[V8] The horns of a dilemma...

[Roger M. Woodbury]

Well, you all have read my comments about my wife’s car, a 1994 Audi 100CS Avant quattro.  For those of you who have slept through my long and oft posted ravings about this wonderful vehicle, here’s a recap.
The car is a 1994 which we bought from the Kansas City BMW dealer in 2001 when it had 39,000 miles.  We have kept the car and maintained it without regard to cost.  Our intent originally was to keep the car indefinitely and now with 177,000+ miles the car is ready for rear brakes, possibly one section of exhaust and before too terribly long, complete exterior refinishing.  

The mechanic who has done all the service on this car has in back of his shop a 1997 Audi A6 Avant that is totally inop.  The car has 90,000 miles total and has been off the road for several years. The mechanic would like to make a disposition of some sort of that car.  The exterior color is the same as my wife’s dark green 100CS.  Here is what he and I have discussed and what I am thinking:

1.  He has offered me the car as a parts car for my 100.  The A6 was parked because it needed computer replacement as the previous owner had allowed the front shelf to fill with leaves and flooding of the interior right side resulted with electrical damage.  He told me the best he could get for the car as a junker was $300, and he is prepared to make me a deal (perhaps $300, I am thinking), so I can draw parts from that car. Best of all the car can remain in his back yard.  Right now that car represents to me:
    1.  A new tailgate for my wife’s 100CS which is kind of ugly.
    2.  A 90,000 muffler or exhaust system which is probably in good condition
    3.  4 A6 wheels and nearly new Michelin tires (those tires have been sitting for some time, but might still be usable. Considering the amount of tread remaining, I would want to try them in any case just because I am stubborn. (and maybe cheap)
    4.  A 90,000 mile 2.8 motor and transmission that might well find its way into the 100CS since the engine in that car has a LOT of miles, leaks quite a lot and will soon need a timing belt and water pump service anywhere.
    5.  A bunch of miscellaneous bits and pieces, and stuff that might just get sold along the way.

2.  The 100 really could use a new tailgate as the one on the car has “Old Audi Tailgate Syndrome” although it is not rusted through anywhere.  Cost to refinish the tailgate alone is in excess of $250.

3.  Next week if we don’t get a blizzard, the 100 needs to go to the wrench to get is new inspection sticker. I know the car will need rear brakes and it may need the muffler.  We might get by without the muffler, particularly if I plan to replace the exhaust system shortly, but the center muffler is getting louder and if not now, then next year the exhaust system will need to be replaced.  It will be infinitely cheaper to buy the parts car and pay the mechanic to remove the exhaust system and put it on my car than to buy anything else.

I really hate to see a perfectly good, low mile A6 merely get chopped up.  The mechanic has said the car has been sitting too long to just make road worthy. Certainly the brakes would need to be redone, the brake lines and who knows whatelse will need redoing before the car can sail down the road...the dash is apart, for instance.  But as a donor car to the 100 that has ALL the work done already might be a good plan, especially since I don’t have to haul it from the shop to my house which would be about 70 miles and a deal breaker.

On ebay now is a very intriguing 1996 A6 Avant that has less than 50k on it since new.  Very tempting, but with an asking price up around twelve grand, a non-issue for me.  My 100 is near perfect for its age and for around three grand, I can make it look nearly new in the body shop.  OR with the donor car, I could replace the four doors on my 100 with doors that do not have “Audi Curling Rub Strip Syndrome”, a new tailgate, and thus my 100 would like about like new.

comments?

Roger

Oh, and by the way, I’ve just gotta make my usual pitch.  I have a small volume of short stories that will be coming out right after the first of the year.  If you have ever wanted to know the true story about Christopher Columbus crossing the Atlantic, or the true story about Washington crossing the Delaware, those stories and a few others will be in “Ragged Stories from a Jagged Coast” in paperback and all electronic reader versions.