[urq] The revolt is on!

Fri May 16 14:07:25 PDT 2008

Just read loads about the parts supply issue and can't remember who said you
can still get everything if you want to -but I fear their trousers muffled
their voice somewhat.
I can list items that are NLA - my dealer (UK) can not even obtain a WR cam
belt from any other UK dealer, front wings (ones that fit that is) brake
servos, etc etc.

BUT it's not that parts are hard to come by that makes me angry, I can
accept that, I used to drive a Reliant Scimitar for petes sake, it's the
arrogance and hypocracy of Audi that rankles. Every launch of a new model
they scrat around for a quattro to give some cache to their bland A3/ A4 or
whatever. But they fail to support in any meaningful way the car that "made"
them. And to get uppity over the use of a logo by a club that celebrates
their product, well.........As the venerable Captain Mainwaring would say
"its a shabby nazi trick"

Our other family cars are Audis and one needs changing soon but it will be a
s/h M-B that is at the top of the list (if the piggy bank is fat enough) not
another Audi.

Keith
'87 WR

----- Original Message -----
From: "Michael Hopton" <Michael at siliconoptix.com>
To: <djdawson2 at aol.com>; <QSHIPQ at aol.com>; <martin at quattro.ca>;
<urq at audifans.com>
Sent: Friday, May 16, 2008 9:35 PM
Subject: Re: [urq] The revolt is on!

> So let me get this right, we should be making ball joints and
> tie rods from other applications work? Interesting, I wonder
> what a litigious nation like the US would make of this, imagine
> if the car was sold and something "engineered" broke. I am
> not sure the new owner would share your views in the Heath Robinson
> approach.
>
> I bought my '84 ur-q from supposedly a VW/Audi independent
> mechanic. He fitted a 4000q front ball joint on the drivers side.
> To say I was lucky that it came out in a parking lot at walking
> speed and not trun 2 at Mosport where I had been the previous
> week is a bit of an understatement.
>
> '84 ur-q avec Torsen, torsen, torsen, torsen, sh|t what happens
> if the spider bites.....
>
>
> ________________________________
>
> From: djdawson2 at aol.com [mailto:djdawson2 at aol.com]
> Sent: Friday, May 16, 2008 4:08 PM
> To: QSHIPQ at aol.com; Michael Hopton; martin at quattro.ca; urq at audifans.com
> Subject: Re: [urq] The revolt is on!
>
>
> Interesting little discussion... and I'll throw in my .02 for the hell
> of it.
>
> I bought my first Audi in '94.  It was an 87.5 Coupe GT.  It was missing
> one of the black metal trim pieces around the rear quarter window.
> Called Audi and could not order the part.  This was on a vehicle that
> was 7 years old at the time.  The writing was on the wall, long before I
> ever got into urq's.
>
> The key to successful maintenance of these cars in the long run will be
> resourcefulness.  You may not be able to buy the part new from Audi, but
> that doesn't end the story.  ANY suspension part can be replaced with
> SOMETHING available in the market.  There may be fabrication involved,
> but that's part of the equation.  A rear tie rod assembly, for example,
> is nothing more than a threaded tube with tie rod ends on each end.  If
> owners are not capable of overcoming the challenge of replacing a part
> like that with a suitable alternative, they are not the right owners for
> this type of car.
>
> Take stock of what you have, and what you see needing in the future life
> of the car.  Do you currently have it?  If the answer is "no" you better
> start working on getting it.  There are MANY used cars out there... for
> sale and in junkyards... that are parts "warehouses" just waiting to be
> tapped.  Are you tapping them?  If not, you might think about it... the
> clock is ticking.
>
> In the past few years I bought 2 coupes for my kids.  Yeah... they
> needed cars... but my underlying agenda was that I was purchasing 2 full
> cars worth of parts for the future of my urq's.  Clips... trim...
> interior bits... all that stuff I knew I wouldn't ever be able to get.
>
> There are good ways to keep cars on the road for the rest of our
> lifetimes... question is will you tap those resources?  There will never
> be a suspension part that could not be replaced with some creativity and
> fabrication... that's just fact.  Drivetrain, there are thousands of
> spares... diffs, transmissions...  and they last many miles.  Do you
> have a spare?
>
> There are some tough ones... windshields have been brought up.  I was
> informed by a friend of the upcoming shortage, and as a result, I bought
> the last 3 windshields and gaskets that he could lay his hands on.
> Considering the current situation, I'm glad I did.  But ones ability to
> be creative when it comes to glass is greatly limited... so that one has
> me thinking.  At some point I imagine a significant sized group will
> have to approach one of the aftermarket glass companies and make an
> appeal for a short run.  Those companies would likely entertain such an
> appeal, if the numbers were reasonable.
>
> I think my opinion is more along the lines that if you can't visualize
> yourself being able to deal with these challenges, you're probably not
> going to be the type of person that can be a long term owner.  If you
> can see yourself "diving in" when presented with a parts challenge, then
> you probably could be.
>
> Look at Bob Pastore's recent stuff... fenders, quarter panels, grills,
> and even the elusive door pockets.  They can be reproduced, and he's
> doing it.  Look at the various aftermarket guys (that Scott mentioned)
> who may be willing to put a little R&D time into some of this for
> promise of reasonably sized purchases.
>
> Bottom line... short of a vehicle destroyed in an accident... it should
> be achievable.
>
> Anyway... I guess that's all I've got.
>
> Dave
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: QSHIPQ at aol.com
> To: Michael at siliconoptix.com; martin at quattro.ca; urq at audifans.com
> Sent: Fri, 16 May 2008 1:03 pm
> Subject: Re: [urq] The revolt is on!
>
>
>
> Mike
> All parts are available, to think they are all *used* up is not
> resourceful
> thinking.  To think they are all somewhere is resourceful thinking.
> Finding
> where they went is resourceful action.  The question is only how  bad do
> you
> want it.  Even Audi would respond to that...
>
> This list doesn't appear to be there yet.  I like my urq's, and could
> care
> less what Audi does to support the parts for it.  I'm amused by the
> thought
> that prior to the 'fire sale' Audi supported our cars fully.  Some  of
> the best
> discussions I had were with the master techs that used to work on  the
> urq's.
> Buy Beckius some beers, he tells great stories that indicate  the urq
> was a
> bastard child when it was *new*.
>
> Scott J
> In a message dated 5/16/2008 1:51:28 P.M. Central Daylight Time,
> Michael at siliconoptix.com writes:
>
> And yet  you make a blanket statement that all parts
> are available with nothing  other than your opinion to
> back it up.
>
>
>
>
>
>
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