[V8] I can't do it....I just can't!

[Roger M. Woodbury]

Sell my V8, that is.

Ok, ok, ok, I KNOW that I have threatened to sell it and have talked about
selling it often.  But right now is the PERFECT time to sell it.  ALL the
odd things that these cars get wrong with them in 90,000 miles have been
repaired.  SOME of the things that happen haven't happened yet, and aside
from the Bose system not working, everything else does as it should.  The
car was repainted last year, and from fifteen feet it's nearly impossible to
tell that it is eleven years old.

I just put it up on eBay.  In seven days with well beyond 1,000 "hits" it
only brought $4100, and there is NO WAY that I will sell the car for that.
I have the papers here to enter it into the annual New England Auto Auction
at Owl's Head late next month, and I have decided NOT to do it.

Nope.  NOT.

Instead, I'm gonna continue to get it exactly the way that I want it.  Now
some of the other stuff.  First, I'm gonna devote some time and effort to
deciding what to do with the lousy Bose system that is inop.  I may take the
car to the dealer and have them pull the rear speakers to see if Audi will
rebuild them (the '93 and '94 V8's are not included in the recall, but will
be examined on a case by case basis).  Or, I might just replace them and be
done with it, leaving the head unit in place so the interior remains as
Daddy Audi intended.

Then there are the front seats.  I really would like to find some nice tan
sport seats for the car, and I would like to replace both rear headrests
that are suffering from "heat separation", although I would settle for the
sport seats.  If I can't find the sport seats, then I might just try for
some Recaros covered to match, although that will cost so much that it will
curl my toes and maybe my enthusiasm, too.  (I also have this fantasy about
redoing the rear seating, making it true "club seating" for two....).

Then if that doesn't finish it all off, I suppose 16' wheels and BIRA Stage
something front brakes would conclude the exercise.

Now, there is a rationalizing or justifying for the last phase.  Last year I
decided that I really, really missed my '89 200 Avant Quattro.  And since I
had never had a 20-valve, I decided to see if I could find one as a sort of
project car.  Well, I did find one on eBay, bought it, and flew to
Washington DC to pick it up. The drive home was pretty uneventful, other
than to learn that it really does have a "chip" and what a chip it is!

Anyway, since last winter it has been at the wrench's having some little
wrinkles taken out....rear brakes, a little glitch in the instrument cluster
and a bearing in the driveline that gives off a godawful howl on an
infrequent basis.  That work has progressed when there has been an empty
shop, which isn't often, so the car is still "resting".  It is Panther Black
with grey, and it too will need sport seats, but first after the
mechanicals, it will get the body repainted, the little chome gizzies around
the grill replaced and new European headlights.

The car will also need new tires.

Now, the 20valve and the V8 use the same size tires, and the tires on the V8
are nearly new....so isn't it logical for me to take the tires from the V8
and move them to the 20Valve, and switch the brakes and get 16 inch wheels
for the V8 at that point?  Doesn't thi s sound like great logic and in fact,
a true economy of scale and motion?

Or, maybe I'll just go and lie down for a while until this momentary
phantasizing mood passes....

But I still can't sell the V8!

Roger