'84 cam swap thanks!

[Alex Kowalski <akowalsk@shrike.depaul.edu>]

Wow! Thanks for all the fast replies.  I had an inkling that more than 
just the cam was involved in increasing the engine from 115 to 130.  It 
obviously would have been impossible for Audi to make it so easy for us.

I think I'll look up the guy who runs the rally car and get his
two cents as well.  I would be sad to get rid of my engine right
now because (knock wood) it is still running beautifully and
doesn't burn oil, and I just had the timing belt/water pump replaced.  
And golly does Mobil 1 really work to keep those lifters quiet! Maybe 
I'll opt fot the head milling and some head work instead.  The car 
already has the trick 4kQ exhaust manifold/header <grin>.  That thing 
looks like it could service a 327 Chevy!  (Hmmmm....I've been thinking of 
headers for the 'Vette....naah...).  If I could get 25-30 hp more from 
the motor that and the tight gearing will keep me happy.  Dom't spend too 
much time over 85 these days and you have to rev the bejeezus out of the 
car to keep it going faster than that anyway.  

I've only been a subscriber for 2 weeks or so, but I have to say that the 
Quattro List is the most impressive enthusiast on-line resource I've yet 
seen.  

I advised my dad to start buying Audis when his '84 Pontiac Bonneville 
air-mailed a connecting rod back in 1987.  At the time, they were far 
and away the smartest used-car purchase (IMHO still are, but I'm biased 
at this point).  We've owned an '81 5000S, an '85 5000CST, an '86 5000 
wagon (still going).  My last car before the 4KQ, an '82 Coupe GT, was a 
fabulous car (Sport Konis, H&R springs, all new bushings, Yokohama AVS, 
Brembos) that met an all-too-early death when my Yokohamas were surprised 
by an unfortunately placed oil slick at 65 mph.  After nailing a 
guardrail squarely head-on, the poor thing still graunched me home! (BTW, 
I still have the fuel distributor, metering sys. and lines from that car 
if anyone needs them).  We've put a collective total of about 300,000 
miles on these cars, much of it pretty severe duty, for a total of about 
$17,000 including repairs, and not counting insurance reimbursements. I 
would like to keep the Q until they stop manufacturing parts out of 
metal.  

This winter in Chicago, the car suffered a minor ding in the driver's 
side door when a lady in a Honda Accord skittered through a snow-covered 
corner.  It popped right out (no creases!), but when she hit me we got 
into a little conversation.  Seems she'd just paid $5000 or so for the 
Honda and she was so sorry for hitting my nice, clean, obviously 
expensive, previously dentless German car.  All I could think of 
was....You Coulda Had a Quattro and saved both of us the headache!

Alex Kowalski

'84 4KQ
'68 327 Corvette Convertible (the Quattro is so practical it allows me 
to own something utterly frivolous).