[s-cars] Finding nice Audi's for family... was RE: Paging QShipQ, DJDawson, & other AAN experts- Pls help Paul D in LA!

[JC]

> and then he donated it.  It was, at one time, a very nice
> black and black car, albeit with 15" wheels.  Barely broken
> in when I found it for him.
>

Arrgh...  Painfully familiar story! This is why I no longer get involved in
putting people into good cars.  Because they (including my beloved friends
and family) are likely to be idiot knuckleheads and not have an perspective
on maintenance or the big picture of 'occaisionally pay up to keep it in
good shape and you'll continue to have a great car for far less than you'd
need to pay to buy another one'.

I have one friend who for years continues to remark how great my cars seem
to be and why don't I hook him up with one...
But same guy complains about every quality mechanic reference I've given him
as "a ripoff", argues with every one of thos mechanics for the cheapest
do-the-least-fix how-little-can-I-possibly-spend, and then gets furious with
them ("why did you send me to that guy, he ripped me off!") when down the
road, the stuff he cheaped out on and/or refused to fix, actually goes bad
again.  He recently cheaped out so extremely on a collision paint job for
his Honda that it looks like they painted it with a couple cans out behind
the local Quicky-Mart. And then he wants me to help him find a nice used
Audi...

At least one friend who is on his second C4 under my assistance loves his
cars, but even he still whines about doing anything that doesn't involve a
part of the car falling off or failing inspection first, and he's I think
he's snuck out of patronizing the VW/Audi specialist garage I set him up
with in favor of some cheap corner operation...