On Jun 23, 9:44*am, W Pawlinetz > wrote:
> On Sat, 18 Jun 2011 18:39:52 -0400, D. LaCourse >
> wrote:
>
> >Hands fully extended? *Ain't no way to drive. *Adjust your seat so that
> >your wrists rest on top of the steering wheel. *You may have to adjust
> >the steering wheel also. *With your wrists resting on top of the
> >steering wheel, your arms will have the *necessary* bend in them when
> >your hands are at 9 and 3.
>
> Concur. Had the same instructions here and it is valuable advice.
>
> Maybe an additional tip: Also his legs should never be fully straight
> when depressing the clutch or any pedal. There should always be a
> slightly bent knee.
>

there is a bend in my knees and elbows. More so in the knees than in
the elbows.
Keep in mind that my (standard) driver's seat cushion is ratcheted up
almost all the way
so it's physically impossible to hyperextend the legs.

the US spec A4 does not have auto mirrors tilting backwards whenever I
shift in reverse,
hence I prefer to sit high up, in particular to see the curb on right
hand side when
parallel parking. In fact I like to have this pure experience without
the sugar coating
of auto adjusting mirrors or, at an extreme, automatic parallel
parking:
fewer electronic gizmos to break this way on an almost 9 y.o. car.

I find the left hand somewhere between 8 and 9 o'clock while cruising
on highway
with an occasional lazy drop to 6 on long boring straights. I suspect
that would be not good
at all in case front airbag would suddenly decide to deploy

the steering wheel is 3-spoke with spokes at 6,9 and 3 (15 that is in
24hr speak)

the right elbow rest is vertical as I don't like it at all on a car
with a manual,
I suppose automatic affictionado have some use for that contraption,
that or the people who frequent drive through and buy drinks there

all in all a very nicely thought out car.
aside from aftermarket steel plates for the oil pan, transmission,
possibly transmission linkage in the rear
(the realities of debris on the local roads and 1SA)
and 15" steel rims for winter tires I stick by my original plan to do
absolutely zero mods to the car

even the thick rear sway bar I most likely won't need at least until i
replace contiprocontacts with
a rubber that matches sport suspension (1BE) a bit better though ABS
and quattro masks
contiprocontact shortcomings in the traction department fairly well
and they don't annoyingly squeal in turns - a pleasant surprise from
an all season grand touring tire,
kudos to Continental or 45 profile for that. maybe they use litigious
squeal compound for taller sidewalls,
i dunno as this is my first 45 profile set ever