jumpnofear

After over 14 years of joy together I parted with my 2001 S4 the other day. Ironically, I did not stop in time and hit the back of an Audi SQ5. Slow speed impact but enough braking to get my bumper under hers. The hood was buckled and the grill was pushed far enough to pin the belt. Totally fixable but I had to weigh the insurance payout against my ever-growing list of items that needed or would soon need to be fixed/replaced. I took the money.

I have gotten so much help from this forum over the years that I felt I needed to say “Thanks”. In between the sometimes snarky comments is a wealth of info for the full spectrum of Audi owners. I always fell on the middle – semi-DIY, no mods, daily driver. My car had 186,000 miles on the original clutch and turbos. Considering I auto-crossed it that is a real testament to German engineering. It always felt solid, sporty and classy. It also needed timing belt, brakes and to stop leaking oil (damn half-moons). I’m kinda glad I had not just done any of those repairs.

It’s been really hard to figure out to replace it now that I have a wife and two kids vying for time/money. I just picked up my 2016 GTI. While it is not as plush and has only two drive wheels it is amazing how much technology has changed since 2000. I can’t wait to get through a break-in period and really open it up. I may even end up chipping this car but not until further into the warranty period. Now I have to find a new support system like this one. I know the VW community is active, let’s hope they are as helpful.

Brad