[V8] Report from the front...

[Roger Woodbury]

I just returned from just east of Pittsburg where I picked up my "new" 1990
V8. I had received more than half a dozen quotes for shipping, but at the
end, I decided that I would prefer that no Monkey Lad touch the car until I
had put my monkey paws on it first.  Thus, I saddled up the Chebbie 1ton
Dually, rented a Uhaul transporter and headed west.  Or rather,
southwest...WHATever.

Kinda tough sledding once I got to Bloomsburg.  Clear sailing and fairly
easy before that. The problem was that Mapquest...orwhatever the MSN mapping
tool is...is out of date, and so is my 2008 Gazeteer.  

Oh, well, I got the chance to see an awful lot of very interesting and very
huge earth moving equipment, and I toyed with the idea of bringing one of
the cranes I saw back with me to the quarry, instead of the V8...but I
resisted, as I thought it might overload the Uhaul transporter.  But I
digress.

I arrived at International Imports of Pittsburg, and met the charming
Amanda.  (REALLY!). She's a slick chick who knows more than just a little
about the biz and cars in general.  Wish I was thirty-something again, I
just might....NEVER mind.  

And of course, I saw the car.  My first impression was that it had been
painted.  It was under a roof that extends from the building out over the
open display lot, and the car looked AS NEW.  MUCH better than the eBay
pictures, which the eBay ad had stated.  But I resisted getting too up close
and personal until we got the documents done, and I got the key so I could
actually look inside.

Well, we chatted, and did the bookkeeping part, and I went out with key to
open the door. 

Inside the interior is severely BLACK, Including the headliner.  Perfect.  
I can see a little bit of wear on the piping on the left side of the
driver's seat where getting in and out would wear it, but no other sign that
any of the seats have ever held a bottom.  

And clean.  The car has been detailed to within an inch of its life, more
than once I suspect.  

I found the scrape on the right side rear.  It is a scrape that is on the
lip of the wheel arch, and looks like someone backed up and perhaps got a
bit to close to the garage door.  It is minor, and I won't bother it.  Other
than that I can find a couple of little picks on the nose...consistent with
what you would expect to find on an 18 year old car that has 62,000 miles.

The owner of the business arrived.  Interesting guy.  Just bought a Ford GT
out of a bankruptcy, and that is the kind of car that he likes to sell.
They do a LOT of biz on eBay.  I saw a '91 Dodge 3/4 ton pickup that had
been sold on eBay for $7100 and the buyer came and welched on the buy.  That
truck was PERFECT, for a TRUCK, and one that was seven years old, to boot.
I almost traded the Chevvie 1Ton on the spot.  The Dodge was certainly
prettier.  

So Steve, the owner, drove to the V8 on the transporter, and I cinched it
down, and headed east.  The big Chevy got around 12.5 miles per gallon going
out hauling the empty transporter, and I think around 11 on the way back
with the "penalty" of the V8.  It's pretty tough doing that many miles in
under three days, and I know that I have spent the last three days in a
truck.

When I rolled the V8 off the transporter, I opened the hood.  Inside the
right side cam cover seal is partially crimped.  They didn't leave the
factory that way, so I am pretty sure that the cam covers have been off. AND
if the cam covers have been off, why would that be, unless to replace the
timing belt and do a service?

Opened the glove box and BERZRAPP!  There is the Audi V8 leather book folder
and inside is the owners manuals AND service booklet.  With quivering hands
I opened the book and saw that car was originally delivered to an Illinois
dealer, and had been serviced there through the first 27,000 miles.  Then
nothing.....................UNTIL:  dealer stamp for service in Pittsburg at
60,000 miles.

So the question is, did the authorized dealer do the timing belt at 60,000
miles?  That was in 2001 (!).  Monday, they get a call:  who knows: they
might have records.

Anyway, flushed with such revelations, I slapped on the 30 day tag that I
was given, and went for a little drive. The car runs and drives like it
should.  After driving the 1Ton Chevy with a 2000 pound auto transporter on
the bumper for three days, the V8 is scary fast.  

Next week we will pull of the cam covers and do an inspection.  The wrench
and I will then map out a strategy for the ABS and cruise control, and after
that, the seat heaters.

In the meantime...let's not get TOO cocky:  but this might be one of those
"time capsule" V8s...this one with 62,000 miles.  

Roger

My wife has pronounced it "pretty", so that counts for something.  

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