[V8] 5-speed in driveway/radio question

[Bastian Homburg]

Yeah, the V8 *really* is a different car with the manual transmission.
I have a 6-speed 4.2 and had a 6-speed 3.6 before (all original, these 
were the models you Americans didn't get) and the difference between 
both engines is noticeable, especially in low- and mid range power 
delivery. Where the the 3.6 delivers nice and adequate power but doesn't 
really 'wake up' below 4,000 rpm, the 4.2 delivers much more useable 
torque right off idle and really pulls once past 2,000 (the ABH delivers 
as much torque at idle thant . A delight to drive.
And don't worry too much about the clutch. My 3.6 was still on its first 
one at 336,000 kms (208,000 mi.) with smooth-as-new operation and no 
signs of impending failure, and the 4.2 is still going strong on its 
original one at the 307,000 kms (191,000 mi.) - all that despite I took 
it to the track a few times and do a fair bit of mountain driving at a 
pretty, um, spirited pace.
About the stereo - what I think your PO or whoever put it in there did 
was that he indeed bypassed the amps in the speakers, hooking the stock 
BOSE speakers up to the new head unit directly. This should work without 
"crackles" when done right.
When I changed my head unit from the OEM Audi/BOSE  to a current Becker 
one, I put in an adapter that was specifically designed for those 
systems (The BOSE's have a really crooked frequency response that only 
works well when all components stay stock). A plug-and-play affair that 
even I could do myself. It's called "Dietz 17005". Specs here - scroll 
down for English: http://www.dietz2.biz/dokumente%5C17005_D-E.pdf. Any 
good car stereo shop should carry these. Cost should be around $100; it 
works beautifully and the sound is not different from what it was before 
at all.

















toml99 at todomundo.com wrote:
> Hey, got one pic before the battery in the camera died.....Hmmmm,  
> what can I say....It's been almost 8 years since I got a speeding  
> ticket, and I had a hard time not trying to get one today.....What's  
> below Mint, and above Pristine?(maybe just below  
> Pristine)......Having never driven a 5-speed(much different than M  
> mode)....I loved it on the open road, but the 25-40 tourist traffic  
> on the way home just felt wrong.  It just wanted to leap ahead of  
> that "land yacht" ahead of me, but there was big traffic both ways,  
> and every downshift, I thought of the inevitable day of clutch  
> replacement.  Clutch feels snappy and great, but is most likely  
> original, and @ 144K, would like to not have to do it immediatly.   
> Nothing doesn't work, and there are no leaks.
>
> The stereo (Alpine CDA-9856) sounded great, except for the crackle  
> over bumps.  I'd assumed that whoever put the stereo in(not PO), had  
> run new wire/etc, as I was under the assumption that only a Bose unit  
> would work with the amp'd speakers.  Well, I removed the front  
> "crackler", and everything looked stock, but someone's been in there  
> as there was some fiberglass kinda fuzz packing(looked newer/not  
> stock).  No rewiring at the speakers appeared to have been done.   
> Rears are lacking their amps.  I thought the bose sent a small signal 
> (via small wire) to the amps, then they boosted it to the speakers.   
> I'm guessing the crackle is a bad cap/solder,(after verifying wires/ 
> connectors), but also thought that with a "normal" stereo, you just  
> bypassed the amp, and ran right to speakers....since I already love  
> the unit(has xm, and ipod jack, will do whatever to do it right...any  
> thoughts are appreciated.....Tom
>
> http://s217.photobucket.com/albums/cc268/blackmouth_photos/91%205- 
> speed/?action=view&current=915speed.jpg
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