Would you save 905147 ?

[s8prtotype]

Hello, Names Sam, I'm addicted to boost. With that said, I will be getting into one of these pretty soon and I've been shopping around for the "right" one for me for what seems like an eternity, kinda hard to find the right car at the price you want it to be at.

Well, just curious if any of you would put the effort into saving a rare car such as these, when everything is wrong. I'm definitely a DIY kinda guy and can do all the work myself, I've had many projects (Many DSM's and a few euro cars) in my day and love refreshing/restoring/modding cars. Wife currently owns a B7 S4 and my stepson has a B5 S4. Anyway...

For Example: http://www.cars.com/vehicledetail/detail/621424675/overview/

I talked to them, seems the tranny is bad of course, but it also looks like it was treated pretty bad, needs headlights from what I see on the dash error and they said the check engine light was on due to the EGT sensors. it will also need painted as the front end looks horrible. I do think it would make a great 6 speed swap car and while everything is out just clean it all up.... it's one of the colors I want too! ugh.

What I don't understand is how could an owner let a car like that get so far gone? it's a shame :(

BTW that's the advertised price, the cash price is much less. My wife is saying I should just find a perfect one as I'm probably not ever going to get rid of it once I do get into one, and go from there with mods.

Once I do get into one I'm for sure going to start a refresh/mod thread on it :)

[lswing]

The one you posted look should be worth around $7-9k at most with all the issues, and I would guess there are more, like worn brakes that would cost $2k with pads all around. It's easily $10k of work that you described. Some of this depends on you pulling the engine and swapping the trans yourself. A good rebuilt trans is $3-6k and labor is $2-3k, and that's just for starters; and rebuilt torque converter for $500. You can find a well sorted an decently cared for example for $15-18k these days. You can find a really nice one for low $20k, one was just posted, excellent condition and mods.

I agree finding the right color/interior combo and well cared for is important since that's tough to replace. Mine was a bit dinged up when I got it, but drove great, and was the blue/black/carbon that I wanted.

Find one that's been cared for and had many of the suggested updates done by a smart owner. This would include the plastic coolant pipe in the oil cooler, intercoolers, tc/trans if VIN is before ~90550, and the DRC swapped for a more reliable system. Also a tuned ECU and TCU is nice to pickup and save yourself $1-2k.

Cheers and happy hunting...may the boost be with you!:addict:

[Bigglezworth]

If the car isn't in "good" running order (meaning there are concerns with either the engine or tranny), it is only worth salvage price. That means less than $8-10K. There are enough hard to source specialty parts on these cars and demand for those parts that will see this car only become so cheap to buy.

[Turbowned]

I do mostly all my own mechanical work, and I wouldn't touch that thing with a 39 1/2' pole (sorry, been listening to too much Chistmas music). But seriously, who knows what other unknown problems are lurking in that car. The exterior looks a little worn, interior a bit too (notice the cracked carbon dash panel and worn headlamp switch) and I'm willing to bet it has no actual Sportec or MTM modifications (which means it was driven by a moron/poser). If you have $25k cash budgeted towards a car and feel adventurous then sure thing, build it up the way you want it.

However if you're trying to get into an RS6 on a budget, you should wait 'til your budget improves or look at a more affordable car. Trust me, I wish I had an even higher budget than I did when I bought it; it was a little bit of a stretch then. Now that I took a pay cut at work I practically get night sweats thinking about what happens if it breaks next. No doubt some of the forum members shook their heads when I had to ask if anyone was selling used brake parts because I couldn't afford to shell out for new ones at the moment. (New job is coming soon, folks, but that's a story for another time)

You can almost always do better to just save a bit more and buy the nicest example you can find. I learned that lesson the hard way when I started trying to restore my BMW 318is. The mechanical parts aren't bad when you do your own work, but the paint/bodywork, upholstery, metal fab, powdercoating (things most folks can't do in their home garage), that's what gets you.

[lswing]

WTF? I just looked through the pics, that poor car is trashed. You could buy a better one that's been wrecked. The level of interior damage is horrid and would cost a ton to fix. Poor thing needs to be burnt and put out of its misery...just take the engine.

OP, follow this site for six months, you'll find something great.

[Bigglezworth]

Always amazing to see differences in opinions from people that own the same car. :)

I would buy this car for these reasons:

1. The drivers seat is the only wear and tear item I can see from the photos. Source a replacement from one of the autowreckers and Bob's your uncle. Would also need to remove the tacky 4 rings logos plastered everywhere. Can't be that expensive to do that...
2. The front rotors appear to be new. New pads are presumed
3. The tires aren't bald by any means. Rims would need to go, but there are a trio of spare sets here so that would be an easy one.
4. Car is NOT new guys. It has been driven. Unlike members who are fortunate enough to live somewhere that it doesn't snow, many others drive their cars year round and in doing so are subject to road salts, rocks, and sanding. Yes the front clip is peppered. Optics and aesthetics alone. Less than 1K to remediate.
5. Has more desireable carbon trim package
6. Headlight symbol doesn't mean new headlights. It simply means either the front or rear level sensor is not functioning. Frequently this is simply a broken armature which can be replaced with another via a 3D printer... Did just that a couple of years ago. Any further adjustements are via VAGcom. IF, and that's a big IF, the headlight adjustment screws are stripped, you can elect to swap out the lights with new units for less than $350 a pair.
7. I said it above. A car of this vintage with a bad motor or bad tranny is worth the price of salvage. 1 month ago you could have purchased a good condition 5Tip for $1K delivered.... If you perform the work yourself, you save 4K on the swap.
8. EGT's aren't a deal breaker at all. They aren't cheap, but you can swap them without removing the motor for 3-4 hours of your time max.
9. All the go fast stickers need to GO - in the garbage.

This car would make a great winter beater for anyone that lives in locations where 6 months of the year there are crappy roads. Who the hell cares if you have rock chips on the paint or windshield if you're running it for winter, and have a nice ride for the summer?? Yes, for those of you that have clear roads year round and fret over driving in rain, this would be an eyesore, but I have a car in the garage that has double the mileage this one has, and aesthetically is similar, which equates to double the amount of enjoyment thi one has provided. Over the course of owning it just shy of 5 years, it's cost me less than $7K for everything (rotors, pads, timing belt, Tstat, water pump, rollers, tensioners, cam tensioner shoes, upper and lower control arms, outer CV joints, EGT, O2's, headlight switch, turbos, intercooler repairs, valve cover gaskets, bufkin pipe, & tires).

Guess what I'm trying to say is that beauty is in the eye of the beholder. If the engine is fine (which there is no reason to believe otherwise aside from an EGT code), and it's presummed the tranny is bad, this is a solid cash purchase for $8-9K. I doubt the screamin' $1K tranny deal is still around, but there is another tranny offered for sale at $1,800, and I would suspect you could get it for $1,300-1,400. Yes if you have lots of money to have a nicer looking ride, and one that doesn't need some repairs, then wait and puchase a $20-25K version. If you want to save $5-10K and are good with mechanics, this is right up your alley. Car was how much for those south of the 49th - $85K? Buying at $9K is 90% off. Just how cheap does something have to get for one to consider it a good deal???

Oh, and if anyone wants to argue less milage automatically equates to less maintenance or less cost of ownership, I challenge it. Both of my cars here with average mileage and driven only during summer have cost more to maintain than the one with the high mileage, rock chips, and driven during the winter. Reason for this is simple. All items have been properly maintained on it and as such all changed out with replacements. The lower mileage cars haven't hit those milestones yet where things start to encounter problems.

[s8prtotype]

Bigglezworth, I'm pretty much thinking like you are with this situation.

If I was to buy a decent one for more money, and the same parts decide to break, then I just overpaid for the car knowing I could of done it myself in the first place.

If I was to pick this one up and KNOW everything that's been done to it by myself the correct way, well.. i'll have that peace of mind.

I have a bad habit of buying cars for what they're actually worth and then just completely re-doing them anyway, then not even come close to what I have into the car when I go to sell them.

For me, it's kinda about the "project car" process of just building them and modding. What this one has going for it is a clean title/carfax, one of the right colors and the carbon/ 2 tone interior with the SE exhaust, I actually kinda like the wheels on it as well, my real issue is do i sink money into a 150k car... i do know they can go 200k+ with the right owner.

Anyway, I'm thinking the car actually does have a tune on it... which may have made the tranny fail in the first place, they got back to me on what errors and its currently showing the car has a gear ratio incorrect signal fault and gear recognition sensor electrical malfunction fault stored in the TCM. The exhaust gas temp sensors were stored faults originally but are not showing at this time. Also the car has the airbag light on from the side airbag on the drivers seat malfunctioning. It has the headlight leveling light on in the dash but the lights are both working.

This thing needs put on a lift and get the whole subframe dropped, replace everything and add mods... then re-install. I have access to a garage and even painting stuff..... it's just the time to work on it as I run my own business everyday.... ugh.

Do I save it or no!?!

[Zorb]

This car needs to be parted out and the previous owner condemned to driving Hondas for the rest of his life.

[lswing]

This car needs to be parted out and the previous owner condemned to driving Hondas for the rest of his life.

So true...

[lswing]

It will easily take $10k in parts and $5k in labor to make this even close to some of the $15-17k examples out there. Also note the jacked up dash, light switch, carbon, seats...it would be highly prohibitive time and cost wise to revive this. If you could get it for $7-8k and were happy doing lots of learned restorative labor then maybe...if you're retired or have lots of time. The fact you can get a great and very clean example for $20k shows this isn't worth much at all, too much damage done.

[scottmandu]

Price is high. There are several similar examples advertised with similar miles and similar price but without the problems.

[Bigglezworth]

It will easily take $10k in parts and $5k in labor to make this even close to some of the $15-17k examples out there.Come on. It's no where near that bad. lol

[nistah]

My beast needed a bit of routine maintenance and other various issues/assorted work when I bought it. Bigglezworth provided some insightful which helped me make the decision to save it, however mine did not have the trans issues & had less than 100K miles.

Knowing what I paid for mine, I would say $6,000 - $7000 is the right price for 905147 considering it's condition and the documented issues. Depending what the dealer has into it you may get a great deal if not keep moving, b/c plenty of these beasts are coming onto the market and it's a buyers market for sure.

Once you get an RS6 it will be very rewarding to own from an enthusiast stand point, however buyer beware don't discount the cost of ownership too much just because you can work on the cars, some of the parts you may need to replace can be expensive & hard to source when you need them. Good Luck!!

[lswing]

Come on. It's no where near that bad. lol

I think you would be able to source parts and efficiently do the work with your knowledge, I'd just hate to see someone get in deep with this money pit. Prices for good examples seem really good right now too.

[Turbowned]

If it were my money, I'd buy this one:

http://www.rs6.com/showthread.php/31769-Looking-for-a-new-home

Daytona/Black with carbon
101k
GIAC tune, Milltek exhaust, Stern adj. control arms, Hotchkis sway bars, KW coilovers, replaced tranny and service records.

[Jimmy]

Run away...the large amount of money needed to be dumped into the car will never , ever be seen again.

So many other good fish in the sea that is C5 Rs6.

[s8prtotype]

Of course someone comes along and puts a "deposit" on it while I'm trying to get the price where it needs to be. Seems like the norm for dealers to do this these days. Guess thats a sign i shouldn't save it.

Maybe the new guy will show up here.

[EINHORN]

better them than you

[Zorb]

Of course someone comes along and puts a "deposit" on it while I'm trying to get the price where it needs to be. Seems like the norm for dealers to do this these days. Guess thats a sign i shouldn't save it.

Maybe the new guy will show up here.

The "deposit" might be a ploy to either get you to go away or to try to get more money from you through implied pressure. The dealer may have overpaid for the car. I have seen this behavior from a dealer before, about various model cars. These cars do seem to have a somewhat volatile price. At one point there are lots of nice ones for $18-20, and then suddenly they are all over $25000.

When I bought my current one a few months ago, I had an interesting talk with the salesman at the dealer. Apparently the dealer had been initially asking substantially more and failed to sell the car after several months. The price I paid was apparently only $1100 more than they bought the car for. I paid $24600 with 62000 miles and in almost completely perfect condition, which I considered to be a very good price.

All this being said, you do not want that car. It's worth $7500 tops. If there is the potential of engine trouble, you will be opening a can of worms that will never close. You will only end up selling this car for even less than the relatively small amount you will pay for it and taking a loss on whatever work you do on it.

Save up some lunch money for a few months and pay $14-16000 for a mechanically decent car with 150000 miles or so.


better them than you

Definitely.

[DHall1]

Stay away from this dealer. Jack and a$$es are a complement to these folks.


Hello, Names Sam, I'm addicted to boost. With that said, I will be getting into one of these pretty soon and I've been shopping around for the "right" one for me for what seems like an eternity, kinda hard to find the right car at the price you want it to be at.

Well, just curious if any of you would put the effort into saving a rare car such as these, when everything is wrong. I'm definitely a DIY kinda guy and can do all the work myself, I've had many projects (Many DSM's and a few euro cars) in my day and love refreshing/restoring/modding cars. Wife currently owns a B7 S4 and my stepson has a B5 S4. Anyway...

For Example: http://www.cars.com/vehicledetail/detail/621424675/overview/

I talked to them, seems the tranny is bad of course, but it also looks like it was treated pretty bad, needs headlights from what I see on the dash error and they said the check engine light was on due to the EGT sensors. it will also need painted as the front end looks horrible. I do think it would make a great 6 speed swap car and while everything is out just clean it all up.... it's one of the colors I want too! ugh.

What I don't understand is how could an owner let a car like that get so far gone? it's a shame :(

BTW that's the advertised price, the cash price is much less. My wife is saying I should just find a perfect one as I'm probably not ever going to get rid of it once I do get into one, and go from there with mods.

Once I do get into one I'm for sure going to start a refresh/mod thread on it :)

[mik15]

even if you'd buy it for $7k you'd still have to put in it another at least $7k, so at the end of the day you have to ask yourself if it does worth going through all the trouble? Building or bringing a car to its former status is an experience and one i've done so far too many times and to be honest i would't do it again simply because once it's done you'll want to move one to the next project and trying to sell the old project will be a PITA as nobody will appreciate your effort and money spent so you'll end up selling it with a significant loss....


better put all the money together and buy a sorted one with a newly refurbished gearbox, a working DRC or a replaced one and enjoy the car by driving it instead of spending your time underneath tinkering it....

[Other_Erik]

Sorry to hijack the thread, but Biggz - "IF, and that's a big IF, the headlight adjustment screws are stripped, you can elect to swap out the lights with new units for less than $350 a pair."

Where in the name of iahweh am I supposed to find headlights for 350/pr?

[Other_Erik]

Sorry to hijack the thread, but Biggz - "IF, and that's a big IF, the headlight adjustment screws are stripped, you can elect to swap out the lights with new units for less than $350 a pair."

Where in the name of iahweh am I supposed to find headlights for 350/pr?

Oh, and OP - I would not drop the hammer on this one. Looks like one that Prestige has been trying to dump for about 18 months now. Was in need of ~$12k in service (dealership price, mind you) when I looked at it last year, and now the transmission is going/gone? methinks it's ready for a part-out.

[s8prtotype]

What's sad is E55 AMG prices are REALLY attractive right now as well. Ugh.

[ben916]

905417 would be a great parts car!

No one has mentioned that lovely light called "ABS".
The only thing Sportec on this car is the racerboy stickers.

[s8prtotype]

Guess they said one of their mechanics is going to get it.

[Turbowned]

s8prtotype, speaking of AMG's my buddy is selling his 2003 CL55 AMG with 101k for $14,500. Car is gorgeous and needs nothing. I'd flip my car and buy his right now if I didn't "need" an AWD car for winter (read: I'd rather not drive a CL55 in snow).

[s8prtotype]

Needs to be 4 doors, got a daughter that rides along. The S55 is kinda too old man looking to me, I can deal with the E55 once it has a few exterior mods but I love the CLS55 the most, kinda like these RS6's are with only made 1 year and sorta rare in kompressor form.

I do want an RS6, although not as reliable it seems... because of the AWD and they still look good to me, (as well as my family owning some S4's, it'd be cool if we all had one) I like them better than the newer V10 S6 even.

I do know i'll have an RS6 eventually no matter what. :)

[Bigglezworth]

Guess they said one of their mechanics is going to get it.Makes sense. Goes in line with what I well outlined. Car is NOT $7-10K worth of repairs. It's $2-3K worth of repairs. Yes, that assumes you are of sufficient mechanical skill to perform said repairs yourself. I well stated car is worth salvage price. That being just below 10K. All other fellow members might want to consider what the odds are that ANY of your rides will lose a tranny at any given point over the lifetime of ownership. It has always been described as "when it occurs", not "if it occurs". The other items are incidentals that we have ALL had occur to our rides over the years. They may not be exactly what has failed on your ride, but odds are that something else has failed that is fine on this ride. Point being, an 11yr old car with 140K is going to require work - period. These rides have also proven that vehicles with half that mileage require work - sometimes really expensive work also as a result of the troubled TQ & DRC... Again, 90% less than purchase price is a great deal for anyone wanting to wrench. I have done exactly that with two cars here. It has afforded me the opportunity to enjoy the RS6 year round in different levels of trim and performance. All for the same price as what a number of you have paid for one car. If I lived close enough to any of those members that are afforded the ability to drive in nice weather year round, the only difference you would be able to see on my vehicle parked next to yours are rock chips, cracked windshield, and some increased wear on a couple of interior components. Otherwise it is mechanically sound and will be enjoyed for years/1000's of miles to come.

Surprised so many members would merely chaulk the car up as garbage when there are so few examples made. Suppose that is because yes there are extremely good examples kicking around - albeit for more than double the price.

To the OP, make sure you check out the For Sale section on this forum for other cars that board members are selling. There are at least 3-4 cars on this board for sale currently - again for double what this one was sold for.

[lswing]

More like this are showing up, $16.5k. One owner, 150k miles, but looks clean. Missing the SE exhaust and warm weather package. Does have carbon interior, nav, sport pedals.

If the link above doesn't work, please copy this link into your browser.
http://www.autotrader.com/cars-for-sale/vehicledetails.xhtml?zip=76502&endYear=2015&modelCode1=RS6&showcaseOwnerId=0&startYear=1981&makeCode1=AUDI&firstRecord=26&searchRadius=0&mmt=[AUDI[RS6[]][]]&listingId=386913952 (http://click.messages.autotrader.com/?qs=ba5c8abe35d077172c18d6a3c08f9d9824d3a212363a6e b63ba59fd83170b125e15ce62d84d1b0d3)


This email was sent to you via AutoTrader.com's Email a Friend feature.

[lswing]

Makes sense. Goes in line with what I well outlined. Car is NOT $7-10K worth of repairs. It's $2-3K worth of repairs. Yes, that assumes you are of sufficient mechanical skill to perform said repairs yourself. I well stated car is worth salvage price. That being just below 10K. All other fellow members might want to consider what the odds are that ANY of your rides will lose a tranny at any given point over the lifetime of ownership. It has always been described as "when it occurs", not "if it occurs". The other items are incidentals that we have ALL had occur to our rides over the years. They may not be exactly what has failed on your ride, but odds are that something else has failed that is fine on this ride. Point being, an 11yr old car with 140K is going to require work - period. These rides have also proven that vehicles with half that mileage require work - sometimes really expensive work also as a result of the troubled TQ & DRC... Again, 90% less than purchase price is a great deal for anyone wanting to wrench. I have done exactly that with two cars here. It has afforded me the opportunity to enjoy the RS6 year round in different levels of trim and performance. All for the same price as what a number of you have paid for one car. If I lived close enough to any of those members that are afforded the ability to drive in nice weather year round, the only difference you would be able to see on my vehicle parked next to yours are rock chips, cracked windshield, and some increased wear on a couple of interior components. Otherwise it is mechanically sound and will be enjoyed for years/1000's of miles to come.

Surprised so many members would merely chaulk the car up as garbage when there are so few examples made. Suppose that is because yes there are extremely good examples kicking around - albeit for more than double the price.

To the OP, make sure you check out the For Sale section on this forum for other cars that board members are selling. There are at least 3-4 cars on this board for sale currently - again for double what this one was sold for.

I still say this car is easily $8-10k in repairs/maintenance to bring it up to comparable standards in performance and looks.

[Bigglezworth]

I still say this car is easily $8-10k in repairs/maintenance to bring it up to comparable standards in performance and looks.If you need to hire someone to do it, those values would be suitable. What is current price to R&R a tranny currently by either an Indy or a Stealership? $3,500.00 just in labour alone. Add another $1,500-$3,500.00 depending on where you get your replacement or rebuilt tranny. EGT codes can likely be the solder point fix. Worse case, drop engine from chassis a nominal 4-5" without undoing any of the coolers, electrical, drivetrain, etc., and you can reach them from below. Stealership will cite you need to remove the engine, but we know it can still stay in. Cosmetics are just that - cosmetics. They don't need to be replaced in order to enjoy the ride. Personal preference depending on lifestyle and driving conditions.

All in all, good feedback from both sides of the discussion I believe.

Cheers

[lswing]

Yep, I do see your point, and could be a good winter beater if repairs worked out well. Will be interesting if we ever hear the future of this beast...

[Bigglezworth]

More like this are showing up, $16.5k. One owner, 150k miles, but looks clean. Missing the SE exhaust and warm weather package. Does have carbon interior, nav, sport pedals.

If the link above doesn't work, please copy this link into your browser.
http://www.autotrader.com/cars-for-sale/vehicledetails.xhtml?zip=76502&endYear=2015&modelCode1=RS6&showcaseOwnerId=0&startYear=1981&makeCode1=AUDI&firstRecord=26&searchRadius=0&mmt=[AUDI[RS6[]][]]&listingId=386913952 (http://click.messages.autotrader.com/?qs=ba5c8abe35d077172c18d6a3c08f9d9824d3a212363a6e b63ba59fd83170b125e15ce62d84d1b0d3)


This email was sent to you via AutoTrader.com's Email a Friend feature. There's a good example for the additional $5-6K plus tax. If you have the extra money in your budget, this is a better route to go for sure.

[mik15]

EGT can be replaced without even lowering the engine...all in situ

[Bigglezworth]

EGT can be replaced without even lowering the engine...all in situSmall hands, and bent wrench. I have medium hands and bent wrench and couldn't crack the passeger sensor loose. Easier if you have the SAI removed for sure - then you can do it from above without fail.


Where in the name of iahweh am I supposed to find headlights for 350/pr?I saw them for sale on eBay.de a number of times and with shipping and exhange it worked out to $350.00. I do note, that if you are fine with Redneck repairs though, you can remedy a failing adjustment screw problem (same ones the BMW's have), buy using some PL400 adhesive to permanently adhere the ABS back on to the knurled metal post. I've done this on two rides here and it's as good or better than a commercial strength epoxy. Be careful to not get any of the adhesive to close to the teeth though as you can permanently bind the adjustment screws together. lol

[s8prtotype]

Keep showing my wife AMG's, she keeps telling me she hates the way they look (most of them anyway)

My only way in to a project car is Audi lol, I'll keep my eye out and put some mula back until she comes along.

[Other_Erik]

I saw them for sale on eBay.de a number of times and with shipping and exhange it worked out to $350.00. I do note, that if you are fine with Redneck repairs though, you can remedy a failing adjustment screw problem (same ones the BMW's have), buy using some PL400 adhesive to permanently adhere the ABS back on to the knurled metal post. I've done this on two rides here and it's as good or better than a commercial strength epoxy. Be careful to not get any of the adhesive to close to the teeth though as you can permanently bind the adjustment screws together. lol

Ah, you don't have to worry about Virginia's ridiculously strict "Equipment Safety" yearly shakedown/inspection. The euro models have what they call "city lights" where the headlights have a slightly wider beam - something like an extra 4-5 degrees outward. In VA, that's an immediate fail "because you can see the beam from an opposing traffic lane" - what a load of horseshit, I can't see the beams more than 30 feet from the front of the car :\

My (well-documented) misfortune from a pothole meant the adjustment screws were just fine, but the mounting tabs had snapped off my old headlights. They probably could've been epoxied the way you're talking about, but only if we could find the tabs - they were probably down in the bottom of the pothole somewhere...

I'm good with redneck repairs, hell, I have a '95 Wrangler sitting in my driveway awaiting a gear swap :) I've got probably a dozen hours of maintenance I need to get done on the RS first, and neither vehicle will fit in the mini-garage at the place I'm renting at the moment :|

O_E