V8 Problems-Bitter(no German pun intended)

["James M. Dean" <aes@mhv.net>]

Lawrence C "I Hate My V8 Right Now" Katzenstein wrote:  

>   I advised the guy from Fishkill to make use of his proximity to the
> Hudson River and the Bronx. I told him to fix the car, put on a life
> preserver, and make a sharp right turn in the middle of the Tappan Zee
> Bridge.  Alternatively, I suggested that he park the car on Southern Blvd
> in proximity to major interstate highways sometime in the evening.
>   Now mind you, I am not really advocating insurance fraud, but owning the
> same car has at least led me to some significant fantasies for getting
> rid of it. I wonder if anyone has ever published a book "101 Uses For a
> Dead Audi V8"? See, it's not even as useful as a dead cat.  
>   I'm currently finalizing my plans for fixing it. One terrific lister
> gave me the name of a shop in suburban St. Paul that claims to be able to
> do the work for $1500 less than the dealer. However, since they only offer
> a 90 day warranty while the dealer gives a year and unlimited miles at all
> Audi dealers its an iffy proposition. Even the dealer says it will take
> them 2 weeks to gather all the parts needed.  Sarge has given me the name
> of someone who can do a 5 spd conversion, but I haven't been able to reach
> him yet. I figure that if I have to keep the car someone ought to be able
> to find a way to set it up so that it's more fun to drive. Too bad
> the 4.2 won't fit in the engine bay or I would do that. A 4.2 chipped like
> the 4.2 A8 ought to be a lot more spirited. Another lister suggested that
> I do a Chevy small block 350 conversion. This has lots of appeal, kind of
> a ImpAudi SS, with a timing CHAIN, but I don't know who could hook it up
> to the trans. 
>   I've never paid so much time and money on something I really don't like
> that much except for the appearance and the quattro. In its past life this
> car was probably some neurotic blonde named Helga who returned as a car
> for costing some guy lots of time and money based on appearance.
>   At least when  I suffered this much with my Healy 3000 and my Fiat
> Spider there was the camarderie that other posts have spoken of--lights
> flashing, waves etc. The only other people I see driving these are bulky
> Midwestern Northern Europa grandmothers with stern expressions and blue
> rinsed hair. I doubt they'd wave back or flash their lights. 
>   Come to think of it, I'll name this thing Laguardia! When I make a
> mistake, it's a beaut!

Qualifying as the "Guy from Fishkill" I can understand Larry's
frustration. Since I bought my '91 V8 about 6 months ago with 77K on the
clock (87K now), I have replaced the steering rack ($700), front wheel
bearing ($300), bomb ($400), added a 12-disc
CD changer ($600) and just had the timing belt go; expected repair cost
$3k-$4k. (See previous posts on "V8 Troubles"). Now I'm looking at a
total investment of $15-$16K. 

All of a sudden I find myself wondering sometime if my initial $12K
investment was worth it. Well, my final analysis is that it is worth it
today. I love the car!!! It's a blast to drive and my new CD player
sounds great. Since I drive between 25K-30K miles a year, I'm looking
forward to some "trouble-free" cruising after the top end repair is
complete. 

Now, I'm also considering a chip upgrade. Might as well go for it and
splurge a little for all my aches and pains while the V8 is down. From
the list, sounds like IntendedAcceleration or TAP is the way to go. How
does the comparison of these two rate? Mike Longo gave me some BTDT on
this project. Anyone else with BTDT on the V8 slush box?

Hey Larry, just try and remember that there is a very thin line between
love and hate.   

------------
James M. Dean (JD)
Applied Energy Services
P.O. Box 60, Fishkill, NY 12524
Tel (914) 486-4134  Fax (914) 486-4701
Pager: (888) 274-7281
e-mail: aes@mhv.net
http://www1.mhv.net/~aes