My Shitbox Audi and why you shouldn't buy one for $300

"KanataSZ, Peugeot-lover in distress" (kanatasz) 01/12/2016 at 15:25 • Filed to: None

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Hey guys! I’ve been gone for a while but here I am back again now...

So a couple days ago I was browsing Kijiji (actually on the 10th) at around 2 PM and I found an Audi A4 2.8 V6 30V Quattro Tiptronic pearl white with an asking price of $1000. I was like why the hell not and I messaged the seller asking what’s wrong with it... she said it was just valve cover gaskets and a rear left wheel bearing that hummed. I thought about it and said, “okay well.. will you take $500?” She said yes but no negotiations and that it had to go because it was on the visitor’s parking and it couldn’t be there any more. This made me put on my “hustling” persona and I jumped to the action, I said “okay, I’ll see you in an hour”.
I got there and it’s underwhelming... nothing looks too bad about the car, could be worse for “$500". No actual rust, just a couple paint chips and surface rust.
After about 3 hours of waiting for the seller to show up it was already night, so I took my flashlight to the car and inspected it. Valve covers leaked, oil pan gasket seemed to be leaking, interior was in passable condition, Audi Sport wheel, flip up deck by Alpine, ghetto paint on some interior trim... could be worse still.
I inspect the engine codes and find that the transmission is actually slipping and it has a misfire on cylinder 6.. the transmission slippage became my biggest concern. I told the seller that I had $300 that I was willing to give them at that point in time and that I wouldn’t come back with any more money. I could drive it away today or she could have it there until someone else comes around because with those kinds of issues she will never be able to sell it for $1000 or even $500.
She takes the money, I sign all the papers and I keep her plates for the meantime so I can drive it home. Arthur Lima (Zipppyart on here) follows me in my red hatch civic all the way to Kanata from the South Keys (about a 25 mile trip)... the sketchiest drive of my life. There were all kinds of metal grinding noises and smells... but the interior of the Audi was cozy, the power was always there and it was a smooth ride so it made me forget the intense metal carnage happening in my rear left hub.
When I got home I noticed there was some intense smoke coming from the hub, and the smell of metal fabrication (you know that smell you get when you’re grinding metal with metal?). The wheel had like 4 degrees of negative camber and I was like “let’s call it a day”.
And that’s the (shitty) story of how I got my first (and possibly last) Audi.

Party-vi > KanataSZ, Peugeot-lover in distress 01/12/2016 at 15:28

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WHAT’RE THOSE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

FSI - alcohol enthusiast with a car problem > Party-vi 01/12/2016 at 15:31

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Ugly. They’re butt ugly.

Ash78, voting early and often > KanataSZ, Peugeot-lover in distress 01/12/2016 at 15:33

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The wheel had like 4 degrees of negative camber

So it’s a properly modified Audi, then!

Seriously, though, that V6 engine and ZF tranny are pretty bulletproof by anyone’s standards, doubly so by VAG standards. Sounds like 10+ years of total neglect.

The Ghost of Oppo > Party-vi 01/12/2016 at 15:36

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Angel eyes probably

OPPOsaurus WRX > KanataSZ, Peugeot-lover in distress 01/12/2016 at 15:49

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welcome to the club

gin-san - shitpost specialist > KanataSZ, Peugeot-lover in distress 01/12/2016 at 15:50

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Do you think you’ll get $300 worth of driving out of it? I figure you can recoup losses if you just decide to part it out at this point; it doesn’t sound like it’s worth fixing.

d15b > KanataSZ, Peugeot-lover in distress 01/12/2016 at 15:51

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Audi?

AuDON’T

DancesWithRotors - Driving Insightfully > KanataSZ, Peugeot-lover in distress 01/12/2016 at 15:52

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It’s a $300 Audi. Fix it, enjoy it, sell it for profit. So what, it’s slightly broken. You knew it was borked going in, and you got a hell of a deal.

Or, go back to K-Jet, because K-Jet is obviously reliable and would never break, ever... Or be finicky... Or do anything unexpected... Or just plain decide it doesn’t want to work, for the hell of it. *sobs* (There may or may not be some leftover PTSD from my last couple of K-Jet Volvos...)

PS9 > KanataSZ, Peugeot-lover in distress 01/12/2016 at 15:53

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Even the Audi knows you have made a terrible mistake.

A pogo-stick, obviously. > KanataSZ, Peugeot-lover in distress 01/12/2016 at 15:54

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Get friendly with your salvage yard. Honetly, $300 I think you made out as long as you are willing to put a couple grand and some elbow grease into it. Then again, it is an Audi, and I hate to think about what suprises could be waiting for you.

Good luck.

BmanUltima's car still hasn't been fixed yet, he'll get on it tomorrow, honest. > Party-vi 01/12/2016 at 15:57

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They appear to be BMW headlights.

Jay Lauer > KanataSZ, Peugeot-lover in distress 01/12/2016 at 16:01

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Hey man, congrats on the purchase. And congrats for taking the dive on a project car and being a doer. I’d way rather Oppo were full of people that took risks and tinkered with project cars.

‘Obligatory rip of insults for being a shitbox tiptronic Audi.’

Have fun!

miken > KanataSZ, Peugeot-lover in distress 01/12/2016 at 16:07

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Why would you spend $300 on this?

finn's arm > KanataSZ, Peugeot-lover in distress 01/12/2016 at 16:12

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Please be a series ! I’m very interested in reading

DrJohannVegas > Jay Lauer 01/12/2016 at 16:19

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> looks at house and garage full of projects

> begins sobbing

Seat Safety Switch > KanataSZ, Peugeot-lover in distress 01/12/2016 at 16:29

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Touching up that Audi pearl is a complete disaster but the rest of the car should be a fun ride. Amazing they let the wheel bearing degrade to that state; good thing it was snowing!

Chris Clarke > KanataSZ, Peugeot-lover in distress 01/12/2016 at 16:33

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I have a pearl white 30V with a tiptronic. Mine just happens to be a far superior wagon.

Sam > DancesWithRotors - Driving Insightfully 01/12/2016 at 16:35

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K-Jet is... inconsistent. When it works, it's great. When it doesn't work, it's literally the worst thing since tofu turkey.

Chasaboo > KanataSZ, Peugeot-lover in distress 01/12/2016 at 16:57

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I think it’s great to own an Audi, and a VW at some point in your life and get it out of your system. It’s like being vaccinated by bad cars.

jkm7680 > Chasaboo 01/12/2016 at 17:17

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Same goes for Mazdas then.

John_Harbinson > Sam 01/12/2016 at 17:26

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Check: Tofu Turducken (courtesy of the wonderful folks at PETA)

Manwich - now Keto-Friendly > KanataSZ, Peugeot-lover in distress 01/12/2016 at 17:51

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“I thought about it and said, “okay well.. will you take $500?” She said yes but no negotiations and”

...that should have been a big red flag for you right there.

Zipppy, Mazdurp builder, Probeski owner and former ricerboy > Sam 01/12/2016 at 19:50

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We had a 190e with kjet, it hardly worked. The jetronic in the 505 was bulletproof.

Zipppy, Mazdurp builder, Probeski owner and former ricerboy > The Ghost of Oppo 01/12/2016 at 19:59

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at least the projectors themselves arent bad.

Dr. Zoidberg - RIP Oppo > KanataSZ, Peugeot-lover in distress 01/12/2016 at 20:16

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I’ve bought worse things for more. And yours ran when parked!

Nauraushaun > KanataSZ, Peugeot-lover in distress 01/12/2016 at 21:28

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The head/tailllights say it all. When someone thinks that is a good idea, they’re not a someone who maintains their car.

KanataSZ, Peugeot-lover in distress > Sam 01/12/2016 at 22:26

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I freaking hate K-Jet. The 190E 2.3 8V that I had was a piece of crap that didn’t even turn on 3 days after getting it home. K-Jet really is a nightmare...

KanataSZ, Peugeot-lover in distress > Party-vi 01/12/2016 at 22:32

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Some kind of abomination that I want to rid myself of. I’ll sell them for like 30 dollars total or something...
I’m going to the wreckers Thursday to see if I can find parts for it.. the valve covers are the weak point on these cars.

KanataSZ, Peugeot-lover in distress > Jay Lauer 01/12/2016 at 22:33

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Considering I’ve owned a 190E, an E34 BMW, an Audi A4, and a Peugeot 505 I can safely say that I am king of bad decisions / awesome projects.

KanataSZ, Peugeot-lover in distress > Manwich - now Keto-Friendly 01/12/2016 at 22:34

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Eh... She bought it for 1500 not too long ago. She must have realized how much she fucked up.

KanataSZ, Peugeot-lover in distress > Nauraushaun 01/12/2016 at 22:35

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Well she was a part-timer at Dollarama (I looked her up) and she had no idea about cars.

KanataSZ, Peugeot-lover in distress > Seat Safety Switch 01/12/2016 at 22:36

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What’s wrong with fixing the paint?
And no man when we drove the car home on Sunday it was raining!! There are no wiper blades left so it’s very hard to see out... Before I start spending money on the car I’ll have to find somewhere to fix it haha.

KanataSZ, Peugeot-lover in distress > gin-san - shitpost specialist 01/12/2016 at 22:38

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I found a wheel bearing for about 25 dollars. I’ll buy that, pull the upright out with an Audi enthusiast, get it pressed out and new one pressed in for about 50 dollars, put upright back in and bam car can actually be mobile now! Soon after that I’ll have to get tires switched around or something because the idiots put it on the wrong way...

KanataSZ, Peugeot-lover in distress > Chris Clarke 01/12/2016 at 22:39

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Beautiful! I love wagons a lot. I’ve had 3 subaru impreza wagons and none of them ever let me down... except when I crashed the 2nd one into a rock and it blew the lower rad hose and ended up blowing my head gasket. LOL

KanataSZ, Peugeot-lover in distress > finn's arm 01/12/2016 at 22:41

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Will do sir!

KanataSZ, Peugeot-lover in distress > d15b 01/12/2016 at 22:41

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Yes, definitely.

KanataSZ, Peugeot-lover in distress > OPPOsaurus WRX 01/12/2016 at 22:41

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Thanks, is there a group chat for Audi owners on FB or something?

KanataSZ, Peugeot-lover in distress > PS9 01/12/2016 at 22:42

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So I should have let it die? That’s not how we car enthusiasts operate...

KanataSZ, Peugeot-lover in distress > Dr. Zoidberg - RIP Oppo 01/12/2016 at 22:43

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I once bought a Peugeot for 700 bucks and it lasted me 2.5 months of constant RAPE and abuse. I once also bought a Civic for 1800 bucks and it blew the engine in a month...

KanataSZ, Peugeot-lover in distress > Chasaboo 01/12/2016 at 22:43

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Cough cough Zipppyart and his dumb diesel jetta ;)

KanataSZ, Peugeot-lover in distress > jkm7680 01/12/2016 at 22:43

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I once had a 2004 Mazda 6 V6 GS Sedan 5 speed manual... that thing was pretty sweet.

OPPOsaurus WRX > KanataSZ, Peugeot-lover in distress 01/12/2016 at 22:44

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theres a few, i just got mine a couple weeks ago

Dr. Zoidberg - RIP Oppo > Chasaboo 01/12/2016 at 22:46

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So I SHOULD buy an allroad then?

Seat Safety Switch > KanataSZ, Peugeot-lover in distress 01/12/2016 at 23:33

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I once got an offer for an UrS4 with a smashed drivers’ side door. Blending that pearl is apparently near-impossible, according to every body shop I showed it to. Any non-hack shop wanted to respray a full half of the car, which ran into the mid-four-digits, an integer multiple of the price of the car.

Granted, your car might have a slightly different pearl that is easier to blend, but don’t go around hitting things either.

KanataSZ, Peugeot-lover in distress > Seat Safety Switch 01/12/2016 at 23:39

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Shit son... Crazy. I did not know that. It’s a very nice paint for sure!

KanataSZ, Peugeot-lover in distress > OPPOsaurus WRX 01/12/2016 at 23:40

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Always liked the Audis but never got into them... Just took mine out drifting in the snow a bit... Quattro is blessed.

pip bip - choose Corrour > KanataSZ, Peugeot-lover in distress 01/13/2016 at 03:19

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i wouldn’t touch an Audi even if free.

KanataSZ, Peugeot-lover in distress > pip bip - choose Corrour 01/15/2016 at 14:31

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Im learning so as I go.