Good Dealer experience!

[rob]

  Hi gang,

  While since I posted, especially about my old type44 Avant,but it acheived a couple of milestones this week ;

    1) 200,000 miles clocked up - and this is on an auto gearbox

    2) passed the MOT test today.

    Preparations for the test required a new tyre, a new handbrake cable, rear brakes, replacing front/rear fuel line (just in time), new windscreen and new drivers door mirror glass.

   So with this and work on the old CGT I've been down to the local dealers two or three times. This is Nothampton Audi (UK). When they took over the local franchise I was a bit concerned as it was a plate glass and potted plant type establishment and you had to get past the standard issue know-nothing receptionist before getting to talk to who you needed to. However I have had a contact for spares there called Martin for years and usually get to him eventually, he's a walking ETKA.

  I'm happy to say things have improved and they have had the good sense to add a parts desk near the front door. Not quite the parts counter of old, but pretty close. So I can go straight to parts guys and talk parts, simple ideas are the best eh?

 It does seem that the parts are getting harder for my era cars (late 80's). For the CoupeGT I was unable to get the big D roll bar rubbers, and exhaust parts like the front resonator have been gone a long time, however I was able to get the end of rollbar rubbers, top mounts and bottom balljoint pinch bolts. For the 100 I was able to get the new door mirror glass (not cheap, and only a couple left in the country) but not fuel lines, or front valance lip spoiler (which died a while back to save the car from a wayward motorway cone) Luckily I had got the brake parts ready a while back. Windscreen was supplied and fitted by a local chain.

 So, good parts experience from a dealer, thanks to Martin and Calvin, but parts are inevitably getting scarce for these cars, which is a shame becuase to me they represent the best of Audi - maximum comfort , practicality, fun and economy for the minimum of complexity and maximum of serviceability. 

 Maybe I'll try and get the Avant round to 300K, but that will take 10 years at my current mileage, I expect the body will still be good but the rubber parts and most pipes will be fairly rough by then.

 Anyone else still racking up miles in a Type $$?

 Cheers Rob.