DIY repair: a coupling cable

Coupling cables have had plastic eyes for years. And that system is very reliable until it is once old enough. Then the cable breaks on the eye.

Unfortunately.

But coupling cables are usually easy to find. Except when it comes to coupling cables from Real Exotics. Such as that of the editorial 1900 cc Audi 100 five-burner with carburetor. That series was made a year or 30 + a year or a half.

The first order was apparently one from cheap Chinese reference. It was bought through De Officiele Kanalen because, if possible, we buy locally to support the work here, and not the one in China. There was a ring missing so the outer cable was pulled through the rubber at the bottom. The cable went back to the supplier, and some Internet research revealed that the thing cost $ 6,98 through Ali Baba. My supplier charged over sixty euros for it.

The second cable was considerably cheaper, but also had no VW / Audi / VAG stamps. After half a year ... Oops: plastic eye on the pedal side piece. He went to play half a year later in the same place as the original. Well fitting reference is apparently not yet OEM quality.

A more targeted search was now being made. Because the Audi had to trot again. Today already. Classic Audi specialist Terpstra from the famous Sexbierum was able to deliver Original Teile, but for this Audi the delivery time was about three weeks. At Terpstra, he understood that for a daily driver it was rather long and they referred to… The home of the proud Audi owner. The manager of the Brezan in Dieren was also a classic fan and he might have an address.

We had to search for that address, but it turned out that somebody in the Netherlands had once bought six of these special coupling cables. And he still had five of them.

Two were ordered and they must arrive on Wednesday.

But on Tuesday there had to be stylish transport again.

That is why a piece of nylon staff was turned to length and thickness, drilled, auctioned and nested. To give the new building a little more body, it was fitted with a metal bus on the cable side. All in all we talk about a good hour of work and some gymnastics to be able to hook the construction on the clutch pedal. The result does not deserve a design prize. But still ... Adjust. Ready.

The new cables will cost something from 60 euros per piece. One of them comes at the site of its own construction. But the Audi went all the way to work this morning.

A bit of improvisation must be possible.