Re: V8 quattro

[Eliot Lim <eliot@u.washington.edu>]

> i have been tracking the v8 prices for some time now...  about 11/2 yrs ago i
> negotiated a 90v8a down to 16 at a local audi dealer, then bailed on the test
> drive cuz of lack of proper shift in the trans... 

do you mean you didn't like the shifting characteristics?  i was thinking
this morning that it did take me quite a while (perhaps over the years)
to really learn how to get the most out of the car.  a lot of it is
common sense, but with a slush everybody tends to get conditioned into
letting it do all the work.

first of all, the slush software does have later realeases that make
it a lot more responsive than the old one which is dumb as nails.
i had a slush computer replaced and the car came back feeling a 
lot better after that.

the "M" switch is the real key to fast driving.. think of it as a 4
speed clutchless.  unlike some boxes, you can actually drop down to
first gear manually.. if you are doing between 15-30 mph, dropping
down to first will really blast the car into orbit..

second is good for 85 mph, so that means on the freeway dropping down
to second you will pretty much blow away everything.. the overtaking
power of this car is incredible.. compared to the traffic light
dragging ability..  this car is definitely faster than my chipped (AT
stage 1) corrado g60 for high speed, uphill overtaking.

and the v8 when worked hard gives off a sound better than almost
everything else i've heard .. muscle car like, but muffled and much
smoother.

if you really need to have traffic light dragging ability, brake
torquing is very effective as i found out again today..  my first
"victim" was a jeep cherokee luxo f___ truck a couple of weeks
ago.. it was funny that he even wanted to outdrag me and cut
me off.. after all it too was a v8...

> Since then the prices have
> started t o creep back up, I don't see many around here (even wholesale)
> below 20...  The 5spd I saw one about 6mo ago for 22k, nary another,
> certainly a hot car.  

the 5 speeds are all 1991's..
 
> But, what still amazes me is that the 20v turbos are just now getting down to
> be under the v8, for almost 2yrs a v8 could be had for about 5 off the going
> price for a 20vturbo....  

well i think part of that is because most of the v8's are 1990 models
which were heavily discounted while the 200TQs are 1991, though 1990
v8s included 89.5 models while the 200Q20V included 90.5 models.

when i bought my v8 in november 1990, it cost less than the 200TQ 20V
wagon that i was salivating at... pearl white and all.. i paid $38-39K
for the V8 before taxes while the 200Q was going for somthing like
$42K.

>   Currently looking to buy probably a 89200tq for the dual knock sensors, and
> I'll put the RS2 turbo on it and give the bump to 320hp.

hey, if you put the RS2 turbo into the S4, do you lose the
throttle-off-don't-lose-boost capability?

i wouldn't give that up for anything.. makes a turbo actually driveable
without trying too hard.

>  I am thinking that the v8,
> if one appears around that is reasonable might be a nice toy to
> tweek, 

i don't think that there's much to tweak without a turbo..

>a little skeptical on how much of the bottom I can bring back
> with mods tho.  If you have the 4.11 in yours I'm not convinced I
> can get more torque easily enough...  A 5spd v8 would be a done deal
> however. 

the 3.6 V8 makes over 200 lbft between 2000 and 6000 rpm.  if you
drive it such that you can get the convertor to lock in 3rd and 4th
gear, you will see that this is true.  in fact my driving style now
includes effort to try to get the convertor to lock early so that i've
got more oomph.  yeah, it is not an obedient servant.. it imposes a
certain driving style upon you if you really want to get the best from
it.  flaw or character depeding on how you want to look at it..

in third gear with convertor locked up the car can climb pretty good
grades with just 2000 or 2200 rpm, so i know it is true.. you just
have to work to get it into that state.. interaction with machinery..


eliot