When to throw in the towel (slim Audi content)

[Paul Meyers]

>>Based on personal experience it comes down to when the repair cash 
>>flow gets to be greater than paying for a new car loan and the 
>>driving pleasure has degenerated to that of a toyota corolla or 
>>whatever other econo box you like. This is a very subjective 
>>judgment. I think what pushes you over the edge is the 
>>unpredictability of the repairs. The break downs
>>always occur at the worst moments. Like hard starting when trying to 
>>make that fast getaway after the bank heist. (Forced to do the bank 
>>heist because of the car repair bills)
>
>    My car, around the IT department here at work, has become a joke; 
>one person flat out told me, when I mentioned something about my 
>mother's Volvo, that it(the Volvo) was a "REAL car."  Despite the 
>fact that it will dust all their cars, I keep getting jokes and 
>comments.  Not like it isn't deserved:
>


Interestingly, I have had quite the opposite experience. So, as an
apocryphal data point, it ought to go into the stew.

I determined at a relatively early age that I would never again do car
payments. This was after I bought a new RX-2, fun though it was, and owed
more on the car than it was worth for a year or two, until my sympathetic
sister (more well off than I) took over the payments. I ended up driving her
old Toyota, but, no payments. This was a great lesson in car bondage, which
I determined to learn from. 

My first Audi was/is a wonderful car. After I fixed about 30 things on it,
added chip, spring, euros and shox, it ran flawlessly until I burnt up the
wiring loom on a hill climb after dumping all the coolant (I ignored many
list imprecations to swap out the heater control valve) and not stopping in
time. It is sitting patiently in my back yard awaiting its loom transplant,
when it will resume its career as a wonderful vehicle. I paid $2,500 for it
and, in 2 years of driving, I spent about $2500 dollars on it, including the
upgrades. After driving several other cars of like vintage (87 5KTQ), I have
come to appreciate its virtues and could not bear to turn it into a parts
car. It provided me many happy hours of commuting and stop-light grand prix
fun without the commitment of a car payment.

I now own 2 other working TQs and a parts car. In total, I have spent about
$12,000. I find the cars to be reliable, friendly, comfortable, cheerfully
powerful and generally a very good way to spend my money. Now that I am more
well off, I could pay cash for a $20,000 car, but why would I? In exchange
for a little time and study in troubleshooting and about $200 per month in
parts, I have the pleasure of sampling several different, but agreeable,
automobile personalities on the way to work each day.  

Life is good. 87 and 88 Audi 5KCSTQs are good. Just my experience.

Paul Meyers
Gray 87 5KCSTQ 1.8bar eurolights fuchs 147 kM gulp! cooked loom
Pearl 88 5KCSTQ 1.8bar eurolights fuchs bilsteins 122 kM 2pc-em k24
turbo amazing
Metallic White 87 5KCSTQW 192 kM, daily driver
Blue! 86 5KCSTQ parts car