[V8] What is it about this car?

[Roger M. Woodbury]

I am pondering the magic of the V8 Quattro.  I wonder what it is that
remains so compelling to me about the V8, since I no longer have one.  I am
not obsessed...I don't have time to be obsessed about much at the moment,
but I am beginning to think about having another one.  Right now, I am in
the midst of two real estate transactions that might fall into place in the
next couple of weeks.  If one of the projects completes (a medium sized
"if"), then there might be some spare change lying around for another V8
project.  So, I am perusing the ads, eBay and Audifans surmising and
supposing.

The ideal candidate will be a '93 or '94.  Whatever the exterior color, this
time I want a black interior.  Pretty much non-negotiable, and none of the
"reds" for the exterior, either.  Green is good, white is better and silver
would work.  Black and Black...?  Well, here in Maine means that the dark
color is always dirty, especially in the winter, but I LOOOOOOOOOOOOOVE
black on black on this car.

Hopefully less than 80,000 miles, but that isn't cast in concrete.  I would
prefer a one or two owner car with lots of service records, and without
those I'll probably pass.  There are those around, although my plan will be
for the car to receive a pretty thorough restoration anyway.  

IF I take this plunge again, then my intention will be to create the perfect
car for me, using the V8 Quattro as the base.  I'll do the brakes the right
way, rip out the lousy Bose junk and have some kind of better cd player.  I
expect that it will become more and more difficult to find European
headlights, but the car will need those...and I could go on and on.  At the
end of the day for less than twenty grand, I'll have a next best thing to
new, V8 Quattro.  

The reason for the '93 or '94 is that I prefer the late hvac controls and
the other final, subtle improvements made in the car.  The automatic
transmission will have to remain because my wife is terminally
clutch-challenged.  Still and all, I did see a '91 five speed advertised
someplace that seemed to be exceptional....and it was priced accordingly!
If I was closer to taking the plunge though, I might have hopped in the car
for a little cross country road trip for a look-see.....

I think one of the most compelling things about these cars is that they are
still "current" in terms of performance compared to other cars now being
produced.  In addition, they are relatively simple, with fewer of the
proprietary gizzies that have been stuck onto engines and transmissions to
make them pass the hoard of tests necessary for certification by EPA.  Parts
are still available, and if you can find one, a good mechanic who doesn't
wear an Audi dealer logo won't cost you an extra mortgage to work on the
cars.  The only real "supply" issue that exists with these cars is tires, as
the number of models and manufacturers producing the 215/60 size is
dwindling.  

It's a sickness:  I should go out and caress the Porsche 928S4 that is in
the garage, but I find I still want an Audi V8, too!  

Maybe I'll just go and lie down for a while and this feeling will pass.....

Roger