[V8] Missed it! Dammit!

[Roger M. Woodbury]

Well, I dunno.  Maybe I did, and maybe I didn't.  

You see, I have had to come to the realization that The Black Mariah is
nearing the end of her lifecycle.  Unless I cheat mightily, The Black Mariah
will not pass Maine state inspection next summer.  In order for her to pass
inspection, she will have to have new rear abs sensors, new UFO's, and the
cursedIneverwantedoneandRalphNadercangotohell airbag will have to be
restored so that warning light is out.  In addition there will need to be
new tires and probably rear bearings and perhaps a bunch of other stuff.
Perhaps as much as two grand will need to be lavished on her to get through
inspection, and I will not be doing that.  The car will have around 200,000
miles at that point....176,500 and counting right now.  Right now, she runs
like a top, but I know that old age is lurking right around the next sprint
to 6000 rpm.

So, I was perusing the used car ads, and eBay auction listings as I always
do, and low and behold:  there in Naples Florida at the Audi dealer was a
'91 200 Avant that had seventy thousand some miles!  It was RED.  But that
might be OK, if it was burgundy and not Loseyourlicense Tornado Red.  

"How much?", you ask, now sitting on the edge of your seat.  

FIVE grand.  

If it is a perfect world, I am a month away from buying another car at a
minmum, but this could have been THE one...I would like another 200 20-valve
Avant....so I called anyway.....

Yep!  It is sold!  

Sigh.

So, now, I will continue the hunt, and maybe I'll find a V8
instead....hmmmmm.  But for my purposes, I think the Avant is a better car,
although there is nothing like a V8....

Roger