self imposed exile

<center><img src="http://pictureposter.audiworld.com/15016/img_0889.jpg"></center><p>Let me start by saying "It was my fault". My son has started driving on his learner's permit (Oh, you think you see where this is going)and has been driving his mom's mimivan with the automatic transmission for the most part. He has been learning the basics of manual transmission shifting in the imola avant at various large parking lots near home. Yesterday he wanted to go out and "practice" some. So I had him get into the driver's seat in the avant (Which was parked immediately behind the RS4)and told him he could drive to the church parking lot a few blocks away. (Now you do know where this is going) He put the transmission in reverse (so he thought), let out the clutch (too quickly), gave it (too much) gas and lurched the three feet forward into the RS4. Outcome: RS4 needs a rear bumper and avant needs to be cleaned. I was beside myself for about two minutes and then felt really stupid. The poor kid was understandably upset and I was too. The damage to the RS4 bumper is likely not structural; it seems that the license plate holder on the avant "creased" the RS4 bumper and the indentation appears permanent. Anybody know how to remove a "crease" from a plastic bumper?

April

Hubby was cleaning in the garage on Sunday. He propped up a metal broom, and a gust of wind blew it over, causing the exposed sharp metal end to put multiple deep scratches down the side of my 21yo Alfa (with decent original paint).

After a few deep breaths where I only imagined strangling him, I got my feelings back under control. Guess it's a good time to bring up getting those custom wheels made for the car;-)

Get the kid a MK III or MK IV Jetta 2.0 (non-turbo). It's the perfect car for a beginner stickshift person. Decent torque at the bottom of the power band so he doesn't need to slip the clutch much, very simple mechanicals so he can learn how to work on his own car, and cheap parts.

Bob W.

don't feel bad, my friend's mom drove her karmann ghia into a pool learning to drive stick.

CPT Midnight

My 2 sons (5 and 3 years old at the time) are sitting next to me as I am working on the bumper of my Ford Expedition - very cool the 3 year old is passing wrenches to the 5 year old who is passing them to the proud dad.

The 3 year old dissappears into the garage where my 1 year old Perfect Black 2001 S4 is parked. After about 10 minutes I go looking for him and find that he found a piece of 80 grit sandpaper and decided to "work" on the new S4. Fully 30% of the car was sanded and scratched so deeply that it could not be buffed out.

You will be able to laugh about it in a short while.

Bob W.

LOL...ouch.

MrBucket

Now you can get an European bumper without the reflectors, see something good can come out of it.

AchTTung--Vollgas

I'm waiting on the exhaust to come in from where I backed my car into a bollard. Tell your son not to feel too bad, mgleahy.

moTAP

I did this on a bumper with a huge indentation, slowly poured hot water on it. Let it cool, then repeated until the shape was restored.

The paint was still spiderwebbed from the impact, but at least I did not have to get a new bumper cover.

DD (CA)

Ha-ha...same deal...3yr old...brass brush...pass door...ha-ha-oh-no...

Bahn S4

that sucked a lot.