[urq] Getting hands dirty ] Help with NLA parts - 857 422 385

[urq]

Well done ... thanks for passing it along!  If you wrote it you should own
the copyright ... any thought of putting it on the Audifans KB?

Steve B
San Jose, CA (USA)

-----Original Message-----
From: urq-bounces at audifans.com [mailto:urq-bounces at audifans.com] On Behalf
Of SpotatAshleys
Sent: Monday, March 23, 2009 1:36 PM
To: j.koenig; ingo.rautenberg at gmail.com; Mike Del Tergo;
urq-bounces at audifans.com; urq at audifans.com; lvaladas at sympatico.ca;
larichard at plguide.com
Subject: Re: [urq] Getting hands dirty ] Help with NLA parts - 857 422 385

A while ago I researched and put together the following article for the 
quattro Owners Club newsletter here in the UK. Since I wrote it nothing has 
changed except that more parts are NLA.
I love my quattro and won't part with it but I do wonder if I would ever 
have bought and restored it if I had known what I know now. As it is I use 
it every day, just in case the day comes when I can't. At least that way I 
won't be thinking "all those days whe I could have used it and I didn't".
Anyway read on and....well....weep (as they say):

[ Over the years I have been a little critical of the woeful support from 
Audi gmbh for the quattro in terms of replacement parts supply. Once again 
with the advent of a new coupe model, the A5, references have been made to 
it being a spiritual successor to the original quattro. Unfortunately this 
has a somewhat hollow ring for ur-quattro owners when one realises that 
however much Audi praises the original quattro as being a defining and 
iconic design it continually fails to support the owners of such models in 
the most tangible way possible, supply of replacement parts. One could 
perhaps understand this attitude for what some may regard as more mundane or

less ground-breaking models, but for the model upon which the current 
prosperity of the firm was founded, it is staggering.



I therefore decided to find out what other European prestige motor 
manufacturers with sporting heritage provided for their past customers and 
what importance they place on the physical maintainence of their heritage. 
Originally I was going to write to each company and ask their views but when

I sought out their addresses on the internet I found that they were actually

quite keen to publicise their positions. I have simply lifted the following 
text from their respective web pages. I'm sure they won't mind.



BMW





"Only a fully operational and visually flawless classic can be an impressive

witness of its time. By securing ample stocks of spare parts along with the 
continued production and remanufacturing of components, we ensure that BMW 
classics can be perfectly preserved and restored.



All the components are listed in parts catalogues, while user-friendly 
repair guidelines assist with their assembly. This ensures that the 
worldwide stock of almost 200,000 classic cars and 70,000 motorcycles 
continues to be safeguarded. The systematic integration into BMW's 
international logistics network, moreover, guarantees fast availability of 
parts worldwide.



The more than 200,000 cars and 70,000 motorcycles that make up the worldwide

inventory of BMW classics forms the basis of the service and parts supply 
offered by BMW Mobile Tradition. As a rule, BMW Mobile Tradition pledges to 
provide parts for BMW models 15 years after the end of production. This 
enables owners of historic BMW models to maintain their vehicles to a high 
standard. All parts, along with the relevant repair instructions, are listed

on a user-friendly CD-ROM as well as in printed catalogues.
The regularly updated parts catalogue for historic vehicles on CD-ROM can be

obtained through your dealer by quoting order number 72 00 0 301 255.

You can also consult the historic parts catalogue online by downloading it 
here.


The Historical Archive processes information on the history of the company, 
its brands and its products, including the entire range of models, their 
technical specifications, design sketches and repair manuals. This 
information is made available to the public. Since its establishment, the 
Historical Archive has evolved into a modern service centre.



The Archive is jointly responsible for the Historical Collection, which 
contains



- 400 cars,

- 170 motorcycles,

- a wide range of aircraft, motorcycle and car exhibits,

- the latest Formula One engines and

- various historical documents such as sales literature, advertising 
brochures, posters, press reports    etc."









Mercedes  Benz



"Qualified experts for classics and classics-to-be

The Mercedes-Benz Classic Center looks after all vehicles from the Daimler, 
Benz, Mercedes and Mercedes-Benz brands, production of which was 
discontinued more than 20 years ago. Among others, these include automotive 
milestones like the famous Mercedes-Benz 300 SL Gullwing from the 198 series

and the legendary supercharged cars from the pre-war era, but also 
classics-to-be. The latter are Mercedes-Benz cars which are about to become 
genuine classics.

  Workshop

High quality standards in all repairs and restoration projects



There are many good reasons for deciding in favor of genuine Mercedes-Benz 
spare parts. Essentially the following facts are the decisive factor for 
owners of Mercedes-Benz classic cars to go for genuine Mercedes-Benz spare 
parts:



Genuine Mercedes-Benz spare parts are manufactured according to precisely 
defined standards. In this way, a classic Mercedes car remains authentic 
even after a restoration.

Originality and value retention

The high-precision workmanship and the perfect dimensional accuracy of 
genuine spare parts are the guarantors of the longevity and reliability of 
every Mercedes-Benz classic car.

Manufacturing quality

The use of genuine Mercedes-Benz spare parts ensures the safety of your 
Mercedes-Benz classic car.



150 suppliers producing original quality

When spare parts are reproduced, precisely defined processes are applied to 
check which manufacturers fulfill the required guidelines. The strict 
selection criteria - fulfilled by some 150 suppliers today - ensure 
reproduction in original quality and the originality of the spare part right

from the start.



Even the manufacturers of the production parts in the past are put to the 
acid test if production was discontinued quite some time ago. They, too, 
have to fulfill the exacting demands made on the production of genuine 
Mercedes-Benz spare parts. Production of genuine parts for a Mercedes-Benz 
classic car does not begin before the supplier's certification, the passing 
of all in-house inspections and function tests by the first sample parts 
without a hitch and the successful completion of the first assembly tests.



Technical literature