[V8] The neurosis spreads!

Tue May 5 07:38:02 PDT 2009

I too am infected with V8itis................my 90 V8 has served me
well.....I just don't have the time to work on it anymore.........and no
good wrenches in the local area that I trust to work on it.........drove
a 2008 S4 the other day, with a 6 speed...........wow............way out
of my price range.....but made me start looking at the 2005
models.......the unique sound and feel of the 340 HP of the current
generation 4.2 is awesome.....way more mechanical sounding, must be the
chain driven cam system on the back of the motor.........and then
there's that desire for a ragtop....put a few miles on a 350Z with a 6
speed...more fun......ummmmmmmmm... Or maybe an S4 cabriolet?

Bob
90 V8 Pearl 200K......maybe for sale......

-----Original Message-----
From: v8-bounces at audifans.com [mailto:v8-bounces at audifans.com] On Behalf
Of Roger Woodbury
Sent: Tuesday, May 05, 2009 8:01 AM
To: Mike Arman
Cc: V8 at audifans.com
Subject: [V8] The neurosis spreads!

I've been here too long.  I am seeing "ME" everywhere I look.  If you
all will recall, I have delivered many posts on the "do I keep it, or do
I sell it" or "do I buy another one" or "(MOAN) I've sold it and now I
regret it"
theme.

Now the syndrome is spreading and Arman has caught it.   It's worse than
the
swine flu!  It's V8itis in its worst iteration.  

But, Doctor Roger is IN, and I know well the symptoms and can give on
line therapy. I am well suited to do so as I have NO intentions of
replacing my 90 V8 for five years or fifty thousand miles AT least.  At
that point, the car will require a new timing belt and all that jazz,
and will be older than dirt.  Parts will no longer be available and my
mechanic will probably have become sick of seeing me and my car anyway.
I will also be ready to be fitted for a walker, so the whole question at
that point may be moot.

Besides, we may be out of oil on earth at that time anyway, and we may
be riding around on little electric bicycles powered by the little solar
cell beanies that we will wear on our heads.

So, Mike come in to Dr. Roger's plush but not overly ostentatious
office, sit in the special Audi V8 seat converted to a therapy couch and
let's examine your quandary. You have come to what you think is a
decision point.
The V8 is "right" right now, but no longer reaches you.  So I have some
questions that you didn't answer.

1.	Is the V8 a daily driver and therefore of some necessity.  That
is,
do you NEED to have the car running every day, or do you have something
else to use to get from point A to point B?  
2.	Is there space in your kingdom to keep the car inside and out of
the
elements unless it is actually being driven.  By that I mean, if it is
indoors, will your wife or other people in your life always be on your
case because it is in the way of the clothes dryer, the bicycle rack,
the baseball glove repository, or perhaps the living room sofa?
3.	Aside from the fuel tank issue, what else does the car need in
order
to be driven down the road a bit.let's say, from Punta Gorda, Florida to
Yakima, Washington?  They all need something, but most of the things
that they "need" are items that can be ignored as being nonessential.
This is an important consideration..probably should be number 1,
actually.
4.	Assuming that you hit a home run, and sell the car for $4000,
will
that money make a serious difference to you the day after the car is
gone?

That's all the questions that Dr. Roger has.  See?  The psychotherapy of
keeping or selling a V8 is really very simple.  This I have learned the
hard way.  My V8 #2 went away because I felt that keeping it sitting was
foolishness, AND I knew that it was probably going to need "something"
and didn't want to get caught with it needing "something" when I
couldn't get it done, or needed it, or SOMETHING.and I had started
another restoration project and believed (read:  convinced myself) that
I was going to be in the truck mostly and the dark red V8 should go
away..it went and turned into the Gentlemen's express, and as soon as it
left the yard, I was sorry.  But that was then and now is now.

Anyway, this is "self-therapy".   You can answer the questions yourself,
and
make a decision that is based on whatever reality you want to tune in
to.
You will never "get over" the V8.  It will just be something that you
"had once".  

Weekend before last we drove to Ottawa.  It was a great trip including
Interstate, two lane, mountain and some pretty urban stop and go.  The
V8 is running perfectly and part of the enjoyment of driving the car was
that when the cars are running well and right, it's such a kick because
the cost of the experience is so low, even if you pay for the vast
majority of the work.
Our trip to Ottawa would have been smooth, comfortable and slick in a
newer S8, but much less fun at eight times the investment.  And besides
I just like the look of the V8 more.

Dr. Roger advises that if you can, put the car away for a while.  You
will be hard pressed to replace it, and if it is not a financial load,
just let the car rest for a bit.  If you have the room,  leave it be,
and then later on, if you find you have no interest then do what you
need to do at that point.  

It isn't a sin to have something sitting in your garage that is not
being used.  Your descent into hell will be no faster nor slower because
you have kept the V8 in stasis while you moved on to other things.  And
if that day rolls around in a few months, when the mood seizes you, you
can breath life into it again and enjoy the car for the wonderful
vehicle that it is.

You can sell it quickly, but if you end up with V8 Lament, you may be
doing that far longer than you wish.

Roger

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