[V8] Quattro musings....

Sat Dec 17 17:37:08 EST 2005

Ah, yes.  As I have said, "stories".

This sounds like a good one to walk away from. What turns me off entirely
(aside from it being at a used car dealer in New Jersey), is the comment
about overspray, wobbly headlights (!?), and finally, the power steering
issue and the empty hydraulic reservoir when you saw it.  

Yes.  ALL US V8's had headlight wipers.  Some people have had them removed,
but all V8's imported for sale in North American had the wipers.  Not the
best solution for keeping headlights clean, but better than nothing and if
the wiper blades are in decent shape, and the front end hasn't been mangled
with poor reconstruction, the wipers work pretty good overall, at least to
my experience.  IF this car in the daylight look half way decent, then I
would say that the car is worth $2500.  IF the front end has had work and
the paint work is marginal, it is a good one to walk away from.

Just my two cents.  Incidentally, my 1990 V8 had been hit in the nose pretty
hard.  The guy who bought the car at auction for me was a knowledgeable body
guy and he said that it appeared to have been just front end sheetmetal and
the reconstruction was well done.  It was.  The car was beautiful.  But, as
Paul Harvey would say, here's the rest of the story.  

5000 miles after I bought the car, I started having transmission trouble.
The specific fault was that the car was reluctant to back up and finally, it
just wouldn't.  I ended up having the ZF authorized dealer for northern New
England rebuild the transmission, AND replace the pinion gear, which was
damaged.  Their speculation was the car had been towed some distance with
the front end off the ground.  Sooooooooooo, that translates to me as
meaning when the car was hit in the nose, it was crudely towed, and five or
six thousand miles later, as a direct result, the transmission gave up.

Sooooooooooooo, the car in New Jersey had what done to it and why?  AND what
were the exact circumstances?  Nope. I'd pass:  we now know that it has
problems, so why ask for more?

Roger

-----Original Message-----
From: RICHARD ROMERO [mailto:richromero1 at msn.com] 
Sent: Saturday, December 17, 2005 10:34 AM
To: rmwoodbury at adelphia.net; i.rautenberg at waratap.com; v8 at audifans.com
Subject: RE: [V8] Quattro musings....

Hello all,

I don't chime in too often,  but I went to test drive that black 93 V8 
quattro in NJ yesterday.  They said "we just replaced the power steering 
hose, the mechanic will bring it around".  I see the car coming around the 
block and it looked pretty good, but it was 5pm.  The mechanic had trouble 
opening the hood and said "oh the reservoir is empty let me get some fluid".

  He brings out the green pentosin can, fills up the reservoir and as he 
pump the brakes, the high pressure hose blows off and there is that precious

fluid all over the pavement!!  They said, "why does that keep happening!"  I

was not impressed.  Overall, it looked OK- the front looked like it had some

work done, with overspray and the headlights a little wobbly.  Interior 
dirty but intact, rear antenna dead, unknown last TB service.  They said, 
"there is a lot of interest, just leave a deposit!"  I said "I live in 
Boston and I'm not leaving a deposit on a car I can't even test drive".  
Also, did all 93s come with the headlight wipers? I have seen some w/ and 
w/o them.  These guys seem to specialize in Audi/VWs but dont know squat 
about V8s.
I told them I would call after the holiday.  Good thing I was in the area 
anyway and didnt make the trip just to see the car.

Rich
90 V8Q

>From: "Roger M. Woodbury" <rmwoodbury at adelphia.net>
>To: "'Ingo Rautenberg'" <i.rautenberg at waratap.com>,<v8 at audifans.com>
>Subject: RE: [V8] Quattro musings....
>Date: Thu, 15 Dec 2005 17:03:16 -0500
>
>So, Ingo, what else did you learn about that car?  A leaking power steering
>hose probably means that there are some more leaks, as well there should be
>at 125,000 miles.  Not a bad thing, but having done the "V8 Leak Dance"
>before, I well know what it all can lead to...and although nothing really
>diminishes the ultimate value of the car, leaks is leaks and  they need to
>ALL be fixed.
>
>Here in Maine, if there are ANY leaks visible from underneath the car, then
>the car does not pass inspection until they are fixed.  There are a lot of
>places that don't bother to look up under the car, nor put it up on a lift,
>but they are supposed to, and the State of Maine is cracking down, and
>cracking down harder and harder.
>
>I think I will pass on the New Jersey car.  The miles are a bit hgher than 
>I
>really want to deal with, especially since I would have to travel four days
>in order to see it.
>
>One of the things that I have learned over time...and there has been a LOT
>of time...is that my mother was right.  She used to tell me when I was very
>young, that "there is always another car.".
>
>Roger
>
>-----Original Message-----
>From: Ingo Rautenberg [mailto:i.rautenberg at waratap.com]
>Sent: Thursday, December 15, 2005 11:05 AM
>To: Roger M. Woodbury; v8 at audifans.com
>Subject: Re: [V8] Quattro musings....
>
>Ah, Roger
>
>I was about to post anyway.  That '93 in Jersey has a leaking power 
>steering
>hose that's been on order for a week and when I spoke with Jerry Haddad
>there yesterday, he said to call back in another week and hopefully they
>would have received it and it would be installed by then.  Unfortunately,
>mom can't wait that long.  But I suggest you or someone out there take a
>look at that car for you then.
>
>I'll be picking up mom's 'new' papyrus V8 next Friday, just in time for
>Xmas.  It's not perfect, but certainly better than the other candidates I
>had fellow listers examine for me.  Tony Hoffman gave me quite a laugh when
>he gave me the rundown of the "rundown papyrus v8" in Las Vegas at "Amigo
>Auto" in Vegas.  Oh, God!  That one would have been a complete disaster.
>: -)
>
>Best of luck.
>
>-Ingo
>
>Audiconnection has a few Ragusa Greens and one Pearl White, btw.
>
>Unfortunately, mom was very specific as to what colors were acceptible to
>her...
>
>
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