Re: '86 ur-q & 'ZZZ' VINs

[harrison <hsapir@multiverse.com>]

Where are you getting the VIN from? On My 88 90q (US) and other Audis that I have inspected, "ZZZ" appears in the VIN on the firewall. If you look at the windshield or door pillar, it reads "WAUCHO" not "WAUZZZ." I was told by the OH highway patrol during a salvage inspection that it was some sort of decoy to trip
up car thieves.

harrison

quattri wrote:

> Very interesting! Thanks for the confirmation on no AoA officially imported US-spec DOT/EPA 86 ur-qs.
>
> Your post and another a few weeks ago peaked my interest on something else ur-q. Someone posted that VINs with 'ZZZZ' in them mean that it is a Euro-spec auto. This sounded very familiar so I went out and checked - sure enough, my 85 ur-q has the 'ZZZ' in the VIN, but it is US-spec. (I am pretty sure about this)
>
> What gives?
> Does 'ZZZ' in the VIN really mean it was intended for Urrup?
> Anyone else have a US-spec ur-q with the 'ZZZ' VIN?
>
> Thanks,
>
> -glen
>
> I recall this same thread more than once in the past couple of years.
> One response that I heard from Audi was that one went to Canada (the one
> being rebuilt?) and that one found its way into the US via England that
> was, for all intensive purposes, a North American car.
>
> If so, that could be the one that I bought from a friend in California,
> BUT it turns out that it was the LAST '85 produced.  After talking to
> the original owner, this story emerges.  He was asked in Ingolstadt if
> he wanted it to be an '85 or '86 because it was an '86 (the beginning of
> the run, perhaps), but told that they would charge him less under the
> '85 price list.  He chose the lower cost.  That may be the source of
> some of the confusion.  And yes, Glen....it has the digital dash, as I
> noted in a post two weeks ago trying to track down parts for, or a
> replacement of, said dash.
>
> However, I agree with Glen from our past discussions that this car is
> grey market.  I know that it had to have the door beams and a catalytic
> exhauset installed stateside and the VIN is definitely NOT North
> American (VIN #WAUZZZ85ZFA901331).  But it could still be one of the
> sources of confusion.
>
> The tragedy of the trip to Ingolstadt, however, was that he turned down
> a Sport Quattro offered at an unbelievable price.  Remember, this was in
> the days of strongest dollar in recent memory, so think nearly a half
> price sale!
>
> Steve
> --
> Dr. Steve Marinello
> Corporate Engineer
> Newpark Resources, Inc.
> 3850 N. Causeway Blvd., Ste. 1770
> Metairie, LA 70002
> 504/838-8222