Possible next car? (S4 cab)

[danrc]

Hello and this is my first post and i hope I'm asking the right question in the right place? Apologies in advance if not.

Ok, i have seen this S4 floating on Auto Trader and it ticks many boxes for me. Colour and spec are exactly what I want, the year however is not (tax group). Following a conversation with the dealer despite the mileage the engine has been replaced but I'm unsure what exactly what was done and when, (fingers crossed guides replaced). I plan to take a look in the next day or so and maybe work out a deal, that is unless I spot anything of concern. This is where the background reading here has helped , however if anyone has anything extra they want to add please feel free (what to look out for). Fingers crossed this is my ticket to the next few years of motoring enjoyment (and something to keep busy).

Dan

 

[Charlie Farley]

You need to see all the paperwork/receipts and service history to back up any and all work carried out on the car before anything else.

 

[Charlie Farley]

Other than it having that sublime FSI v8 engine and ancillaries, most other parts will be the same or very close as fitted to other B7 variants such as suspension , electrical gremilins , door fittings etc, you will find many faults found in the B7 platform are shared faults, hence why there are specific areas one should look at as they affect all variants to a more or lesser degree.

 

[danrc]

Thank you Rob for the support / advice.

So I took the trip down to check the car out, it was a very nicely presented and the car looked beautiful as I approached. Zero chain rattles from cold start and the engine purred on the test drive. It also had an extensive history with a bottom and top end rebuild some 50k back ( no chain guides though).

How ever this was not the one due to the many little signs that told me to walk away.

The car had been resprayed down one side (sub par finish) with bonnet and panel gaps that very clearly did not line up. There was significant oil leaks under the car with a strong whiff of burnt oil post the short test drive. The roof would not open despite attempts from dealer. AC was not working along with some of the interior switches . Suspension clunks under braking and the icing on the cake was that it had 10 owners.

On the plus side I am now 1000% fixed on this colour for a b6/b7 S4 and will happily spend out a lot more for an example that has been well looked after.

Back to daily searching…..

 

[quattrogone]

Sounds like you made a wise choice!

 

[danrc]

So back to the daily search and then i spot this amazing example via PistonHeads! A cherished, very low mileage example. But this out of reach from a budget perspective. Never mind something will come up in goldilocks zone.

 

[danrc]

So another one off the list.

A really nice looking b7 S4 cab spotted with a good spec and what seemed to be decent history. Given the distance from me I had a RAC inspection carried out which was very detailed and thorough. However upon review of the findings there was just to many little items (leaks and creaks) that need attention and also a few live error codes (cam position sensors) that to me spell out big works ahead.

So the search goes on……

 

[danrc]

X2 today off the list today. One was local to me (B7) and and had been sat on Autotrader for a while. Upon arrival i could see why..... let's just say it needed a bit of TLC.

The other (B6) cropped up trader and was asking 9k. Having the expectation that it would be of a reasonably high standard at that price, i had some hopes. Well they where dashed very quickly! The engine had a loud whining / metallic noises that the dealer could not explain plus the way it drove (suspension wise) was worrying. Also there was a host of other items missing, not working or broken.

So the waiting game continues.

 

[Charlie Farley]

There is one out there chap, just a question of how deep are your pockets.
Prices are still inflated to be honest so cheap ones will be cheap for a reason and good examples will be just overpriced, I think you will struggle to find one in between.
best of luck with your quest all the same.

 

[Charlie Farley]

B7 RS4's are just the same, OK examples are not really cheap these days compared to a few years back but good examples are just rocketing in value.
I've been on a search for the right one for a long time, two ideal ones slipped away from my grasp and since then its just been a downward spiral to be honest.

 

[Charlie Farley]

I think the problem you will encounter on your quest is that waiting for the perfect example that ticks all the boxes may never happen.
and all the while prices will most likely just increase even if nobody has the money to buy one, so you are in that loop of looking for one that will most likely never appear.

maybe think about one that needs some minor work but is mechanically sound with a good service history.
A good runner is critical, and bodywork can be improved on as can other areas but engine/gearbox are a couple of the most important areas on s4's, also the most costly to repair.

 

[Charlie Farley]

I have a friend that purchased a sprint blue S4 saloon last October for Just under £11k and it's nice, but, it still has issues despite what the garage told him when buying it.
The Interior is immaculate but the front grille was cracked, as was a foglamp lens and lots of cosmetic stuff that can be seen when looking close.
I did a vcds scan on it with a lot of faults pinged up, some less than ideal and the garage wouldn't let any potential buyer scan it first either, which put me on alert to start with but my friend wanted it all the same.
Now he's found it has an oil leak at the rear of the engine, along with other issues.

So its a bit of a minefield really.

 

[danrc]

Thank you for the comments Rob, indeed I’m on the same page RE finding that middle ground. Good mechanical condition, with solid history, auto box and has to be the the right colour. These are my non negotiating points. Again like you recently, one came up that meet the above (local too) but sold in a couple of hours of going up. But as I write this I have found one that I saw late last night that might be good, but calling some one (private sale) at just gone 7AM on a Sunday feels somewhat rude.
If I had a VCDS this would be something I would be taking along to my next viewing, as it was the scan findings that the RAC did that really put the icing on the cake on one car and also showed a level of dishonesty from the mechanic/ owner.

I kind of look forward to having small bits to do to a car, and getting it to a level I’m happy with. As that for me is part of the enjoyment. This next car will reconnect me to a younger version of me, one that likes a project, reading-up and learning about something new and gives me an excuse to use the tools and workshop. But above all, now being a bit older ( but not necessarily wiser) I want to get a sense of achievement that is not related to family life or work (make sense)

Anyway I’m going on. Maybe 8 o’clock is a reasonable time too call….

Will update.

 

[danrc]

….So 8 o’clock was a good time to call.


Ended up driving to South Croydon for Market Harborough and took (stupidly) took the advice on my sat nav, and for a journey that should have been 2.5 hrs it was 6! Lesson to self never try and drive through London. EVER. Anyway good news, I have secured a seemilng very well maintain low mileage B6 S4 convertible in blue. 67k good history and nearly everything works as it should! So once I collect it I will close this thread down and start a new project log
Happy days

 

[Charlie Farley]

Thats good news indeed.
I'll look out for the project thread, and maybe a good idea to leave this thread as it may be of help for others in the same quest.