new to audis need advice

[DooBr]

ok so i have a few questions about audis. i have always owned jeeps and i have been fixing them up myself (i have a decent automotive background). i am in the market for something quick and i found a pretty nice 97 A4 1.8T

the 97 is very nice looking with awesome rims and interior with an upgraded turbo, bov, gauges, etc. with 160k miles on it and appears to be in good shape. it needs the mechanism for the driver window completely replaced.

here are my concerns:
my sister has a jetta of the same year and the parts are not cheap for it. are these cars durable because i am willing to replace a part here and there but im not looking to have to replace something every month like my sisters car. also with the upgraded turbo does it put any excess wear and tear on the engine thats significant enough to lessen the life noticeably? the car costs 3000 and thats a lot for me since im paying for my own college and i just need something to get there and back (3 hrs of driving per day) but i need something that will last (i dont drive like an ass, but i like to have the ability to on rare occasions)

i know german cars are annoying to work with under the hood sometimes (needs some specialty tools). how difficult are they to work on? do they require any weird tools like i fear they may?

any help would be great. i would obviously test drive it before buying it but i want to be informed before i drive to see it since its a couple hours from my house and i dont want to waste a bunch of my time and his.

[DooBr]

i was also looking at some late 80s 5.0 mustangs. does anyone know how prices are on parts? they arent quite as easy on the eyes and theyre around the same price range, but theyre pretty fast and they sound awesome with an exhaust. so does anyone have any opinions on 5.0s? im definitely leaning way more toward the audi but i thought it was worth mentioning that i am also interested in a possible mustang.

additionally, is there anything else that you know of around 4000 or less that is at least kind of quick and wont be breaking on me constantly? i really just need something reliable that doesnt make me look like a bum driving down the road. im not a fan of japanese cars but i NEED a car within the next couple months because my jeep is almost at 300,000 miles and the trans is going to go very soon. any help would be awesome. thanks.

[kevinande]

If I were low on funds and reliability was a concern, I was steer clear of a 15 year old turbo charged car with a 160k on the clock, despite the name plate. As I just mentioned in another thread, Mustangs, while not my favorite car, are cheap and reliable for the most part. Lots of aftermarket for the 5.0 engine. The late 90's models are not bad to look at, affordable and the motors are pretty decent. If you get one with the Single cam 4.6, just make sure it has the upgraded intake. Otherwise good reliable motor. There are also plenty of domestics that make good cheap transportation, but may not be very fun to drive. The older ZX2 like I have (241k by the way). There is the Focus and ZX3. The ZX2 while aged is cheap to operate both in fuel and parts, very affordable. Well I think I went a little beyond what you were asking for, but I hope it helps.

Good luck