44s to the bone yard........

[Roy Wendell]

On Dec 29, 2007, at 7:14 AM, George wrote:

> Come on fellas, the 44s are nowhere near bone yard fodder. Speaking  
> for my
> own fetishes, my allroad is a fine car, but not nearly the runner  
> that my
> '91 20 valve Avant is. I have owned it from new (Xmas 1990) and it  
> now has
> only 308,000 miles on it including the original clutch. I view the  
> allroad
> as a plodding quarter horse that has be pushed to keep it at 80 mph,  
> while
> the Avant is an aging thoroughbred that has be held in check to keep  
> it
> below 90.
>
> I tried to sell the Avant last year when I bought the allroad, but  
> could not
> find a buyer. So I am now engaged in a complete running gear  
> restoration. I
> have gathered in (thanks to eBay) many of the suspension rubber  
> components,
> and other pieces. It is getting performance upgrades to the ignition  
> and
> fuel delivery, drilled rotors and caliper kits, new AC components, a  
> new
> sound system, fresh timing belt with water pump, etc., all new  
> hoses, fresh
> struts, and all sensors and valves under the bonnet will be new. I  
> recently
> rebuilt the sunroof to repair a broken cam, and am replacing the old  
> relays
> that drive the Euro lights. The body and interior are in perfect  
> condition
> and the steering is dead on, thanks to a modified Bernie brace  
> installed
> years ago. The engine and trans are just fine, although it soon may  
> want a
> new clutch.
>
> Bottom line.....   I will do some of the work myself, hire out the  
> nasty
> stuff, and in a few months will have a really fine classic that goes  
> like
> hell. It is great fun to drive and as unique the car was for its  
> period, it
> still gives a thrill that can't be matched today for the price.
>
> George Sidman
> Chairman & Chief Technology Architect
> WebLOQ, Inc.
> 2801 Monterey Highway
> Monterey, CA  93940 - Suite H
> Monterey      831 372-2600 x 227
> Santa Clara   408 282-3548
> Mobile        831 601-1776

As much as I have a long and intimate relationship with the type 44 I  
also believe that its time is coming to an end. From an economic  
standpoint they mostly aren't worth fixing unless you need A8 space  
without the cost. Even then for most of the stuff I want to haul the  
type 44 sedan trunk is a nightmare because it's height challenged. The  
t44 Avant is kind of special because it's such a unique form factor  
but you can get really close with some of the new Avants. The dealer  
mostly gives you the cold shoulder and lots of trim bits and even some  
important bits are unavailable or ridiculously priced. Trying to get  
the parts from a salvage car is pointless as they all to often have  
the exact same faults. Too many components are continually breaking,  
the chassis is as flexible as a wet noodle by modern standards, and I  
really really would kill to have tilt adjustable steering column. The  
real killer, for any that have been sitting around for any appreciable  
length of time, is fuel tank rust. This is becoming more and more of a  
problem for many old Audis. How many of you are willing to remove the  
entire rear suspension and do major fuel tank surgery for a car that's  
only worth 2 to 4k in excellent condition and only then to the right  
people. The type44 strikes me as more and more a labor of love or  
hobby car that will never have much curb appeal. On every one I've  
owned, I've spend more than double the purchase price in replacement  
parts and still ended up with a car that had lots of little things  
that were broken or inoperative. At some point you can't help but look  
at a nice used A4 and question whether or not you really need that  
huge hood and trunk that the type44 is dragging around.

That said, I'm planning on resurrecting one this summer just because  
I've got most of the parts laying around and I just can't bear the  
thought of it going off the crusher. I have no delusions that I will  
recover even a fraction of the cost when I sell it nor will I ever  
drive it enough miles to compensate.

The point of all this is that there isn't one. If you want to fix a  
type 44 go ahead but don't try to justify it. Sure it drives nice but  
so do the new Audis. The list will be here to support your addiction  
for the foreseeable future.

Roy