Offramp,

A great big ditto to that,

"One reason why I started to do most of my own work got tired of paying big bucks for somebody to swap parts. I can swap parts myself without having to pay somebody $80/hour."

If they do know what they are doing, they ARE 80 bucks, if they don't know what they're doing, they charge less, yet take longer, same in the end, as well as doing it right on the return trip.

I'm a bit crippled up, at the moment, having my work done by a young fellow with a garage bysiness here in my small coalmining patch village. Young to me, about 48. Sharp as a tack, too. Reasonable, to me. Like 75 bucks to change 2 CV shafts, I provide them.

Good guy. I've known him since he was a kid. I'm pertnear his dad's age.

Of course he also does the work on 2 of my 3 kids 4 vehicles.

First time in my life I ever paid for mechanical work. Body work, I suck at. That, I paid for. But, Audi's bodies simply do not rust, at least since my 82 5000 Diesel, unless they've been hit and badly repaired, as my '85 left rear corner, just at the tail light assembly. Nowhere else on the car, up to last fall, when I scrapped it. Turbo, 5 bolt, couldn't even use the rotors or wheels on the '90. Small pang, getting rid of it. Youngest daughter and s'in law moved home for a while, hated seeing undriveable car in the drive. Nag, nag, nag.

You're right, too, on the Japanese cars. My one daughter had 2 at once, a Toyota and a Datsun, no, they're Nissans, now, aren't they, flexible hose exhaust rotted away on the Nissan, 350 bucks or more to buy a new one. Starter, like 150. Parts ain't any cheaper for the riceburners, and they sure as hell ain't any more of a luxury car than your average Audi. And, on that starter, you had to pull the pass side half shaft to remove, replace it.

American vehicle, GMC Safari van, broken torsion bar, new design, can't buy the old style, 600 for 2 new ones.

Audi is as good as, if not better than most vehicles. Of course we're prjudiced, aren't we.

Had the mech replace a tranny mount, today, and tighten up the exhaust donut clamps. Wow!!! Exhaust goes out the end of the tail pipe now. Almost couldn't tell the engine was running when I started it up. A dream, all over again.

Cheers,

George

 

Offramp,

Sorry to post so soon, again, but what year was gearbox #2?

As I said, the recall I read in 92 or 93, after I changed mine out, said mine was covered, and I would assume that meant at least the 84-88 series, possibly a year or 2 later. As I also mentioned, I called Audi, and they said it did not matter that I was not the original owner, they would replace the differential. By this time, it was 8 or maybe 9 years old.

You can't beat that kind of warranty with a stick.

Of course, since I had scrapped the parts, I was SOL.[:@][:@]

Cheers,

George

 

Gearbox #2 came from a 82 Coupe or so the story goes according to the salvage yard owner. It was already pulled so I never saw the car it came out of or if it was original. Decoding the numbers did seem to confirm the 82 vintage.