If I was to sell my car.....

[bassed]

What would honestly be a resonable asking price at this point? 18K? I have been doing a lot of thinking about this and getting rid of the car seems to be like a very smart thing to do at this juncture in my life. This is a serious question, I know many think I will regret it, but it's a car and I can always do one again later in life when I have the time and it makes more sense. The biggest issue I am having is my desire to practice what I preach across the board. I can't try and be green, promote sustainable design etc...when I am living a hypocrtical lifestyle which has a huge car focus.

[317ssayzarc]

I've thought about it for mine, dunno if I could pull the trigger though... Alot of my friends say they would buy it for parts value ($25K) and they get the rest of the car free...

Honestly, the AZ community and your friends is where the price would be closest to worth it. I say closest, because regardless you will be taking a HUGE hit...

[Poopie]

get a high flow cat if you are worried about going green and fix you pcv. Problem solved

[bassed]

Jake-

I've been battling with this idea for the past 6 months. I know the hit will be big, but in the grand scheme of things the hit already occured and I could walk away with 100% of what I sell her for. I question if I will have the balls to go through with it, the first step is selling the Jetta than this. It all comes down to long term goals and cars don't fit in the picture at all anymore and really I guess never did. It eats up so much of my time and energy that could be spent doing so much else I want to do.

Aaron-

I wish it were that simple. Having been taking the train everday etc... the recent changes in the economy etc... I want to turn a new corner 100%. If I am to have any cars in the future diesel is the only way I am going and would do a veggie conversion.

[slopoke]

Just because you lost to a stage3 s4 B0o0o0o... Sorry man but your car may be worth 18k but you will never get even close to that.. maybe 12k tops but we all know this isnt a money making game...

[Russell2686]

Your going to have to find someone who understands the value of what you put into the car and what its capable of, which is pretty tough. Otherwise you'll just get people telling you "well KBB says its worth this much"

[fikes]

Well you can do whatever you want with it but I do agree we all know how much money is in that car but the question is if you will ever get what your asking for it back.

[jaustin]

12k - 13k if you find the right buyer who has money, kinda a hard market to be selling in esp. since it takes premium fuel.

[Nebone]

I'm also thinking about the future and putting all my time and money into it. Instead of spending thousands on a turbo kit etc, I moved to Germany for a while to pursue the Automotive side of Mechanical Engineering. I didn't sell the Audi since I know I will come back to it someday. To me and most of us, it is not worth the time and money to sell a B5.

[317ssayzarc]

I'm also thinking about the future and putting all my time and money into it. Instead of spending thousands on a turbo kit etc, I moved to Germany for a while to pursue the Automotive side of Mechanical Engineering. I didn't sell the Audi since I know I will come back to it someday.

Maybe it'll have a 4088R on it when you come back

[savetheclutch]

the way I see it is, we know what you put in it but is it worth it to the buyer??
the answer is probably no, since your car is still a b5 and is getting old no matter what you put in the car it is still an old car plus lets face it.. the crowd of b5ers that actually have that kind of money to put in a car have already moved to a s4 or already built their A4 ... or moved to a newer platform
hell i think of selling my car everyday but for what I would get for it is not even worth it I might as well keep it untill it dies

just keep the car, or part it.. that could be the only way for you to see that money

[1fstavant]

ian- im in the same boat want to sell my car so badly yet i know i will get enough to rightly justify selling it- after everything from stock to k04 to bat to rebuild ive dumped over 25k not including the car and like every one said what am i going to get for it 12k if im lucky....so idk but to try and sell it now i dont think would be a good thing to do but thats just my opinon

[bassed]

Yeah all comments are what I've thought about already. I would probably settle for 15k and all the spare parts, items as well.

[317ssayzarc]

Here's my opinion... I've watched many friends sell their prized autos with $2x,xxx into them... IF you are willing to sit for what may be even a year, you can get that diamond in the rough who is willing to pay that pretty penny...

So, Ian, are you willing to wait?

[SoFresh]

You could have $30k in parts on that car, and cause of the year etc... youll only get entertaining offers of MAYBE $13k... part it out! I sold my old B5 in my sig for $11.5k without Stage III, but it was a PITA, found the right buyer and sold it quickly on craigslist. However I asked $13k expecting around $10k. Yours is cleaner than mine was and has Stage III status, however doesnt mean too much when comes to selling.

Conclusion... keep it! Wish I never sold mine.

[bassed]

Here's my opinion... I've watched many friends sell their prized autos with $2x,xxx into them... IF you are willing to sit for what may be even a year, you can get that diamond in the rough who is willing to pay that pretty penny...

So, Ian, are you willing to wait?

I could wait and wait and wait. It's not costing me a penny unless I put gas in her. The Jetta has to go first before I sell this. I would be willing to part, but prefer to unload as a whole and with all random spare parts etc...

[oldblu]

Dude, I don't know you but a car is not an investment, it's a hobby. Hobbies can get expensive and you can't get back what you put in.

If I were you, I'd sell the jetta, keep the audi and don't put another dime in it because it's too late-you already put the money in it.

[willowtreexx]

its called a sunk cost, and you said it wont cost you a penny unless you put gas in it? what about insurance? or are you going to take it off the car? and i mean yeah you wont see a penny go into the car if you dont want, but at the same token the car isnt getting any newwer and its a depreciating hobby. so the longer you dont do anything with it, the lower the price you can get for it.

just my $.02

[JumboBlack1.8]

I think about doing this every day.....while this hobby obviously has its perks, its just too big of an expense in terms of both cash AND energy. It seems like every day I'm thinking about something I have to fix, or whats the NEXT thing to do with the car....and what makes that hard for me, is that I don't have a JOB yet. And when I do finally start my career, I don't want to pour anywhere near as much money into an aging, fragile, and generally slow platform until I'm far more secure and responsible with the rest of my life.

But that being said, selling a heavily modified car entails patience and sacrifice, since you obviously will take a huge hit. I think that at this point, if you DON"T sell it now, its best to just keep it forever, since the value will only keep dropping and dropping.....With three newer A4 bodies ahead of ours, the value of our cars is gonna continue to plummet. So, if turning a new corner without suffering a completely devastating loss is ur main objective, then sell it now. But, if you can bear to hold onto it, and have a fun hobby that is completely different from your work (which can def be soothing), then hold onto it.

It'd suck to see all the B5 veterans jump ship right now...

[bernB5]

good luck dude... my car is clean, reliable, missing a few very minor parts, none of which affect performance, and it still hasn't sold. granted, mine is a 97 with 130k on it... nobody is buying anything right now.. for 10k, my car is a steal, but still, nobody :(

[djwimbo]

ere that simple. Having been taking the train everday etc... the recent changes in the economy etc... I want to turn a new corner 100%. If I am to have any cars in the future diesel is the only way I am going and would do a veggie conversion.

Are you thinking of ditching the A4 community in general? B/c the 1.9TDI A4's over the pond are B/A. If I wasn't knee deep into it right now, I would try to get a TDI A4 shipped over here for me. They're doin a clean 44mpg and 250wTQ in Bio.

As far as resale value, you're screwed. It's a sweet car, and I'd probably buy it if I had the money.

I feel a bit guilty some times when I realize that a good half of my friends would disown me if they knew I removed my Cat. I will eventually put a HFC on when I redo the exhaust, but it's not the same.
Since you don't owe anything on it, would it be too much to keep around for a track car? I know having multiple cars isn't everyone's cup'o'tea, but it's a thought.

I'm too proud/attached to my car to get rid of it(NTM who's going to buy my car?). The biggest thing I don't like about getting a "new" car is that I have to go over the whole thing and redo all the crap done wrong previously. However it can be a new start for trying new stuff.

I take it the Evo idea is out then?

[slopoke]

LISTEN just put it away for 4-5months...

Then see what you want to do with it, absence makes the heart grow fonder =)

[sean1.8t]

it's just the wrong time to buy/sell a car. period.

put it up for sale and wait it out. could be a year or more before you get your $15k offer. but you could get lucky and find the perfect buyer that just happens to love your car and have the cash/credit..

you never know. so just put it up for sale and brush off the low ballers

good luck

[GetBoosted84]

get a high flow cat if you are worried about going green and fix you pcv. Problem solved

lol, thats funny. I told him the same thing!

[bassed]

I have gotten quite a bit of interesting ideas on here and on AW. I am going to be selling the Jetta first no matter what and from there I will see how I feel and if I still feel owning this is making me feel like a hypocrite. I happen to practice and do as much in every other regard and have done so with all other facets of my life, so having a passion and fun toy is not totally forboden just a hard sell to myself from myself.

[Poopie]

are you sure its not a midlife crisis?

haha i would part it out. I have a stock motor you can swap into it to sell it. That would be the only way I see you getting something reasonable back.

Sell the 2.0l for $2200.
Turbo set up with the tune, exhaust, etc for $3500
sell the car with a stock motor for $8-9k.

Thats the only way i see getting someone reasonable.

its depressing i know.

[A4Rob]

What kind of "green" are you doing? I am general contractor and I am a member of the US Green Building Council. I am picking up car that clients will see instead of the A4.

[Don Supreme]

12k - 13k if you find the right buyer who has money, kinda a hard market to be selling in esp. since it takes premium fuel.

fuel is pretty cheap these days.

[flynnr]

ya why do you want to sell off all your cars?

[Pete@IE]

This is absolutely the worst time possible to sell a modified car... Everybody is unloading their toys right now. I just saw a MINT e36 m3, built motor, autronic, T4 gt35r, etc etc etc, go for $14k. That's right in line with the high range of what people are asking for stock ones with the same mileage.

If you are hell bent on selling it, you can either dump it now and get murdered, or weigh your chances on selling it in brighter economic times versus the tic toc clock of depreciation.

If you are thrifty, and hell bent on selling it, i would also part it out, slap some stock parts on there, and sell the car for what you would have got anyways, plus the money from selling the parts off. You have to be thrifty though or the stock stuff will really nickle and dime you.

It's never going to be a chevy volt, but you could certainly green it up, and pick up a green daily driver, saving the audi for weekends / special occasions.

[bassed]

What kind of "green" are you doing? I am general contractor and I am a member of the US Green Building Council. I am picking up car that clients will see instead of the A4.

I am sitting for LEED most likely in spring, have been involved with a Platinum 1,000,000 s.f. ground up replacement Hospital. Presently am doing a 100,000 MOB that will have Gold LEED CI. I take the train now, due to the location of the new job in Philly. Honestly though LEED is B.S. in my opinion, we are integrating "green" practice in all design just as ADA is a standard. In all reality people like you and I being in the fields we are in have more control and responsibility compartively to most. Our industries use about 60% of all natural resources in a cradle to grave fashion.

[bassed]

Are you thinking of ditching the A4 community in general? B/c the 1.9TDI A4's over the pond are B/A. If I wasn't knee deep into it right now, I would try to get a TDI A4 shipped over here for me. They're doin a clean 44mpg and 250wTQ in Bio.

As far as resale value, you're screwed. It's a sweet car, and I'd probably buy it if I had the money.

I feel a bit guilty some times when I realize that a good half of my friends would disown me if they knew I removed my Cat. I will eventually put a HFC on when I redo the exhaust, but it's not the same.
Since you don't owe anything on it, would it be too much to keep around for a track car? I know having multiple cars isn't everyone's cup'o'tea, but it's a thought.

I'm too proud/attached to my car to get rid of it(NTM who's going to buy my car?). The biggest thing I don't like about getting a "new" car is that I have to go over the whole thing and redo all the crap done wrong previously. However it can be a new start for trying new stuff.

I take it the Evo idea is out then?

I'm thinking of ditching cars 100% simple and plain. I have 2 cars at the moment. A 04' Jetta Wagon and the Audi.

[the_pirate]

dont do it. just part it out :) keep it stock. no car payments is awesome!

[bassed]

are you sure its not a midlife crisis?

haha i would part it out. I have a stock motor you can swap into it to sell it. That would be the only way I see you getting something reasonable back.

Sell the 2.0l for $2200.
Turbo set up with the tune, exhaust, etc for $3500
sell the car with a stock motor for $8-9k.

Thats the only way i see getting someone reasonable.

its depressing i know.

I think I am at my I just turned 30 what the fleck am I doing in all aspects of my life crisis. The what would I do differently, how can I get where I want, what do I want to do, what can I do to define myself by my own ideals etc...

fuel is pretty cheap these days.

I pay .50 more now for premium than I did in 97'. It's crazy cheap now.

[Flash]

Green? My fun car is a rotary rx7, I'm fighting Global Cooling! Hehehe. Seriously though, it's already been mentioned before... notice how practically everyone is contemplating selling their toys?

The market is saturated, if you want the lowest possible price, this is pretty much it and may get worse over the next few months. If you have to sell if for so low that you get half of what you put in, consider parting or sit on it. Why everyone waits to sell until a fire sale is beyond me, but its probably too late.


edit: i just thought of something a friend mentioned... in old days, there were a lot more people doing their own work, rebuilding engines etc. You're doing a lot to reduce consumption by driving the same car longer instead of buying a new car every 2 years. I know you want to ditch them all together, but I wouldn't feel bad keeping one.

[KajunAudillac]

For a short while i was actually selling my camaro, hell i was asking only 5k-6k for it, it is moderately modified etc.. But ater not driving the car for a while i thought "what the heck, let me take you for a spin again" And i fell back in love with it again. Now, as far as "green" is concerned, your audi is 4 cylinder, dont you get good mileage still? upper 20s/lower 30s? My 2.8 averages 27.6 MPG with my daily commute (1/3 city driving, 2/3 highway driving)

(off subject)*Buying a prius is not necessarily helping the enviroment, seeng that they ship the components for the battery etc.. from one side of the world to another, then back around 1 or two more times. (sorry i have a tendency to rant about priuses) Went a bit off subject.

My father lives in DC, he doesnt own a car, but i can understand him (in a way). He takes the metro from his apt to work everyday. And its a good thing, but sometimes he has the urge to go out for a weekend, but his only option is to rent a limited selection of car.

Again, this is your choice alone. As far as getting 18k for it, that will be very very hard to do. I bought by '97 for only 4400, with under 140k miles, from the original owner, the car was well maintained, serviced all times, and is in immaculate condition. And ive seen later b5s sell online for 10k-12k.

Whatever you do, good luck to you, and dont regret anything you do, that is one of the best ways to live out life.

[bassed]

Green? My fun car is a rotary rx7, I'm fighting Global Cooling! Hehehe. Seriously though, it's already been mentioned before... notice how practically everyone is contemplating selling their toys?

The market is saturated, if you want the lowest possible price, this is pretty much it and may get worse over the next few months. If you have to sell if for so low that you get half of what you put in, consider parting or sit on it. Why everyone waits to sell until a fire sale is beyond me, but its probably too late.


edit: i just thought of something a friend mentioned... in old days, there were a lot more people doing their own work, rebuilding engines etc. You're doing a lot to reduce consumption by driving the same car longer instead of buying a new car every 2 years. I know you want to ditch them all together, but I wouldn't feel bad keeping one.

Very good point and I am better suited to keep the car interms of overall footprint. I dump the Jetta, keep the Audi take the train and do everything else in between. I am already pretty damn enviornmental, do 99% of my own work, recycle oil and all liquids from the car etc....



Basically after today and all the comments on all the forums I have decided to keep the car, green up every where else possible and deal with my 1/3 life crisis.

[CruzS4]

sorry to troll but dude there is no way in hell you're going to get $18k for a 2001.5 A4 no matter how much blood, sweat, tears, $ you put into it. Stage 3 S4s are going for that amount with arguably low mileage. unless you find a true enthusiast that appreciates everything you've done, and, sorry to say, is a sap, i think you need to radically recalibrate your expectations.

*edit* sorry for the rant, i've had a shitty day. i'll get out of you guys' forum

[JumboBlack1.8]

Glad to hear ur keepin it........i may keep mine forever.....maybe

[317ssayzarc]

Ian, your text was absolutely priceless my man

Glad you ended up keeping it