[V8] V8....what? Again!

Wed Oct 12 16:52:56 EDT 2005

 Of course, and I would add that it probably means that any car that has been used all its life in the northern tier of states where "real winter" thrives is off the list.

It will vary from car to car and vary greatly.  My '89 200 Avant came from Minneapolis, but it had had only one or two winters when I bought the car in its eigth year of life.  The car had only 61,000 miles on it at that point.  The reason was that the original owner had inherited a LOT of money after owning the car for a couple of years, and they opted for an "early retirement", moving to Key Largo Florida for winters.   The Audi Quattro Avant became the summer car, and spent all winter in a heated garage.  Between November and May the car was not driven, and the service records, which were totally complete, bore testimony to its use.  That was an unusual car and circumstance, but it was totally rust free and clean underneath...turned out to be a wonderful car.

I picked up my wife's 100 Avant at the BMW dealer in Kansas City.  They had taken the car in trade on some sort of BMW, and advertised it in Auto Trader which is where I found it.  It was 2001, and I was looking for the perfect, green with black '94 Avant.  The car had 39000 original miles and the dealer had sold it new, when they had owned the Audi franchise.  We just replaced the front shock absorbers at a tad more than 100,000 miles, and the four wheel allignment done after that was pretty easy, as the adjusters in the rear were still very clean, despite four Maine winters.

I could get very histerical about the black/black '93 V8 in La-La Land if I were in a different place and time in my life.  I would fly out and drive it back and would love to do that, but the price is simply too high and I know too much...land know too many V8 people to admit that I had actually paid "real" money, even though it seems to be a lovely example.  

Besides, I am a stubborn sort of cuss, and I just want to prove that my lowball/restoration theory is correct.  But I have also learned a little bit about patience, and as my '90 year old mother has never failed; to remind me:  "Roger, there is ALWAYS another car!".  

For a non-car person, my mother had figured out the car deal pretty good, I think.
...and naturally, the older I get, the smarter she seems.  Funny about that!

Roger

---- Ingo Rautenberg <i.rautenberg at waratap.com> wrote: 
> Roger,
> 
> Valid points.  But don't forget this one:  Make sure that it is a rust-free
> example.  That doen't mean you can't buy one form Boston, et al.  What it
> does mean is that it was taken car of and washed (including underbody) in
> the winter.  It's no fun replacing fasteners that are welded together due to
> corrosion or replacing brake/fuel lines for the same reason.  I'd gladly pay
> the $1k differential between a no-salt and rusty.
> 
> Ingo
> 
> 
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