First, you have to deal with people who are scared of tunnels, and think that they have the right of way if they’re turning left at an intersection.

Then you have to deal with driving in an overcrowded infrastructure that also has to support a multitude of bus lines that are underused. Add to this the numerous tractor trailers that crowd single lane roads like Carson Street on a consistent basis, and you’ve got frustration similar to that of a person drafted by the Pirates.

BUT, the real issue I have with driving in Pittsburgh is the road conditions – and now it’s personal. I don’t know how, or when it occurred, but one of the wheels on my car has become the victim of Pittsburgh’s pathetic excuse for asphalt. I’ve been losing air little by little in my front right tire, and when I went to get it looked at, they told me that the wheel had a small crack in it that was causing the leak. How cool is that? I’ve driven my car safely, and I’ve done my best to avoid any major bumps (my car has 18″ wheels, after all, so you have to be more aware), but somewhere along the line, I must’ve met the unavoidable.

This is no exaggeration. In a two week span, I watched the imbeciles that get paid to fix the roads in Pittsburgh attempt to patch up the intersection at the bottom of my hill…twice. Guess what…it’s still awful. You practically have to maneuver around the potholes like a guy taking a Jeep up a rugged mountain. And this is after they’ve fixed it twice? It’s pathetic. If I head another couple of blocks down the road, another intersection has the same issue.

I can’t stand it, and now that I’m traveling by the rubber of my bike or my shoes while I search for a wheel replacement, the disappointment is only getting worse.

If anyone comes across a set of 18″ OZ Aristos for a 2004 VW R32, let me know…

UPDATE: You’ve gotta love the VW community on VWVortex. VW told me that a new wheel was going to cost me $520 for one wheel. I’m getting a whole set of 4 wheels for less than that from a guy on the ‘tex. While they are used, and aren’t pristine by any stretch of the imagination, I’m hoping that I can just use this method for fixing up any curb rash, etc. on the new set. Plus, since the mighty .:R doesn’t come with a spare tire (yes, no spare tire, only a repair kit comes with the car), I’ll just throw some rubber on one of the extra rims and carry that around with me – saving me the $400+ that the Audi TT spare would’ve cost me. Not bad.

I hate cars, and I hate debt, but I love me some R32! I happened to drive by Billco VW in Wexford on Sunday and saw a beautiful 2004 R32 sitting in the front of their lot. Oh a whim, I turned around and decided to take a quick, harmless look at the car. It was VW certified, in pristine condition, and only had 37,000 miles on it. Hmm. What to do…

The dealership was closed, but the wheels were already in motion. My 2003 Jetta GLI was almost paid off, but I really wanted this car. I had always wanted one but didn’t have the money when it came out, and had since reserved myself to never getting my hands on one of these cars for two reasons:

First, most of the people who bought one of these limited edition – only 5000 crossed the Atlantic – hot hatches have had about 4 years to modify the cars into something far from the near-perfection that the car originally possessed. From different wheels to bad paint jobs. From exhaust mods and chips to body kits, I figured I’d never find an R32 that was as stock as the day it arrived in 2004. Since that’s the only way that I’d really want to purchase a used one, I just wrote the idea off a long time ago.

Second, after four years, you’d also expect most of these cars to be run to the ground. High mileage for their age, destroyed clutches, worn interiors, etc. My Jetta was a great little car in really good condition, so I wasn’t going to downgrade in wear and tear, even if my car had just over 70,000 miles on it.

Fortunately, this R32 crushed those pessimistic thoughts with all 3,400 lbs. of its diminutive, yet awesome self. The leather is intact, the clutch is unaltered and car reacts just as smoothly as my GLI, albeit a bit faster…and with all wheel drive! Frankly, if the odometer didn’t say 37k on it, I would just think I had taken a time machine back to 2004 when the R first came out. I guess that’s what happens when a 60-year-old guy owned it before me. He took great care of it. Gotta love responsible adults!

Since the car has a ridiculous resale value, low miles, a clean record, a VW certification, and a 3-year warranty on top of the near mint condition of the vehicle, I just couldn’t pass it up…so I didn’t. Billco also did the 40,000 mile maintenance already. Not bad.

Also, we got a mini snow storm last night here in Pittsburgh, so I decided to test the car’s capabilities a little before the plows took to the roads. It was awesome! Simply awesome.

And, as a friendly plug, I’d also like to add that Billco Motors is a tight VW/Mazda dealership with a great staff, at least from my experiences there. I’ve been going there for service since moving to Pittsburgh. This process was flawless and they were very helpful in helping me get what I wanted. If you’re in the market for a new or used VW (or Mazda), go check them out and ask for Mike Dixon.