[200q20v] 200Q 20V Pre-Delivery Jitters

[Tomsaudi at aol.com]

It looks like I'll be picking up my '91 Maritime Blue 200 20V Quattro within 
a couple of days. I bought the car Saturday, but there was a delay since the 
dealer wanted the hood re-painted. I received a phone call Monday evening 
telling me that they had decided that two of the tires had "marginal" tread, 
and that all four were being replaced with "nearly new" tires. I had checked 
the rubber myself, and they were certainly OK, not needing immediate 
replacement, so obviously I was pleased at this news, at least it will save 
me some money down the line. 

However, the general topics of discussion here clearly show my unfamiliarity 
with the car. All this talk of UFO brakes, etc, has me confused, and 
uncertain of how to assess my Audi when I take delivery of her.

Things that worry me:

During my test drive, on the highway, I braked hard, and there was a shudder 
in the steering wheel. I demonstrated this to the salesman in the car with 
me, and again to the sales manager upon my return. BUT, according to the 
list, correcting the brakes on this car can be elusive even to a seasoned 
European car specialist. What if they do not correct the problem, not so much 
out of ignorance, but simply not knowing?

I have been cautioned by members of this list about reading my boost gauge to 
make sure the turbo is functioning properly. Well, that's good and all, but 
where is the boost gauge? I stared like an idiot at the dash, and I couldn't 
see it. For the love of Pete, someone tell me where the boost gauge is. I 
have begged this question before (to the Quattro list, not you guys 
exclusively), and no one will tell me. And provided I can find this elusive 
bit of info, please tell me how to tell if the turbo is working properly.

Granted, the car felt very quick, but, since I have been driving a Range 
Rover all year, I wasn't used to a multi-valve engine with a turbo, which 
typically gets its boost of power higher up in the revs. I didn't really 
sense any turbo lag, nor did I sense a turbo kick in and kick my ass either. 
I'm relying on your experience with the car's performance characteristic's to 
guide me here. 

I know the car has to go through inspection, and that the dealer's mechanics 
are going to check it out mechanically. There is no warranty (CT law mandates 
that no dealer has to offer a warranty on any car over 7 years old). I am 
sure I will have many questions once I get the car, but any 
encouragement/advice would be greatly appreciated.

On the flip side, I am terribly excited to own one of the most coveted of 
Audi's of the 1990's. She is a truly gorgeous automobile to behold, and I 
look forward to many happy, hopefully pain-free miles with her. 

Tom
91 200 20V Quattro
95 90