Looking for an S3 8l

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Mattyyy

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Hi,

Me being new here, I was wondering what people think of this. Might take a look at it. Any advice is welcome! :D

1999 AUDI S3 QUATTRO BLACK | eBay

Knowing that it's pre-facelift, I can see the rear lights have been changed and also the front wheel is missing the cap.

What do people think? Much appreciate it! ;)

Thanks alot,
Matt
 
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Looks nice, but so did mine. Got it back and had a cracked cylinder head with a temporary fix. Unless you know what youre looking at (unlike me) I strongly suggest bringing a mechanic or RAC to check it out.
 
Firstly its not bi-xenons and the alloys are 17" not 18". And id ask what happened to the centre cap on the front wheel! Looks pretty nice in the pics. If you go to see it, make sure you ask a load of questions. theres a whole thread about things wrong with the car and what to look out for in the stickies so a thorough search will be goldust to you! :)
 
Use the reg and do a HPi check, look up recent MOT tests and see what advisories it had. Then ask seller if they have paperwork for them being fixed etc. also centre cap missing. Think they may be 17' not 18'.

Doesn't really mention anything about its condition. You want to no when service was done, cambelt/water pump. Also have it checked for oil leaks. Pas leaks. Check roof rails and lower doors, boot lid for rust.

And make sure the vin on car matches the V5.
 
Just be cautious, read the guide here and do your homework. I bought one as it was cheap I ended up spending 2-3 times what I paid for the car in repairs/mods as it turned out to be somewhat of a dog.

If you go in with your eyes open and do the requisite checks it could turn out to be a nice buy but check it out fully as they can be expensive if you pick a wrong'un, not meaning to put you off I just wish I had done my homework before buying mine.
 
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This is general advise for any VAG turbo cars : get a copy of VCDS Lite or full VCDS, do a test drive and log a boost run, see how healthy it it - any major deviation away from spec boost ? After the test drive, run a full diagnostic to see if / what code are throws up.

As per other posters, there are specific S3 things to look for in the stickies section here. Depends how DIY minded you are to, i personally like the idea of having to put a few things right on a 10 year old car etc (and expect to invest a little time doing that) but that's my idea of fun PROVIDED there's no rust or major body work issues as that is expensive and requires more skill to fix!!! :)
 
Thanks for the advice guys.

Well in terms of DIY minded. I rebuilt my 306 DTurbo engine recently with stronger rods and de-comp pistons and it's running lovely ;)

I'll get browsing the buyer guide then, and also use the suggestions here!

Any more advice, say it! :D

Thanks,
Matt
 
i personally wouldnt consider it due to the ad, hardly enough info and description to sell it to you.

id opt for one from a private seller over that
 
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how much are you looking to spend?
as my friend kris is selling his i have posted pictures before will post link below.

james
 
superkarl - That advert is terrible, I completely agree. It's gash. But I'll be most likely going to check the car out.

Buckley - Cheap as possible really ;)
 
Mattyyy said:
superkarl - That advert is terrible, I completely agree. It's gash. But I'll be most likely going to check the car out.

Buckley - Cheap as possible really ;)
Click to expand...

did you see the pictures in the link i added?

james
 
I know this garage, and the add says it all, its just a cheap part ex... they have bigger fish to fry, def worth a look with your eyes wide open...:icon_thumright:
 
Thanks a lot. Yea, I thought that too. Checked out the web site and there's a fair few cars with a lot higher value! :)

Possibly checking this out tomorrow! See what happens....

Cheers Dave. :thumbsup:
 
Thanks a lot! :)

Indeed it does. Which is why, I should be going down to look at it later on today. I will be asking a fair few questions and also checking it out plenty. ;)
 
Brand new turbo sounds good but does that mean the rest of it is tired to ? There are plenty that age which are still on the original turbo which i think means they havent been driven so hard/badly/thrashed from cold whatever you name it..
 
Yep, same kind of thoughts I've been having. I'm happy to do plenty of work on it, as I know doubt will anyway at some point.

Going to see it tomorrow after work. ;)

Round two...ding ding. :p
 
Mattyyy said:
Went to see it today. Looked terrible. Interior was terrible, leather was ruined, two flat tyres and generally very shabby. Probably hasn't seen anyone for a year.

So I'm looking at another one, that's VERY local.

AUDI S3 QUATTRO V 1999 PX/SWAP in Coventry, Birmingham | Used Audi for sale | Gumtree.com

Got a bit of a scuff on the rear bumper I can see.

Opinions on that?
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if the seller has replaced the turbo with a genuine unit (not chinese ebay special) then id say that looks alright.
 
But everything is made in China LOL. Even Borg Warner have factories there.. Not disagreeing with you though ;)
 
Hmm, interesting.

Thanks for those links mate.

How would I go about double checking where the turbo has come from?
 
Crikey, there really are some well priced S3s at the moment. I paid £3,500 for mine in January, but it has already cost me over a grand on the first service, plus I'm just about to replace all four tyres (£400) as the ones on the car we ****ty budget ones and I've got 4 rings coming on Thursday to do the Haldex oil and Filter plus the rear diff and gear box oil (thought it sensible to do this as the car is about to reach the 100k mark). All this for a car I use maybe about two weekends a month...oh well, better then a f*!king handbag.
 
Mattyyy said:
Hmm, interesting.

Thanks for those links mate.

How would I go about double checking where the turbo has come from?
Click to expand...
expect a genuine one to have a figure of £700+ on the receipt! if there is one.

only criticisms i have of the one you posted is there is quite abit of body work/trim damage, which doesnt really give you much faith in the rest of the car. drivers side door blade hanging off, rear bumper scuff, wing mirror taped on, and wheels are a little worse for wear.

i personally think the silver one on ebay is a really nice looking car with low miles and a fair price which could very well be haggled down less£500 to start with.
 
Erf said:
Crikey, there really are some well priced S3s at the moment. I paid £3,500 for mine in January, but it has already cost me over a grand on the first service,
Click to expand...

What was the bill for ?
 
Ian W is selling his merlin purple S3. gorgeous car!
 
I'm on a very low budget though which is obviously proving difficult.

Yes, I noticed the driver door trim hanging off and the wing mirror taped up.

Which is surprising considering the guy says its in immaculate condition. :p

If the wing mirror is fixable and the trim can be put back on, it's rather nice I think. (except the scuff on the rear bumper)

I would also most certainly put the face-lift rear lights on as well.

What holds that driver door trim & wing mirror on? Difficult without seeing obviously, but any likely fixes?

Appreciate it. ;)
 
Anywhere near Gloucester? My black 2003 S3 is for sale and definitely doesn't have bits hanging off. It does have it's age related marks but nothing to hide on it.

Ad is in the classifieds on here. PM if you want more info.

The problem with low budgets is you'll inevitably end up looking at lots of dogs. I upped my budget by over £1k when I realised all the ones I went to see were shabby.
 
Veero - Too much money for me pal.

That silver one on ebay is also too much money. It would be very hard I reckon to push him down £500 like you suggested :/
 
Have you tried knocking him down though - i would say if you cant afford 3300 on a 51 plate with 80 odd K then perhaps you are seeking the holy grail mate? That is good value.
 
I agree at value. But, I'm saying you couldn't get him to knock down £500 in my opinion.
 
brasiliangringo said:
What was the bill for ?
Click to expand...

Full service, top mounts, rocker gasket, cv gaiter, front brake pads and discs plus a few other things I can't remember off the top of my head.

I think if you're buying an S3, assume you're going to have to pay a fair bit in maintenance and then if you don't, it's a bonus!
 
Erf said:
Full service, top mounts, rocker gasket, cv gaiter, front brake pads and discs plus a few other things I can't remember off the top of my head.

I think if you're buying an S3, assume you're going to have to pay a fair bit in maintenance and then if you don't, it's a bonus!
Click to expand...

Oooh and forget to mention, the steering rack looks like it might be on the way out :banghead:
 
Mattyyy said:
AUDI S3 QUATTRO SILVER CREAM ALECANTARA INTERIOR MOT in Aylesbury, Milton Keynes | Used Audi for sale | Gumtree.com

Just seen that. O_O

Looks a lot better. No tax mind you, but can't have everything ;)

Hm.
Click to expand...

Its not a 225 as its pre-facelift so its 210.. That just shows he doesnt know his car.. what else does he not know? What exactly is your budget? TBH you wont get a fault free one for a low budget, you'll end up spending money on it. For the price of around 4k you could get a good one but if your on a budget now, when it comes to fixing or running, would that be a problem? I got mine for 3k but it still needed work doing to it which i was willing to do, however i was lucky that the previous owner had kept it well!
 
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