Auster? Naaaaah!
Good old misty eyed British Classic the Auster.
Thats it really......
Costs are clearly the major (no pun intended) factor for you GD so you can forget the Auster.
Take a look at the Rollason Condor for a good, Honest, cheap as chips taildragger. Sweet handling, dead easy to fly.
I operate 2 Gipsy engines and until recently ran a Blackburn Cirrus Major as well so I know what these donks can cost to maintain and operate.
If you are stuck on an Auster, the worst scenario is a huge group buying a tired old dog and trying to run it on a shoestring.
Borrow the money (money is cheap these days) and buy a goodun'.
THe bank interest you will pay will be far less than the repair bills.
A syndicate of 4 is, in my view, the perfect number. Any more and you start to lose 'ownership.'
Happy landings
HP