[V8] Re: 51k....on something

Mon Feb 23 00:26:03 EST 2004

The V8 drives me crazy sometimes, I do all my own work, yet the satisfaction
I feel when I complete a T belt, or the steering rack, or track down that
problem, gives me great pleasure.  Working on cars is therapy for me.  I'm
45 and ripped my first engine out of my 67 bug when I was 17.   I also could
not afford the V8 if I paid someone to work on it, so my hobby or therapy
allows me to have the toys some could not afford.  I share the same
relationship with my boat and lake house :-), try changing plugs on a 350
Chevy while standing on your head!

There sure are some days when I wish I could just drop the V8 off at the
shop.............

Bob

-----Original Message-----
From: Shawn Head [mailto:s4qtro at bellsouth.net] 
Sent: Sunday, February 22, 2004 10:22 PM
To: 'Roger M. Woodbury'; v8 at audifans.com
Subject: RE: [V8] Re: 51k....on something

Roger,

I often forget that the majority of the members of the list aren't my age.
I realize that you have had your share of fun through the years with many a
project.  I guess I was venting more toward people that get others do the
work and try to pass it off as their own or get people to think they know
more than they do.  I see that more from people my age than the "wiser"
people from this list.  In the end, I wish that everyone could get a smile
from pushing the peddle to the floor and their body into the seat watching
wisps of lights fly by.  

Shawn Head

-----Original Message-----
From: Roger M. Woodbury [mailto:rmwoodbury at downeast.net] 
Sent: Sunday, February 22, 2004 10:43 PM
To: Shawn Head
Subject: Re: [V8] Re: 51k....on something

No offence.

When I was in college I commuted to school in a 1961 Triumph TR-3.  Very
reliable car, ran like a top, never had any trouble....well, there WAS that
one time that I dropped the hydraulic clutch in Chestnut Hill; and then
there was that time....well, it WAS very reliable so long as most weekends
were spent rebuilding the car.  It was a whole lot of fun back then.

Now, fifty-five vehcles later, with four cars in this yard, and two trucks
in the company and another about to be added, the magic of working on my own
vehicles has lost all of its glitter.

Been there, done that.

I want to get in it, turn the key, and have it be the best performing
vehicle for my purpose that I can have, and can easily afford.  Time spent
wrenching on my own cars is time wasted from doing other things that are
MUCH more interesting to me.  I understand the theories, but have zero
desire to be able to translate that knowledge into the satisfaction of
having put the two gizzies together and making it work.

I have no radio working in the V8 at this point, and the Alpine deck in the
20valve doesn't work all that great either....no speakers in either car, and
I suspect the head unit in the V8 isn't very good now, either.  There are
two reasons why I have no sound in the V8.  First of all, I KNOW what I want
for sound, but won't tear into the car myself, sooo, I can tell the audio
guys what I want.  Unfortunately, in this part of this rural state, the one
shop here that thought it might be willing to tackle the job declined.
"We're not audiophiles," they said.  Defeated before they started.

EVERY other stereo shop from here to Portland has merely told me on the
phone that they "don't work on Audi's at all."  Haven't been to Boston yet,
though.

But I'm not really interested in doing it myself.  Nope.  Silence is golden.

Roger

----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Shawn Head" <s4qtro at bellsouth.net>
To: "'Roger M. Woodbury'" <rmwoodbury at downeast.net>; <v8 at audifans.com>
Sent: Sunday, February 22, 2004 8:46 PM
Subject: RE: [V8] Re: 51k....on something

> " Gotta talk with the wrench tomorrow.....hmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm"
>
> No offense to Roger, or anyone else for that matter, but there is 
> something to be said about doing the work yourself.
>
> I have much more of an appreciation when I get my car running again 
> after big projects like the rack, pulling the Valve body, and many 
> others.
>
> I personally would respect someone with a transplanted V8 or a 5-speed 
> conversion much more if they were the person who did the work.  For 
> example, I think Keith is the man for all the work he has done on many 
> of the cars on this list, and his future supercharged V8 200.  And
when
> I finally see it I will be in awe.
>
> However, when you pay someone else to do the work, it just loses a 
> little of the amazement in my book.  It reminds me of an old home 
> improvement episode where Tim just finished his hot rod and Bob Vila 
> challenged him to a race in his newly purchased Hot rod.  Tim ended up 
> backing off at the end because he put so much work into that car he 
> didn't want to blow the brand new motor on some stupid race.  He cared 
> more about the car he put his heart and soul into more than kicking
the
> crap out of Bob Vila.
>
> You could even move this point on to different aspects of life.  For 
> example, you take a kid that scrapes his money together and buys a 85 
> buick cutlass and one that is given a 2004 Celica for their 16th 
> birthday.  Which one do you think is going to care more about their
car
> in the long run?  Sure the guy with the Celica might blow his money 
> putting ridiculous mods on it and may care about winning pointless 
> street races, but the other guy who is just trying to keep his car
going
> and make due with what they can afford is going to come out with a
much
> greater appreciation for what they have worked so hard for.
>
> Just my .02 I hope I didn't tick too many people off.
>
> Shawn Head
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: v8-bounces+s4qtro=bellsouth.net at audifans.com
> [mailto:v8-bounces+s4qtro=bellsouth.net at audifans.com] On Behalf Of
Roger
> M. Woodbury
> Sent: Sunday, February 22, 2004 7:38 PM
> To: Buchholz, Steven
> Cc: v8newlist
> Subject: [V8] Re: 51k....on something
>
> Well, I wanted the experience of having both, and that is what I have 
> done.
>
> That being said, if I had to make a choice between a V8 or ANY hue,
and
> a
> 20V Avant, then I would pick the Avant, simply because there is NO
sedan
> ever produced that offers the same utility as does an Avant, all other 
> things being equal.
>
> The ultimate, of course, would be a '91 Avant that has been converted
to
> a
> V8 Avant....but that is a whole 'nother story!
>
> Roger
>
> P.S.  And I have thought a LOT about trying to graft a V8 into a Type
44
> Avant, only the choice that I was considering was a 928 V8 and not the 
> Audi V8...maybe I was wrong at that point, and should revisit the 
> entire concept.
> Only not with my '91 20v Avant, as there were too few of those cars to
> canabalize....or maybe it doesn't matter?  Gotta talk with the wrench
> tomorrow.....hmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm
>
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