[V8] The Black Mariah

[Paul Jones]

Roger,

Just out of curiosity, why not an S6 or S6 avant? Perhaps something like 
this:

http://www.audifans.com/marketplace/show.php?table=pm_audifans_Cars&id=2037

On another note, whoever repainted the last V8 you owned isn't worth going 
back to. Please don't tell me it was Maaco.

-Paul

>From: "Roger M. Woodbury" <rmwoodbury at adelphia.net>
>To: <v8 at audifans.com>
>Subject: [V8] The Black Mariah
>Date: Wed, 27 Jun 2007 07:27:32 -0400
>
>Is retired.  I just had it go up on eBay, and it brought quite a bit less
>than I felt that it should have brought.  It was depressing, but the truth
>is that the market for these '91 Audi 20Valve Avants is very weak.  Even 
>the
>best of the best won't bring more than $5000, it doesn't seem.  Last year
>there was that one car in Naples Florida with less than 80,000 miles that
>went for five grand one half hour before I called.
>
>So, I am now undecided about what to do about the carcass.  I haven't the
>time to part it out although I am tempted to offer it up as parts and then
>just pick away.  Probably not a good plan, but I hate to give it away.
>
>Anyway, upward and onward.
>
>I broke down and called the guy in Gulfport, Mississippi who was 
>advertising
>a Black/Black V8.  The car was a 1992 with 130,000 and the pics looked
>pretty good.  Since the ad showed no price, I figured, what the hell, let's
>find out how much one of these cars might be in Gulfport....$3900.  Now,
>assuming that this car had not received the extreme detail treatment given
>to cars in the Katrina Car Wash, this appears to be THE market price for a
>decent looking V8 with around 130k.
>
>Right now I am driving The Runt as my daily driver.  I purely HATE the
>thing.  The Runt is a 1992 Ford F150 Flareside 4X4.  I bought The Runt to 
>be
>a plow truck, and it is the best plow truck that I have ever owned for the
>kind of plowing I do.  The short wheelbase makes it easy to plow the narrow
>roads and tight driveways of my neighbors and myself, and the short stance
>also gives it remarkable balance.
>
>But driving it down the road is lousy.  The transmission is one of Ford's
>"better ideas".  You know, the kind of idea that has rendered Ford stock
>worth about as much as old cereal box tops.  It is a three speed automatic
>transmission with an overdrive that drops rpm so much that in order to make
>the truck go up the slightest hill the thing has to downshift.  Coupled to 
>a
>5.0 litre V8 that has about seventeen horsepower, the thing is sluggish.
>
>It gets around 15 miles per gallon of regular running now, and it gets 
>about
>ten in the winter with the plow on the nose, so fuel mileage isn't
>putrid...it is just that lousy transmission that makes it ugly.
>
>I am shopping for another vehicle.  I think the next vehicle will be a late
>90's Chevy/GMC, maybe 3/4 ton pickup 4X4.  I might sell The Runt, although
>as a plow vehicle it is terrific, and it got a new/used transmission last
>winter so it is probably worth more to me than to anyone else at this 
>point.
>It has only had three Maine winters, and has only 130,000 miles or so.
>
>The pickup will be useful when we start to move, and I WANT a standard
>pickup with full size box.
>
>And the V8?  Well, I WANT another V8.  Pretty scarce right now.  The green
>one in Washington apparently is sold, as the ad is no longer on Autotrader.
>There is a green one in New Jersey that is interesting, but I really don't
>want travertine insides.  There is a white one in Lousiville, but the guy
>doesn’t seem to want to send me any pictures or much information.  And 
>there
>is a rusty '94 which I don't want to discuss.  That's IT, for 4.2 V8's.  
>Oh,
>there is the one in Atlanta that has been for sale FOR EVER, but with
>200,000 miles, it is at least twice what it should be if the guy really
>wants to sell it.  Personally, I don't think the car exists, and it is just
>a figment of some V8-nut's imagination.
>
>For the first time in my life, I am in the market to BUY a car.  SERIOUSLY,
>in the market.  I am thinking about a truck not because I WANT one, but
>because there will be need for one.  And there is literally nothing else 
>out
>there that is of remotest interest to me, aside from that one elusive V8.
>What a revoltin' development!
>
>My wife has announced that she wants a Mini.  Fortunately the nearest Mini
>dealer is more than 200 miles and two states away.  It is fortunate because
>now I won't have to throw a hissy-fit and absolutely REFUSE to buy one of
>the foolish things.
>
>What I really should buy is an old Jetta diesel....
>
>Roger
>
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>
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