-ignite the passion all over again (looking at you, Scheffler).

Arley also pushed me to get rid of some deadweight in the collection: even though you can love a car and spend a lot of time getting it perfect, sometimes that perfection means the end of the road. Or, sometimes, they become too needy and with limited resources there is a decision to be made which cars mean the most and are most important to keep top-notch. So, he is responsible for the mass exodus of C3 sedans, which were really just placeholders until I found exactly what I was looking for. That in turn led to Arley getting some hand-me-downs from cars that were leaving, as well as the other main character energy 4000 and V8-quattro receiving further restoration work. Then for 2024 and 2025, we had plenty of space to add some new life in the garage.

As of this writing in May 2025, we are back up to six vehicles in the collection: and as much as I *really* love the way the collection is now, especially with the addition of a C2 5000, Arley is in my opinion the flagship of T44Brian. It’s a car that represents my entire journey the best, even if its not the rarest, fastest, or most perfect of them (and it’s not a manual or quattro, and to that I say, keep bitching if you must). But hey, we’re clearly not going to find another anytime soon!

Notable Mods & Changes

2024: Minor Updates

• Addition of “Wide” Style Genuine Rear Splash Guards
• 15” Euro-Only Aero Wheel Covers
• Coco Mats
• NOS Rothenburg radio
• Refurbished Rain Tray
• NOS Genuine Audi Sunroof Wind Deflector

2023: Restoration

• NOS 5000S Walnut Trim Decor Kit ZAW147501
• NOS Front & Rear Splash Guards
• NOS Sets of Floor Mats, Grey & Black
• Refurbished Instrument Cluster with Replacement Autocheck Module
• New Coolant & Brake Fluid Reservoirs
• Full CIS System Refurbishment
• New Rear Antenna
• New Set of Sealed Beams
• Paint Correction & Trim Refurbishment
• Replacement Window Chrome Trim
• Replacement Front Speakers