Re: Cruise control

[quk@isham-research.demon.co.uk (Phil Payne)]

In message <09DB74475204D1119C8200805F19D0030324F5DD@aeromsg1.ball.com> "Lawson, Dave" writes:

> I can usually follow these discussions, but have no idea of what you
> are writing about. Did some UK quattro shop get busted for parting
> cars illegally or did you guys find a sport q in the back of a barn?
> More info please.

HM Fuzz, in the course of their activities, came across a quattro being
repainted.  Observant as ever, they noticed that the VIN on the firewall
was partly missing, and the one on the plate was for a 1983 car.  Their
civilian vehicle examiner thought the car was "wrong" and so it was
impounded and a destructiom order was sought by the police.  As with
everything else, this takes time - the whole process started seven
months ago.  Early this week, the supposed 'owner' of this shell got
in touch with the club and asked if we could help - so we tried.

Unfortunately, HM Fuzz are right about the car - the 1983 VIN plate
notwithstanding, it's quite clearly a 1987 car.  Did you know that
the last 1,000 or so WRs had the ABS accelerometer, and a couple of
hundred had the tandem pump braking system?  Amazin' what you find out
from the microfiche.

By a process of elimination and careful checking of lots of bits (the
engine mount went hydraulic during the 1987 model year, and the washers
changed, etc.) we managed to narrow it down and finally came up with the
registration mark and VIN.  An insurance company has paid out on it, so
it's theirs.

There were, however, a number of objects on the floor behind the car
that were related to another case in which there has been a conviction
and the destruction of "the proceeds of crime" has been ordered.  Some
of these objects have attracted the attention of one Galvin.  Watch
this space.  Silly twat that I am, I volunteered to help with his
little scheme.

So we've both returned to our offices to work out how we can earn
twenty grand sharpish!

--
 Phil Payne
 Phone: 0385 302803   Fax: 01536 723021
 (The contents of this post will _NOT_ appear in the UK Newsletter.)