Fidel,
A RS6 Avant is mighty cool. It has major “you suck factor.”
At this level of either RS or “S” you also need a spare set of rims so you can have winter tires and summer tires.
Pretty much my A4 is just a compact car with some “executive” luxury that now I can’t live without. The heated leather seats have me spoiled.
My friend Cris the guitar builder has an Audi RS Avant likely from that era of yours. The former owner is a lawyer who’s father is a famous fine art painter. Bill wanted a new Porsche and the dealer gave a low ball offer on the RS Avant. Ended up my friend Cris ended up with the wagon as part of a trade/barter deal.
I like the performance that the 2 liter turbo has with the small body, but the car is a bit small. The back seat is really only big enough for children or very small adults. A S5 or RS5 is a better size for an old man.
I use this Techron fuel system cleaner once a month. It is an octane booster. Of course I have to use premium gas anyways, and I buy Mobil premium all the time for the detergent actions. Cheap gas and fuel injection is a bad idea to me. My old German mechanic taught me about using this additive to prevent clogging.
The Audi’s computer advances the timing for me, and pretty much it feels like a much more powerful car. It accelerates and pulls very aggressively, and when I use the Techron on a long highway trip I get 31 miles a gallon doing 70-75 MPH sustained, even in rolling hills upstate.
Anyways for touring a RS5 would be mighty cool. The A4 would be my “beater.”
I’m still excited about my 1966 Chevy C-10 longbed Fleetside. Snarky Joe’s idea of just getting the head overhauled has legs, and pretty much it would remain a barn find that is all OEM 1966 that would be just a local driver. The condition and lovely patina comes no better.
Needs a new wooden bed restoration, a patina preserving wax, and pretty much a head turner. The weight of a camper organically saged the OEM springs and oddly the front and rear tires are reversed to counter a kinda reverse rake that generally on a Chevy truck has a 2 inch rise in the back.
A front disc brake conversion would counter the reverse rake with drop spindles to either eliminate any rake or reintroduce a rather minor one. My idea would be to keep the factory OEM narrow steel wheels and ”dog-dish” hub caps. This would align with running skinny non low profile tires that would be period correct.
Pretty much, “If you want o stand out, don’t do what everyone else is doing,” meaning slamming the truck lower; using low profile wheelers and tires; converting a long bed to a short bed; and all the expensive trends that are in the truck magazines.
People are trying too hard to be cool and different, but they end up being like formulas that turn out to be all the same and rather boring.
I recognize that I have a truck that is now mucho rare that car buffs call a “survivor,” meaning a a vehicle that is factory correct, original, period correct, and hardly modified or updated. My truck has a lot of value added to the right person that wants to restore a truck because it does not need to be un-modded or un-hot-rodded.
Nothing wrong with having a mighty cool plan “B” and having cash sitting in the bank. Plan “B” is a complete upgrade and replacement of the entire drivetrain with all new Chevy truck crate motor (a 350 4-bolt with a 400 cubic inch crank for a 383 cubic inch displacement for high torque), a brand new T-56 close ration 4-speed with two overdrives, and a high performance rear end with upgraded disc brakes.
The turnkey motor and tranny is about $20K and that includes clutch, linkage and all the factory parts needed for an engineered clean installation. Figure about $4K-$5K for the new performance rear end with disc brakes.
On this resto-mod the wheels and tires would get updated, and the front brakes upgraded to mucho big rotors and six piston calipers. Add in a new aluminum radiator and electric fans for cooling. An A/C install.
Plan “B” is not only cooler than a new truck, but also is cost effective and less money than buying a bloated new truck.
I also know that my initial Plan “A” of just a local driver means I kinda have an investment that I could wheel or deal to raise cash. It still would be a barn find that remains a survivor. My plan “B” is a mighty strong pitch to the right buyer. I kinda know that my truck is pretty much a hard asset and a store of wealth.
Know that the full suspension and steering has been overhauled/replaced already. This was a lot of money that the previous own spent.
When the time is right, I’ll move forward.
Cal
