[s-cars] To Buy or Not to Buy

[Eric Phillips]

Calvin, et. al.,

As an avid Audi-lover, and veteran DIYer, the pinnacle is the UrS.
Easy to work on, comparatively, and gobs of upgrade potential.  But I
know exactly what you mean, because I am also in the same place, just
not with my S-car.  We own a half-million miles worth of Audis, and I
like each of them for what they are.  The eldest, a '90 80q, is 215k
miles of going south.  Suspension, trim, cranky cold motor, AC,
transmission whine - it all adds up to a car headed for it's final
destination - a poor college student.  :)

But I'm not going to replace it with a newer Audi - I want to go to a
simpler one - a 4000CSQ.  Smaller, lighter, less complicated, and more
my style.  Plus my first Audi was a 4k, and I loved it so much I
wanted to dump all the other brands.  (Except my dearly departed
Scirocco  :(  [cry]  ).  What's the point, sez you?  Well, the further
along, the more complicated.  And harder to work on.  And more
expensive when stuff goes south.  You're hemming and hawing on doing
the small stuff that needs to be done (even though it adds up to
decent cash), but that'll be the case with a B5 car as well, in five
years.

Why not, instead, wait for a nice(r) UrS to come up for sale, and
"start the clock over" with a car that doesn't need paintwork, etc.?
You love the car, but if you add up it's tired worth ($3.5 - 4k) and
the amount of work required ($6k), you can buy a damn nice UrS6 with
relative low miles.  If you have any go-fast stuff, you can swap with
the newer car and still get back quite a bit on your current car.

Now, if you like the style and newer car smell of the B5 (and who
wouldn't), nothing I say is going to pursuade you differently.  But if
you love the way your current car treats you, then why change?  Trade
up to an UrS6, and let some college student drive your car the rest of
it's natural life.  Or sell it to Gabe for parts.  :P

Eric


> Date: Sat, 2 Jun 2007 23:59:58 -0600
> From: <calvinlc at earthlink.net>
> Subject: [s-cars] To Buy or Not to Buy
>
> I don't know how I could be contemplating this but I am thinking about
> replacing the best car I have ever owned - my '92 UrS.
>
> The following items need work on my present car:
>
> Clear coat is starting to suffer in two places
> Front bumper cover is screwed on due to the normal plastic pieces breaking
> Door trim pieces - uppers are coming off due to plastic bits
> Cruise control doesn't work - I have personally spent hours on this one and
> replaced all the usual culprits, had a mechanic spend hours on it and he
> couldn't find anything either...
> 165k miles with a couple of squeeks here and there
> Overboost issue that doesn't look like it is going to be simple to track
> down
> Memory seat settings not working correctly
>
> Replacement possibility:
> 2001 S4 - Sportec stage 3 installed by Autosport Werks with the usual -
> K04's, RS4 intercoolers, injectors, exhuast, downpipe, etc  H&R coilovers,
> stoptech 332mm up front, two sets of wheels/tires (18s/17s), aftermrket
> swaybar, Euro HIDs, RS4 bumper, RS4 clutch and t-belt service done 23k miles
> ago, one owner 88k miles.  The thing drives perfect.
>
> Rationale:
> To get the UrS into tip top shape we are talking about 6k, best guess.  I
> can either put this money into the UrS or buy this other car, and reset the
> clock so to speak.  I just don't know if I am prepared to dump 6k into a 15
> year old car, but how can I give up the best darn car I ever owned.  Any
> advice?  Thanks!