[V8] Report from the Front: no surprises

[Roger Woodbury]

I don't disagree with what you have said, but I am not sure that you
understand what I was saying.

Cars that have lived extensively in the rust belt...northern New England
especially...will have MUCH more wear and tear on the under pinnings than
cars that do not spend all of their life up here.  Frost heaves take a
terrible toll on things like bushings, shocks, and rubber stuff.

A car that has spent ANY time in areas where salt and corrosives are used to
combat ice will exhibit a certain amount of underpinning decay, and that is
certainly present in this car, as I have mentioned the brake lines already.


But the only decay in rubber grommets and the like is in the front sway bar
bushings which are "getting there" but could probably go another 25,000
miles before they become an issue.  We will replace them in the fall,
however as that is the time frame for the front end work.

I am mistrustful of the "garage queen" as a matter of course.  The dealer
that sold me this V8 has just bought a 1981 Eldorado diesel with 11,000
miles.  THAT is a garage queen. Might I be interested in a V8 from 1990 with
11,000 miles...well, maybe but only after an intensive looksee, because cars
that get no use, get only abuse, is a motto that I think works well with
these.

The galvanized bodies and otherwise quality of design and workmanship is
what makes these cars...especially the Type 44s worth the time and effot, in
my opinion.

Roger

-----Original Message-----
From: cobram at juno.com [mailto:cobram at juno.com] 
Sent: Wednesday, May 07, 2008 9:41 PM
To: rmwoodbury at roadrunner.com
Cc: v8 at audifans.com
Subject: Re: [V8] Report from the Front: no surprises

 "Roger Woodbury" <rmwoodbury at roadrunner.com> writes:
> worth the effort.  Obvious moral to the story to begin with, is 
> NEVER, and I
> mean NEVER buy one of these cars that has lived extensively above 
> the rust
> belt...IE:  New England or upstate New York....

Not my experience at all with Audi's, and specifically the type 44. 
These cars almost NEVER go to the bone yard because of body or rust
issues.  When there is a rust issue, it's because of previous body work
most of the time.  Quattro is the 2nd compelling reason to own an older
Audi, #1 (for those like me who hate bodywork) has always been the
galvanized panels and the high quality of all fasteners.  Well, maybe
almost all, with the biggest exception being the two screws that hold on
the TPS.  

Have to remember that there's a lot of coast line out there, all of it
bordering very salty water.  Aside from a garage queen owned by the guy
next door, you can never be sure.

After sorting every little thing like you did on the wagon and driving
for a while, should you decide to sell I will make an insulting offer and
quote the above as the reason it ain't worth squat. ;-p

FWIW - I've never had ONE issue with the V8Q or any of the rest of the
fleet which was salt belt related.  If this wasn't the case, I would have
been rings decades ago.
 
BCNU,
http://www.geocities.com/cobramsri/
"In my many years I have come to a conclusion
that one useless man is a shame, two is a law firm, 
and three or more is a congress."
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