[s-cars] Was: S-CAR-List Digest, Vol 61, Issue 39, Now: Smoke on the Water

[Bill Mahoney]

Per Mr. Pederhausen request:  

Holy Moly almost 10 years ago?

Would make a great movie.

Bill~yes I can (search)~M

 

~For the Random Stupidity File~

 

-----Original Message-----
> >> From: owner-audi-s-cars at l...
> >> [mailto:owner-audi-s-cars at l...]On Behalf Of
> >> Don Muirhead
> >> Sent: Tuesday, August 10, 1999 6:39 AM
> >> To: AUDI S Cars Discussion List
> >> Subject: Boating with an S4
> >>
> >> Last night I had to go to meeting in Port Rowan which is on
> >> the north shore of Lake Erie. The water level is also the lowest it's
been
> >> in 75 years.
> >>
> >> I turn the bend look down at the little harbor and spot an
> >> Audi that looked like it was in trouble. I turn-around and head down
the
> >> hill to see what's up.
> >>
> >> A very nice '95 S4 (NY plates) backed down the boat ramp
> >> too far and his rear wheels went off the end of the 10 ft concrete pad
and
> >> into the mud.  The owner had badly miscued. The concrete pad is 10"
> >> thick so essentially he was sitting on his pan.
> >>
> >> I got out the car asked if he needed help. A young kid in
> >> his early 20's told me he was in a hurry to leave and get back to
Buffalo
> >> and his wet foot slipped off the brake as he was backing-up. Sure I
thought
> >> a 10' miscue.  He had a small trailer with one of those personal
> >> watercraft. I asked him where he got the hitch from and he said he had
it custom made.
> >>
> >> He told me he called for a tow-truck to winch him out and
> >> it should be there shortly. I told him winching isn't a very good idea
> >> since with your wheels are in the mud and your pan is sitting on the
> >> concrete pad you're going to do some major damage to your car. He
thought he'd
> >> be ok so I hung around with him and a few on-lookers for about 10
minutes.
> >>
> >> Freeman's Tire shows up with their big Volvo truck - the
> >> kind they use for towing tractors and box vans. Randy their driver
walks
> >> over to the car,  takes off his shoes and walks behind the "S" and
feels
> >> around the tires.
> >>
> >> Randy has towed me on occasion and I buy my tires and have
> >> my cars aligned there so they know something about Audi's and tells the
kid
> >> no-way will he be winched out. He says he needs a crane to lift the
> >> rear-end out and put it back on the pad. The S4 owner nearly died.
Randy helps
> >> the kid out and makes a couple of calls trying to find a crane. The
> >> closest one available was Powell's from Dunnville a good 1 1/2 hrs away
and that
> >> it will cost him about $500.00.
> >>
> >> I was now late for my meeting so I had to leave. At
> >> 11:30PM I'm heading home, I pass the harbor and spot a small crowd, an
OPP
> >> cruiser, a couple of Freeman's trucks and flatbed so I go down to see
what's up.
> >>
> >> What happened was he didn't want to pay the bucks for a
> >> crane and called another towing firm who showed up after Freeman's
left.
> >> The operator told him he needed a crane but the S4 owner said he would
give
> >> him a $100 tip if he would winch him and his trailer out. He hooked up
his
> >> winch and dragged the car about a foot when the rear-end let go as did
his
> >> exhaust and trailer hitch. Btw - the front-end didn't look that healthy
> >> either. The bottom of the car from rear wheels and back was nicely
> >> crimped. The rear wheels were jammed into the back of the wheel wells.
> >>
> >> The kid lost it and the marina operator had to call the
> >> OPP. The kid admitted he offered to give the towing firm a big tip to
> >> winch him out. The marina operator wanted the car out since people had
> >> been waiting  to get their boats out. The OPP called Freeman's who
> >> showed up with the Volvo, and one of their regular tow-trucks and the
flatbed.
> >> They were about to haul the car the rest of the way out when Randy
> >> spotted something and called me over.
> >>
> >> The trailer hitch had let go, but when it did it took a
> >> piece of the with it. The kid had a very small "T" type hitch that was
> >> angled up at the back to match the horizontal plane of both the trailer
and
> >> the car. The hitch was bolted to the pan and supported by a plate the
> >> same size on the inside of his trunk. The top of the "T" was no more
than a
> >> foot in length and 4" wide. He had bolts about every 4" along both
sides
> >> of the "T" so essentially it was like a pre-perforated container - pull
> >> it hard enough and it opens along the dotted line...no other support
and a
> >> very dumb move.
> >>
> >> It was now 12:30AM and I gotta get home. As I'm driving
> >> home I start doing the math on the damage and lose count. This about
the 4th
> >> or 5th Audi I've seen this summer hauling these little trailers and
> >> Sea-Doo's and you think people would realize if Audi had designed these
cars for
> >> towing they would also be selling Audi-Brand hitches.
> >>
> >> Don Muirhead
> >> '99 A4
> >> '96 S6
> >> '86 CGT x 2