Re: 4ksq tail light lens

["E. Boyles" <boylese@theriver.com>]

>On Thu, 14 May 1998, Dave Fain wrote:
>
>> Just noticed that my '85 4000S Quattro has a left tail light
>> lens that doesn't match the rest of the lenses.  It looks the
>> same from a distance but has a horizontal groove about 1/2"
>> deep between the red and amber parts.  Other than that, it
>> fits perfectly.  Anybody know what sort of Audi this belongs
>> on?  Is this a rare and hard to find part that somebody would
>> like to trade me a correct lens for?  Probably nobody but me
>> will notice it, but now it annoys the H*** out of me.
>> Dave
>> 

> On Thu, 14 May 1998, Robert W Obrien wrote:

> >I think (IMHO) that you have a 5000 sedan light on the left and a 5000
>Avant/4000 (they're the same) light on the right... as it should be (the
>right side that is) Now, since it seems that '84-'91 type 44 sedans are
>likely more numerous than type 44 wagons/'85-'87 4k's, you have, instead
>of a rare part, a common part *substituted* for a rare part...
>
>At least, this is my recollection after staring at the tails of far too
>many Audis- I was once such a spotter, even my (then) girlfriend got
>indoctrinated: She exclaimed, "Look, a V8!" on the freeway at about 50
>yards (red cluster)-- but I could see that although the lights were V8
>spec, the "5000s quattro" badges told a different story- contradicted by
>the beam axle, 4-lug 5ks rims... and DOT Turbo headlights?? And, it was
>*green*. Anybody else see this example of partsbin engineering? AZ tags,
>spotted about three years back...
>
>And you thought *you* got the wrong taillights...
>Rob
>
The AZ tags might have been mine. Call it a coincidence, but my 85 4000S
Quattro has the same "different" left rear tail light as Dave describes on
his 85. I attributed it to one of the POs having a minor accident and
replacing the lens with what was available at the time.
Ed