[V8] Not much around...

[Roger M. Woodbury]

Did my weekly check of V8's for sale around the country on the net...didn't
find much at all.  The best one's seem to be at Bruce's in Virginia, but the
selection is very, very thin.

What is very interesting to me this morning, is the apparent selection of
really nice looking '91 20Valve Avants that are waiting to be scooped up.
Sigh.

Momentarily, I will go out and start my 20Valve Avant daily driver, the now
famous in Audidom, "Black Mariah".  And I have been thinking about her as I
have been driving the past week or so.  

Great power.  And I mean, GREAT power.  Perhaps I will take a half hour this
weekend and go out and pull down the ECU to see what is written on the back
of it so I can find out exactly what the mods are that give this car 2.2-2.4
bar going up hill in fifth gear.  (Well, 2.2 bar going up hill...).\

Got fuel yesterday, and averaged over that 404 miles, just above 23 miles
per gallon.  Premium, naturally, but under anyone's gauge that isn't
terrible even at the $2.80 that I paid yesterday.

So what does the Type 44 car...20Valve Avant or V8...not have that mandates
a more "modern" vehicle?  Cupholders?  Air bags from every corner
imaginable?  Nineteen inch wheels?  Zenon headlights?

Well, it seems to me that the Type 44 cars have about everything that is
needed in a modern car, except, and that is only possibly, a dwindling
supply of new parts for some areas that may fail over a 100,000 miles or so.

The Germans are really right:  cubholders shouldn't be necessary. Driving is
what you do in a car, and slurping is what you do when you stop. 

Airbags?  Well, I don't drive in the urban environment of many, so I feel no
need for side, top, bottom, edge, and trunk mounted inflatables.  And I
always fasten my seatbelt, and feel that if I am paying attention to my
driving instead of reaching for my sippy-cup, I stand a better chance of not
being pranged or pranging anyone else.

Nineteen inch wheels?  Well, I visited Tire Rack a short while ago and
priced tires for an S8.  Cured me of the need for really big wheels really
quick.  I will NOT spend a grand for a set of tires for a daily driver.

Maybe the Zenon headlights would be worthy of owning in this rural, and VERY
dark part of the world that nighttime is here.  But then, for the Type 44
cars, European headlights are plentiful actually, and even at $800 a set
(and they are available for much less than that), the beam throw is so good
that I would opt for Euros before spending forty grand for a new
somethingorother....

And then there is always the issue, if it is that, of capacity.  My 20Valve
Avant is pretty cavernous for a relatively small vehicle.  How cavernous?
Well, there is more room inside it than in a BMW X5, for instance, and I
suspect that even the vaunted, and extremely ugly, Audi Q7, with seats
folded doesn't offer enough space to justify a $60 grand price tag...then
there is always those tires....

So maybe parts are getting to be an issue.  Maybe the solution is to buy a
couple of V8's and a couple of 20Valve Avants in relatively good condition
and canabalize as necessary.  

Now, lemme see...where are those barn plans that I had drawn a couple of
years ago.....

Roger

P.S.  There was an 20Valve Avant for sale on eBay this past week.  It was in
Massachusetts, and had been hit in the rear, with significant suspension
damage, but otherwise it didn't look terrible.  Brought a suprising +$1500.
Encouraging:  even with a gazillion miles and serious wounds the things will
bring some a few bucks...