[V8] gearselector knob

[Mike Arman]

So I bid on this steering wheel on eBay because the leather on mine was 
getting ragged, and I put in a reserve bid, auction to close on a Monday.

Saturday I'm at the local parts yard, and there's a 90 or 91 2WD 90, and 
the steering wheel and air bag are not only in flawless condition, 
someone has already removed them for me (they were after the instrument 
cluster) and placed them on the floor of the car. All I had to do was 
literally pick them up, so I did, and paid a junkyard pittance for them.

And of course, I won the auction on Monday, so now I have two flawless 
steering wheels that fit my V8.

The eBay seller was utterly obnoxious - inside of six hours from the 
close of the auction, I had no fewer than eight increasingly strident 
e-mails from him demanding immediate payment. Even though his auction 
sheet said he took checks and credit cards, he insisted that he only 
took paypal and he wanted it RIGHT NOW!!!!!

Some of the messages were subject only: "PAY ME NOW!" and the body of 
the message was completely blank.

So I paid him (and took my sweet time because he was such an obnoxious 
ass), and the wheel eventually arrived. It was *filthy* - he never even 
bothered to clean it off, just pitched it into a box, along with half 
the gravel and tar from the junkyard he got it from, and sent it, cut 
wires and all (easier to cut than unplug . . .)

Obviously, I don't need two steering wheels, so I contacted the guy who 
was bidding behind me (I won by about $2.00) and told him the situation, 
and asked if he would be interested in taking the wheel for his high 
bid, and I'd pay the freight to him.

He said yes, so I cleaned up the wheel I got from the eBay jerk (it came 
out very nice, Lexol on the leather, wiped off all the sand and gravel, 
cleaned and lubricated the contact wiper), put it into a plastic bag, 
taped the bag shut, then into a decent box with crumpled paper and 
shipped it out.

Down to one wheel, which I installed after disconnecting the airbag 
power plug under the center console, and making very sure the new wheel 
was properly aligned on the steering shaft spline.

Looks great, nice and clean, smooth, supple leather, just like this kind 
of expensive, elegant car should be. Airbag light even works correctly, 
no codes thrown. (I love it when something works just like it should!)

Except now the gear selector knob looks distinctly tatty - the leather 
is crumbling, and well, it looks like crap.

Anyone have a really nice gear selector knob to fit a 90 V8Q? What other 
Audis does this fit? (If I find a nice one in a junkyard, I won't bid on 
an extra one on eBay.)

Best Regards,

Mike Arman
90 V8, not just a car, an ADVENTURE!