[V8] Self immolation for The Black Mariah!

[Roger M. Woodbury]

Ah, not quite.  The failure was the rubber structures that form the top of
the strut unit when it is placed into position.  This is a catastrophic
failure of the strut assembly itself.

R

-----Original Message-----
From: Tony and Lillie [mailto:tonyandlillie1 at earthlink.net] 
Sent: Wednesday, May 31, 2006 8:44 PM
To: Roger M. Woodbury; v8 at audifans.com
Subject: Re: [V8] Self immolation for The Black Mariah!

Roger,

Not the first I've heard or seen. Quite common on older Rabbits and Subie's 
when they start to rust where the strut towers are welded on top. I actually

helped one (Tank trails in Missoula, MT) to the point of punching the hood 
up about six inches on the passenger side!!! Boy, was it fun though! Oh, 
that car cost me $50, and I was 17 at the time.

Tony Hoffman

----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Roger M. Woodbury" <rmwoodbury at adelphia.net>
To: <v8 at audifans.com>
Sent: Wednesday, May 31, 2006 4:44 PM
Subject: [V8] Self immolation for The Black Mariah!


> Well, it's done it again.  The Black Mariah has returned to the wrench.
>
> For those who have been living under a rock for the past couple of years,
> The Black Mariah is my 1991 Audi 200 20Valve Avant the rehabilitation of
> which has been forced down the throats of the V8 listers because I am a
> closet V8 afficianado who constantly threatens to return to the V8 fold.
>
> Anyway, I was driving down to the village a week ago Saturday morning when

> I
> noticed a certain sponginess in the front end, and then noticed that there
> was a strange bump on the top of the hood vaguely in front of the
> windshield.
>
> Stopped the car, opened the hood and lo and behold!  The left front strut
> had completely penetrated the upper shock mount and was impacting the 
> bottom
> of the hood.  Wow!  Can you imagine what it might have been like had that
> happened at, say 75 miles per hour on the Interstate when making some sort
> of emergency move?
>
> Now back at the wrench, he confesses that he has never seen anything like 
> it
> in twenty five some years of wrenching.  Neither have I, in forty 
> something
> years of driving!
>
> Worse still the upper shock mounts on front and rear of this car are
> new...less than 10,000 miles or two years of use.  Worse news still while
> the front uppers were aftermarket, the rears were OEM, and the right rear 
> is
> gonzo, too.  The rears were installed less than two months ago.
>
> I am seriously thinking of buying a Yukon.  At least I KNOW where the
> nearest dealer is, and that parts will be available.  Maybe the Type 44's
> are really over the hill after all!
>
> Roger
>
> NEVERmind...I am just cranky.  I had to drive to Portland last night, and
> then to Moosehead Lake today.  Almost six hundred miles in twenty four 
> hours
> with nearly a full day of work too.  And all my driving during those six
> hundred miles was NOT in my Audi, but was in the Chevrolet Silverado
> extended cab 4X4 with 454 cu.in. engine!  I dunno what was worse, the
> pounding high miles in short time in the truck or filling the tank!
>
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