you want to what??? (was: dare I take the plunge)

[Tessie McMillan <tessmc@xxxxxxxxxxx>]

Golly I don't know how I missed this thread, but if it has anything to do 
with selling a csQ for a Bosch Spider, I'm aghast. (Avid Quattro fan 
&:-D).

I have an '87 spider and an '88 quattro. My personal opinion is the later 
Spiders are not as fun as the earlier ones, the peppiest drivers being the 
early 70s cars without all the emissions-management stuff. That said, I 
wouldn't sell a Quattro to have a spider as my only car. I'd feel like I'm 
giving up power just to be more cold and uncomfortable when it's rainy or 
snowy outside. If you have a free and easy lifestyle, maybe this is not so 
important! But for me, shlepping to work every day and trucking stuff 
(including dogs) around... there are many times when I need a car with a 
hard top that I can lock securely and I don't have to worry about dressing 
for the Antarctic. Quattro is also worth a lot, in my book. If you can 
manage it, keep both cars!

I think someone pointed out that buying a Spider will make your girlfriend 
want to marry you. That's a debatable question too, from my standpoint 
(being of the female persuasion). The *right* girlfriend will want her 
own Spider, and then you'll get stuck fixing her car and your car, and 
you won't be spending a lot of time doing much else. But yes, you'll be 
able to test the mettle of your relationship, because a *wrong* 
girlfriend won't want to drive with the top down (gets the hair 
all messy), or doesn't like the exhaust smell, or will be sooooooo 
jealous of the car (you spend too much time in the garage fixing the 
Spider). The *really right* girlfriend will also figure out a way you can 
keep both cars. Then she'll take the Q-car and lower it with coilover 
suspension, put a chip in it, a higher-lift cam, a front strut-tower 
brace, super flowed exhaust, rear anti-sway bar, upgrade to Brembos ... 
and then she'll beat the cr*p outta you at the track when she's not 
lobbying to drive the Spider herself. Which by the way she'll be 
lobbying that you stiffen the suspension, add a competition-height 
rollbar, upgrade the wheels (get rid of those Turbinas - they ruin 
fingernails when you wash them), add an SS exhaust with glasspack, tune 
the Spica, and throw in a smaller Momo wheel to fit her hands 
better.... &:-) You could potentially be spending lots of time together in 
the garage as well....

I think you're hosed either way, though. Even if you sell the Q car to 
buy the spider, you'll then want a GTV6 in your garage as well. 
After that, you might be thinking about a Duetto, or Junior Z. Might 
as well keep the Q-car right off the bat, because face it, you're not 
gonna be a one-car man for long ....

&:-)

Tess
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