[urq] The revolt is revolting?

[Daryn Baker]

I certainly understand the frustration and both sides of the argument. Believe me, I share the frustration too - try owning the older ones like Foxes and S90s, even worse. But that said, the after market parts, the genius of the entrepreneurial types that have created some fabulous pieces of engineering to improve the cars, the need to upgrade to parts of later model years, etc., etc. - I look at it like this: it allows us to build the car Audi should have. I might take some flak for this, but IMHO, the original Quattro (will I be sued for that??) is not that great of car, not in the North American form anyway. Nice on paper, but early cars have a lot to be desired for sure. Still, IF I ever finish my project, it should end up being a nice (RELIABLE) car because it won't be original. Let's face it, don't look to Audi to support anything of sufficient age due to economic reasons as already pointed out. I understand that, but this is just one of those things, IMHO, that puts Audi a cut below BMW and Mercedes. Hey, if they're proud of that, then so be it. If the cars are too frustrating, sell 'em!! (I've thought about getting rid of mine recently....). If not, then love 'em!! Mine is a love-hate thing, wish it was a love-love thing. My flame suit is on. 

Daryn

>>> <QSHIPQ at aol.com> 05/15/08 4:42 PM >>>

This thread might find a target, but I suggest it may bring more apathy  from
Ag, not less.  There are thousands of aftermarket parts available  for Audis,
very few of which Audi 'owns' the rights to.  Further, I have  2.5urq's
myself, routinely work on probably a dozen in the midwest, and find any  mumbling
at Audis lack of support to be silly.  Very few on this list would  ever *pay*
what Audi would need to charge to support a few hundred cars (at  most).  The
aftermarket is driven by volume too, so you won't  find much support there
either, it's not a patent issue - it's just plain  economics.  Demand for these
parts is high enough, the parts will be  made.  Expect the other side of that
Econ 101 equation to hit you too, the  price will reflect the demand vs
quantity. 

Mercedes will support just about any machine of any year made.   Different
buyer, the type that buys a Mercedes part for his 1971 isn't asking  how much. 
I just don't see that on this list, nor is the current market  price of our
machines really worthy (IMO).

Andrew, you threw a lot of gas on the fire.  I spoke to the gent who  put up
the urq25 website within an hour of it hitting the i-net, because of  *my*
concern about the use of "quattro" on/in any website.  The chain  of events is
longer than you summarized, and your letter doesn't jive with the  version I
understand.   But the bottom line is that Audi doesn't  give that trademark
freely, never has, never will.  And several vendors and  members of this very forum
(including Dan too, on the name change of this very  forum) are well aware
that trademarks in the automotive arena are guarded with  extreme prejudice. 
It's not just Audi, it's every single manufacturer,  from Audi to Volvo.  And
there are attorneys that freelance, trolling the  internet for any and all
infringements.  And the laws support them fully,  there are no innocents, it's only
money.  To have a urq event canned  because someone violated the use of a
well established trademark,  sounds absurd.  I argue if anyone here can't get the
urq or urq25  reference, no need to go to the event?

I see a lot of Audi bashing on this forum over the parts issue.  I  just
don't get it.  I like my urq's, and the challenges in making them what  I want,
include the business moves Audi makes to raise the creativity.   It's a grand
touring coupe that I appreciate greatly for what it is, how it  drives, and I
don't pass another on the road every day.  Is  it easy to find parts for?  Nope.
Can I make every single urq I  work on run without sweating what Audi
chooses to do in parts  support?  Yes sir. 

When I take my urq's out to Steamboat, or carve up some twisties with the 
center diff locked, or cruise effortlessly on route 80 for 16hours straight, I 
think about sending a letter to Audi too.  Thanks for making it difficult  for
anyone else to own?

My .02

Scott J
83 urq
84 urq
.5 83 urq Steamboat beast

In a message dated 5/15/2008 4:46:53 P.M. Central Daylight Time, 
dgraber460 at aol.com writes:

Isn't  there an issue that Audi won't release patent rights so no
aftermarket?can be  made to fill the void??I have no idea if this is true but somewhere
along the  line I had heard this. Not making parts is a somewhat justifiable
business  decision, and when do you stop supporting old design etc. etc.
Preventing  anyone else from doing so is an especially egregious offense to me.
It's  the old adage - "Fish, Cut Bait, or at the very least Get The Hell Out
Of The  Way!!"

Dennis Graber
Quality Linings & Painting
Denver,  CO






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