'85 Ur-Qs ... much ado about nothing?

[audidudi@mindspring.com (Jeffrey J. Goggin)]

>But again comes the question of the cars future collectability.
>Considering it is just a car I have been grieving over these very
>thoughts for sometime. I need to do something with my turbo in the next
>seven weeks but I just can't come to a decision-factory original or wc.

I've been having the same problem myself with regard to MY '85 ... although
I own the car and it's mine to do with as I please, part of me feels a
responsibility to preserve it for the future, especially since most Ur-Q
owners have modified their cars by now.  On the other hand, another part of
me thinks "Wow, what a great car! Just imagine how much MORE fun it would be
to drive with TWICE the power and better brakes."

For a while, I thought I'd resolved this issue and decided that so long as I
limit myself to reversible mods, everything would be cool, that I could eat
my cake and have it, too.  However, I'm not sure this is realistic in the
long run since lots of little parts (clips, brackets, screws) will disappear
over the years and I know that my ability to document exactly what they are
and where they go isn't adequate enough to guarantee that I can properly
return the car to stock form five, ten or even twenty years from now.

>With only 73 cars like mine in the world I have to weigh these thoughts
>heavily.

Although Ur-Q owners elsewhere in the world are probably chuckling at the
idea that someone's concerned about preserving the originality of an '85,
this is as good as they ever got in the US.  While it might be possible to
import a 20v and license it here in the US, I dare say that few people will
consider this option given the potential headaches involved let alone the
additional cost over-and-above that of the car.  As such, our '85s presently
are (and will likely remain) the Ur-Qs of choice for most enthusiasts...

Frankly, I don't know where to draw the line here.  Personally, I'm about
$1,500 into assembling a 2.5L motor for my '85 Ur-Q and I've started having
second thoughts ... were it an '83 or even an '85 that wasn't in such good
condition, I wouldn't think twice about it.  I mean, selling them with only
160 hp in this country was a joke and the "Ur-Q experience" that I'm so
concerned about preserving is already diluted quite a bit as it is ... in
fact, I think a compelling case could be made that returning the cars to
their european origins is not only acceptable, it's essential if one wants
the true "quattro experience."  IMHO, this one's a tough call...

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   / |      _| o    | \       _| o  Jeffrey Goggin
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