RE: timing belts

["John Barbera" <j_barbera@domain.elided>]

Okay, I'm getting tired of the Audi bashing.  Yes, the timing belts are
difficult to change (I've done this on four different cars, including two
V8's and an A4).  But the notion that the heads can't be rebuilt is
nonsense - I personally had one rebuilt for a V8 (bent a few intake
valves after the timing belt jumped), and it wasn't cost prohibitive in
the least.

I've never had the pleasure of replacing the timing belt on an Alfa (my
spider has chains, of course), but a friend has a 164, and he's not
thrilled with ease of maintenance on his car, either.

Besides, engineering at Audi never ceases to impress me.  This is the
company that introduced the quattro system, the five-valve head, the
all-aluminum A8 and, most recently, the CVT drivetrain in the new A4. 
Audi's success in the LeMans series is legendary (as was its domination
of rally racing with the introduction of the quattro), and its new
RS-seires sports sedans are nothing short of spectacular (even if they're
WAY out of my price range).

Sure, I'm a life-long, die-hard Alfa fan, but my second car will always
be an Audi.

-John Barbera

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