Better to buy high mile car and mod/replace everything or low mile car?

**nytoy** · 08-17-2008 11:34 AM

I'm looking for a avant 1.8T 5-speed, and it seems all I can find is cars with 100-120k on them. If they have been well serviced, and cheaper, is it better to buy an older car with more miles vs. an 01 with 80k for money?

My logic is if I buy the older car cheaper, that leaves me more money to replace all the control arms, brakes, and put a K04 chip, exhaust, etc. on it. I like the facelift 00-01's a little more, but it's hard to find the avant's period. What do you guys think?

**bernB5** · 08-17-2008 12:06 PM

LOW MILE CAR.... SPEND THE EXTRA MONEY, IT WILL BE WORTH IT IN THE LONG RUN...
trust me.
caps are to emphasize the point. i made the mistake of thinking the opposite.

**theskuh** · 08-17-2008 02:23 PM

Buy as much car as you can afford then mod it. The lower miles/better condition car is always going to be better. But you have to decide how much. All these cars are getting older so it is/will be harder to find b5 with low miles.

**djwimbo** · 08-17-2008 02:47 PM

If you can, find a car w/ a popped engine and good body.
That way you can start w/ what you're going to have to upgrade anyways, and skip the BS.

**t1demont1** · 08-17-2008 02:51 PM

Originally Posted by djwimbo

If you can, find a car w/ a popped engine and good body.
That way you can start w/ what you're going to have to upgrade anyways, and skip the BS.

words of wisdom... i wish i could have

**biketsai** · 08-17-2008 02:54 PM

Originally Posted by djwimbo

If you can, find a car w/ a popped engine and good body.
That way you can start w/ what you're going to have to upgrade anyways, and skip the BS.

Id love to do this, but takes timee

**Audiman23** · 08-17-2008 02:54 PM

well i have a 97 audi a4 1.8t everythin is fine on it and just doest start new battery and alternator as far as i kno its for sell...motor has 145xxx let me kno

**jm121189** · 08-17-2008 03:03 PM

Mileage isn't everything, it mostly comes down to how well it was taken care of and luck. If you buy a car with a little higher mileage some of the typical things that fail might have been replaced already, saving you a little. I bought my car at 112k and it's at 121k now and I have had fairly good luck with it because it was well maintained before.

**TQMB5** · 08-17-2008 03:53 PM

you can find 01's for cheap. if i could do it again i would be high milage, low price 100 times over. take the 2-3 grand you save, and start building, replacing from the ground up.

sway bars, control arms, suspension, mounts etc... buy the time the money is gone your car will be way better then that low milage car for the same price.

or you can take that money a build a 2.0l and stick with your stock turbo, when i time comes, you have a nice broken in engine with endless turbo posibilities...

oh possibilities...

**Siena** · 08-17-2008 04:12 PM

I agree with Jm with regards to mileage.

I had a clear objective when I was looking for a B5.

Mileage wasn't an issue, only criteria was, she had to be quattro, have reasonable bodywork, engine and drivetrain weren't that important either, as they are all being replaced with something meatier.

She had about 202,000 miles when I bought her, she's now rolled over 213,000, and still sounds and drives great.

If you want a B5 to jump straight into as a daily, then get the best you can afford.

If on the other hand, you merely need a base to build a big power motor on, then a car with a tired motor will be a good buy, as you can use the engine as a bargaining tool.

Good luck anyway, whatever you decide.

**nrowensby** · 08-17-2008 04:40 PM

Bought my 99 Santorin 1.8TQM Avant with 141k, everything inside and out was prestine, paid $3900 :D (A hellova steal!)... Gonna drive it til it dies then build the shit out of it! :D

**nytoy** · 08-17-2008 05:15 PM

yea its impossible to find a blue avant, i envy you. yea im thinking sice im going to build it anyways, might as well get a cheaper one. Is there a way to drop a 2.0L in from the later models or do you have to bore and Build a 1.8?

**blmlozz** · 08-17-2008 05:32 PM

as people have said before me, the answer to the O.P.s questions is more of a gray area.. if you can find a high-mileage car that was well-maintained and had 1 owner ect... then it's worth the money you save, on the opposite side, if the owner did 10,000 mile dino-grade oil changes, drove the crap out of it or in my case, was in a salt-road driven area where everything is rusted solid then it's hardly worth the hassel and is probaly more costly to replace everything versus buying a low mileage car that has less chance to be abused. I've been lucky so far, I got my 99.5 sedan with only 90K on the clock and the previous owner took care of it, the only issues i've hard are due to the area of which it was driven, so most things not covered with corrosion protection are seized.

**sciroccodriver** · 08-19-2008 07:10 PM

I bought my current 01 quattro 1.8t with 101k for $2500 just 4 or 5 months ago. It wasn't running right (no boost) and the dealership told the PO that it needed a rear dif. I fixed vac leaks, 02 sensor(s), coils, every last check valve, front driveshafts, put a used cat on it, got a belly pan and a front airdam, and replaced all the wheel bearings which happened to be the "rear diff" problem, and put A8 non-bent wheels on her. Other than a little dent on the hood and needing a grill, I got a steal. Maybe $4200 into her so far. The BEST part, it was chipped and really came alive when I got it boosting again. That was a GREAT surprise.
Don't bother with worrying about a few more miles... just be patient and when a deal pops up JUMP on it. GL.
Ninja Edit: I have the PO's paperwork showing he paid $11.4 with tax/etc for this car just 13 months before I bought it from him. Again, just be patient and you'll find a deal.