Re: Lucas-Home Before Dark

[Robert Houk - SMCC Bos Desktop Hardware <rdh@UrQ.East.Sun.COM>]

    Le> WHAT?!?  Based on my experiences, the electrical systems in Audis are
    Le> FAR SUPERIOR to that of any Engligh beast that I've come across.  I've
    Le> owned too many TRs that were possessed by the "Prince of Darkness"...

	Agree 175%. Anyone who compares English electricicals to
	teutonic electricicles hasn't owned much english machinery or

Well, comparing my former Lotus Europa to my current UrQ (granted a
sample of one each), my experience is that the Lotus was an utter
paragon of reliabilty, compared to my UrQ. The Lotus supplied over
12V to the headlights, while the Audi struggled to maintain 9.6V.
The English use fuses to protect fuseboxes, while the Germans use
fuseboxes to protect fuses (personally, I prefer the English ap-
proach on this one). My Lotus electric windows never even hinted
that they might someday consider not going up and down when I press
the appropriate button; the Audi windows usually manage to make it
all the way up on their own power, when they decide to listen to
the button. I did have to replace one of the Lotus switches (the
headlight switch, as I recall) after a coupla years. The Audi switches
require constant begging, pleading, cajoling, threatening, and out-
right physical violence on a regular basis (especially the wiper
switch; a burnishing tool is a standard part of the toolbox). With
the Lotus, I always felt like I should rewire the car, on general
principles (it was *English*, after all), but somehow never had to.
With the Audi, I think I now (pass IIa) have rerouted and rewired and
newwired enough systems to the point that I *hope* it won't melt any
more fuseboxes. The Lotus got one Sears Diehard that lasted forever
(well five years, the length of my stewardship); the Audi seems to
like a new battery every two-three years. The Lotus starter once
refused to crank after I got the car waterborne one soggy night,
but once dried out (two-three days), always worked (anyone remember
the line "England is a damp country!"). The Audi toasts starters every
coupla years.

I lost count of the number of Finely Engineered German Cars (mostly
Scirrocos; those things seemed to breed like rabbits!) I got to jump-
start with my Lotus (tee hee!). That monster DieHard I somehow shoe-
horned in there gets most of *that* credit . . . (too bad they don't
make 'em like they used to!)

FPM (Flatbeddings Per Mile) is double for the Audi... (one mechanical
[seized water pump] for the Lotus, one electro-mechanical [fool pump
that blew out the intake manifold ??!!??] and two purely more-or-
less-electrical for the Audi [not counting the "no start" due to
stupid anti-theft alarm wiring nightmare, but also not counting the
week in my driveway (which was an extremely convenient place for it
to die, I must admit, and didn't require a flatbedding) while waiting
for new ECU] in twice the mileage)

'Course the Lotus warmer (can't really call it a "heater") was pretty
much maxed out at 40F . . .

And the UrQ actually has an air conditioner! (it works, too! with --
knock head on wood -- no more melted fuses/relays . . . )

My personal, firsthand, hands-on, non-urban-legend-folklore experience.

	I also still have a rather nice set of British Standard
	and Whitworth sockets and wrenches, that are about as
	useful as that 19/32 socket you get with all the Sears
	tool kits.  It's too logical working on these Audis, if the
	12mm doesn't fit the 13mm will, on the English cars,
	actually finding a wrench that fit was half the fun
	of working on the contraptions. I mean if a 1/4 Whitworth
	was too big, a 5/8 american might work.

One of the more eccentric attributes of working on the Lotus was its
true international flavor -- English Ford block, Renault transaxle --
you need *both* metric and "english" toolsets! Double your pleasure,
double your fun . . .

					-RDH