[V8] Audi A6 Avants and miscellaneouos wheels stuff....

[Roger M. Woodbury]

Well, just changed the tires on the 100Quattro Avant.  It didn't go well.  

 

Some years ago when I replaced the tires I had opportunity to pick up some
Fuchs wheels with nearly new Dunlop tires for cheap. So I did, and enjoyed
the tires until I changed them to the absolutely awful deplorable junky loud
elcheap Fuzions from Bridgestone's elcheapo factory.

 

So, now it was time for inspection and new tires which I ordered. 

 

When the old tires were dismounted we found two of the neat, VERY light
Fuchs rims were cracked, one quite severely.  Obviously new rims were in
order. 

 

John the mechanic suggested that we might just use the  tires off one of his
two A6 Avant parts cars that he has out back.  One of them came in for some
minor transmission shifter issues and when the owners found out that it was
going to cost some money, they gave John the car in exchange for the
diagnosis of the transmission problem.  So we decided to swap those wheels
with my old ones and put my new tires onto the A6 wheels.  

 

Except..well:  the A6 had sixteen inch OEM wheels, and my new tires were
15".

 

BUT:  when the A6 got abandoned right after the previous owners had
installed a set of four new Dunlop Graspix tires..and I mean new:  I don't
think there are 100 miles on the tires.  So we just put the A6 tires and
wheels on my wife's 100CS AVant, and off I went.

 

Now, I have two perfectly good Fuchs VERY light wheels, and four center caps
to get rid of.  Maybe Chris at Force 5 will want them, or maybe someone
else...

 

Now, let's talk about these two A6 Avants.  It was a near thing because John
was going to flush them down the drain last week and never got around to it,
and I am here to tell you that it would be a terrible thing.  Maybe someone
on this list might like to have one or both.  Here's the deal:

 

Car #1 is a 1997 Audi A6 Avant. Black with gray interior. Third seat.  Bose
system intact, Including the changer in the rear.  200,000 miles.  The
problem with this car is that the shifter lever is stuck in the housing and
it shifts with a great deal of effort..that is, manually moving the
automatic transmission lever is extremely hard to do, although the
transmission works perfectly.  The engine also works perfectly, smooth,
quiet, and there are no other noises from inside the engine compartment when
it is running...no a/c bearing noises, no noises period:  smooth and quiet
as I said.  The body isn't bad, with a little curling of the trim which
these cars do, and one spot of corrosion on the right rear corner above the
tail lamp assembly. The front seats and console are apart and the car is
dirty, but otherwise it could be a running, driving car or better yet:  a
great opportunity for a V8 transplant.  Of course it has odd wheels and
smooth tires on it right now.  It is a good parts donor car.  $600?

 

Car #2 is either a 1997 or 1998 A6 Avant Quattro.  This poor thing was
allowed to sit out under the apple tree with nobody at all, and leaves and
stuff collected in the front tray.  After that it rained hard, and then the
water accumulated in the tray in the leaves and stuff, froze.  Water also
got into the interior as it can when the drains are all plugged up and
eventually the ECU and harness fried.  The ECU has been replaced and some
attempt at reconnecting the harness by monkey lad who no longer works for
John was made, but the harness job is unfinished and there the car sits.  It
is green with ecru interior and under 95,000 miles.  I have no price on this
one, but for about $5000 this car could be bought as a fully running
operating car, ready to go with a new harness, new ECU and all that jazz.

 

John will sell either one and pull either engine and transmission out as
part of the deal if anyone has any interest.  I have NO dog in the fight,
and need neither myself, and it is highly unlikely that John will do
whatever is necessary to make either car 100% road ready.  Either car is
simply too good to merely be given to the junk yard which is what he does.


 

For what it is worth.

 

Roger

 

Another question:  does anyone know what year(s) the Fuchs light weight
wheels were an option from Audi?  And for which models?