[V8] ... reality check

[patrick gillen]

Merry XMAS to all from a struggling V8Q dissenter (sound like an AA meeting?):

In all these V8's going to the crusher, is there a totally working cluster, original or with  re-soldered colored harness jacks? I need one, and if all jacks were not re-soldered, the lower the miles and the most laboratory-perfect-ambient-the car-operated-in the better.  441 919 035 P  VDO 110.008.369/047.

If not, after 16 yrs of fighting parts unavailability, I suggest we all cut the esoteric V8Q BS, rally together and CRUSH THEM ALL. It was a good car, but a never ending money and more importantly time sink is no longer a good car. When I bot mine 16 yrs ago from an elderly doctor-only driver who only drove it salt free garage to garage, his dealer service file was an 1 inch thick at 100k miles. I added another inch of service file for another 70k except mine is mainly parts receipts and countless labor hours. 

I have been driving 50 yrs and the V8Q is plain and simple, an out of the box lemon. A lot of it's technology is transplanted from its brethren, how could it be so screwed up? Two inches of service file is not right for any vehicle under 200k that is used on the street, at least for the common ones I have owned. And all my problems are the same ones you had.

My position now, which I first found laughable not too many months back, is supported by a nameless NW V8Q expert who really opened my eyes recently as I bought a HP hose from his shop as yet another part that can't be bought new. He got a wrecked V8Q exactly like mine on Thurs, I called him Friday out of frustration looking for a used hose and he said he was crushing it on Sunday. I said, whaaat? So stupidly, I wasted the better part of a day chasing a used +3000 psig hose before the crusher got it, all along wondering about my sanity on a used pressure hose.

And I'd almost be happy to eat the last $1k in various parts I've spent while I can't still drive it out of the garage because some genius decided the defective cluster solder joints should also control something so simple as the radiator fan. Like y'all, I too sincerely appreciate most of the Audi engineering but some of it is beyond ridiculous and done without senior engineering oversight and I am done defending it.

So let's crush all the V8's, the rare 5 speeds first. And if there is a '94 floating around somewhere, lets bonfire it in Pioneer Square; I will light it and take the heat. But first, let's deal on a cluster so I can get another 30k mi while rationalizing all my recent wasted labor and parts...until the next fiasco.

Pat
1990 V8

-----Original Message-----
From: V8 [mailto:v8-bounces at audifans.com] On Behalf Of Allan Vega
Sent: December 18, 2014 7:35 PM
To: Ingo Rautenberg
Cc: V8 Audi Fans
Subject: Re: [V8] ... reality check

(Closes eyes, and sticks fingered in ears) la la la la la la la can't hear what your saying la la la la la



> On Dec 18, 2014, at 9:03 PM, Ingo Rautenberg <ingo.rautenberg at gmail.com> wrote:
> 
> I literally gave mine away last month to the local salvage yard. Both 
> 5 speeds :(  They both needed work: The one had a perfect interior and 
> the other had an almost-perfect totally rust-free exterior. Both 
> needed steering racks, one needed a fuel pump and the other had half 
> of the injector wires eaten through by a rodent (guessing a chipmunk or squirrel).
> I just didn't have the time or space to work on them. Audi-less for 
> the first time in 28 years.
> 
> Ingo
> 
>> On Thu, Dec 18, 2014 at 8:35 PM, Steven B <urq222 at ymail.com> wrote:
>> 
>> Funny, I just came to the realization that one if not both of my cars 
>> will end up being donated for charitable tax purposes and end up in 
>> wrecking yards somewhere ...
>> ... wow ...
>> I'm pretty sure I found the pick-n-pull where Gerry's '91 5-speed 
>> wound up ... and almost had a chance to go out there to confirm my suspicions ...
>> Steve Buchholz
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