[V8] running the numbers

[Scott Simmons]

Regarding the picture:

a) What the hell happened to the KISS method??

b) What's up with the incredibly large micrometer??

That being said, if you take the V8q to a dealer, it's going to cost way 
more than it's worth.  $1000 for brakes??  Only if you're replacing UFO 
rotors and at $500 a pair, it should only cost about $600 for parts 
(rotors + pads).  Running 9 quarts of Mobil 1 Synthetic only costs ~$60 
for the oil, $15 for the filter.  A big point of owning an older, 
foreign car is doing the work yourself to save money...... unless you 
got that 250 LM in the garage.

Regarding tires:  rotate them every 6-8k!!  They have warranties on them 
if you properly maintain. 

Regarding vehicle service warranties:  someone really  needs to educate 
the public about what they CAN do to their vehicles while still 
maintaining warranty. 

I really want to agree with you and say that the wife's Chevy is cheaper 
to own.  But, well, I had to throw on new starter, alternator, battery, 
front rotors, front pads, rear brake cylinders, rear drums, water pump, 
four tires, transmission service, just about every exterior light bulb, 
a/c recharge........... you get the picture.  Just about the same amount 
of work as the Audi needed (sans timing belt adventure).  I guess the 
difference is in prices:  Chevy rotors:  $25/ea, Chevy water pump: $25, 
etc. It's still cheaper than the Audi, it's more reliable, it's quieter, 
it's less complicated, it's much better on gas, but that's not why we 
own it.  :)

The Audi costs money.  It's a fact of life.  If I didn't enjoy it, I 
wouldn't spend the money on it.  I don't look at it like, 'oh geez, 
there's another $500 gone on a piece of transportation' (that's the 
wife's job).  I see it as me spending money on a hobby that I enjoy.  
The moment a car becomes more of a financial or emotional burden than 
fun, get rid of it.  An older Audi is NOT going to compare to any other 
car because a Corolla is an A-to-B car.  I can't think of the right 
words to convey my message, it seems.  How about this:  the V8q 
shouldn't be considered in economical terms, because not only will it 
flunk that test but the test isn't applicable.

And that's just my opinion,
~Scott S.

cobram at juno.com wrote:

>Bastian Homburg <b.homburg at web.de> writes:
>
>  
>
>> - timing belt service: $2,000 every 75,000 miles -> 2.6 Cents/mile 
>>for  that alone. Comparable cars have chains that don´t need to be 
>>replaced  at all.
>>    
>>
>
>ALL timing chains eventually need service and replacement, some as often
>as every 100K miles.  On cars comparable to the V8Q it is NOT a cheap
>undertaking, and many engines with chains have tensioners which use oil
>pressure and are prone to failure.  How about the newer Audi's with
>chains, you have to pull the engine to service any of it's components,
>the setup looks exactly like a Rube Goldberg contraption.  Here is a
>picture that I think Brett posted from a tech day they had at the dealer:
>
>http://i194.photobucket.com/albums/z9/HondaLine/Parts/CRW_5328.jpg
>
>doesn't that make you want to run out and buy one...makes me want to run
>in the opposite direction.
>
>BCNU,
>http://www.geocities.com/cobramsri/
>Developer: Someone who wants to build a house in the woods.
>Ecologist: Someone who has already built his house in the woods.
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