Re: towing a quattro

["Gary G. Erickson" <erickson@teleport.com>]

Greg wrote:

One caveat about using "only" a flatbed . . . if a road club such as AAA or
 Sears Motor Club is
paying for the tow, you can only get the flatbed if that is the truck that
 happens to be
dispatched.  If you insist on getting a flatbed, you will most likely find
 yourself paying for
the entire tow yourself.  This is because most tow companies only maintain one
 or two flatbed
trucks per division; and they command a higher premium.


     ....Well, I am not a member of AAA or any other car club (except quattro c
lub, and I don't think they have 24-hr roadside assistance yet), so, yes, I am
already planning to pay for it myself.  I don't care as long as the car is safe
...I just don't trust those dollies myself.  But that's just IMHO.


Until now I had not been mentioning the name of my friend's tow company, but if
 any of you are in
the Portland area and need a lift, I would highly reccommend Speed's Towing.
 They also happen to
be the major provider for 85% of the road clubs in the area.


     ....Prechiateit!  But, I'm in Atlanta on the EC (East Coast), so that's no
t not gonna help me much.  But, that's OK.  If you are in the North Atlanta are
a, Marrietta Wrecker Service is a good place to use and they have several flatb
ed trucks, and are available 24-hrs a day.  They are also right down the street
(Airport Industrial Dr.) from my mechanic and a very good paint/body shop, so i
t is very convenient for me.  I have thier business card with me in my glovebox
and I have a cellular phone in the car, so if I am ever stranded, I am prepaire
d!  Another reputable service is R. Myer of Atlanta, and they do call work for
the local Mercedes and Audi dealers, and they ONLY have faltbeds!  But, I think
they are also a lot more expensive.



>             (3. If they did tow it incorrectly...can you say lawsuit?)

Difficult to prove (at least here in Portland), the
 driver have to
do a visual inspection of the impounded vehicle, and log it with the local PD.
 That's also why
the signs that warn you not to park someplace have the phrasing ". . . will be
 towed at the
owner's risk and expense . . . "

     ....wouldn't towing damage be pretty obvious, and fairly easy to pinpoint.
Especially with our cars....if it drove before, and now it won't drive, then ob
viously they screwed it up!  They'd probably screw up the differentials and tea
r up the transmission, so that would be obvious.  I would sue!  And they would
pay....believe me, they would pay!  ;)  <evil grin>


If anybody has any specific questions about towing in general or their cars in
 specific, let me
know and I will forward them to Nick.

     ....Has he ever ruined a Quattro drivetrain?  Just wondering.

                                                                  Later,
                                                                  Dan