[urq] Urquattro Registry (long post)

[wbremer]

Steve and everyone: the link on Blau's site was taken down some time ago.
The link was just to an electronic form that an owner could fill out and
submit to Blau (a very good way to stay on top of the changing urq
ownership).  Every so often, Blau would send be a batch of paper forms.  I
haven't received any for years.

The Urquattro Registry that I established has never had a presence on the
web.  When I started it in 1990-1, before widespread email and websites,
about 50% of the owners did not want their names and urq ownership made
public in any manner.  Some tuners refused to let their urq owners know
about the Registry I was starting for fear of losing their clients to other
tuners and parts suppliers.  I very much respect registrants desire for
privacy.  I value it myself as a matter of course, although such efforts to
maintain privacy seem almost ludicrous today.

Unfortunately, I neglected to make a notation on the original database I set
up about who desired privacy and who did not, and the Registry was
established under the wing of the Quattro Club, so I did not want to cause
problems for the club.  As a result, the Registry has no web presence and it
is maintained today on a PC that is not connected to the web.

Several other players started web-based urq registries.  For a while there
was an ur-quattro.com site where folks would sign up and enter information
(although that appears to no longer exist), and Audifans.com had a couple of
registries that until the recent server replacement allowed owners to post
information and photographs.  So, there has been a website where Audi
quattro owners could post as much info about themselves and their cars as
they care to, but the Audifans.com one is now under construction, as you
know.

Due to a change in jobs, accompanied by a big daily commute, I have not had
the time to promote the Urquattro Registry on the urq list or to chase down
new owners and ask them to share info.  This is my opportunity.

I established the Urquattro Registry primarily as a way to help trace stolen
urqs or parts of stolen and "chopped" urqs back to their owners.  I now
maintain it on a database in a PC that is not connected to the web, so any
info provided is secure.  I do not share any urq info with others for any
purpose without the permission of the owner.  The Registry has helped a few
times to improve the insurance reimbursement on a damaged urq.  For new
owners of urqs, I will share information about any modifications that prior
owners have reported (but not owner name history).  This helps a new owner
know what kind of chip is in the ECU or the type of wastegate, brakes,
motor, etc. installed in the car, and may help a prospective buyer (with the
OK of the current owner) check the history of the car by contacting me.  It
has been somewhat useful in identifying about where the VIN break is for the
1983.5 versions of the car (when the fusebox location changed, etc.

If you are a new owner of an urq and have not registered your car with me,
how about sending me an email with the complete VIN, the color, and your zip
code plus a summary of any material or "hidden" modifications that you know
about or have done to your urq.  If a prior owner has registered that car, I
will let you know what modifications to the car had been reported.  I will
not share your information with others without your prior OK.

Thanks
Bill Bremer
North American Urquattro Registry

-----Original Message-----
From: urq-bounces at audifans.com [mailto:urq-bounces at audifans.com] On Behalf
Of urq
Sent: Thursday, November 08, 2007 4:13 PM
To: ury
Subject: [urq] urq registry?

When I was looking for links I tried to find the urq registry ... I thought
there was a page on the Blaufergnugen site, but I couldn't find it.  ECB ...
is there a web presence for the urq registry?

Steve B
San Jose, CA (USA)

OBTW, in the process I also learned that German Auto Salvage/Wolfsport have
been taken over by Karmakanik.  Funny, I've wanted to meet Steve Nechodom
for some time to talk about some V8 engine work I need to have done ... now
I have another reason to make the trip up there ... 
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