S4 avant do or dont?

[wampaku]

I love avants and have 2 of them both 1.8t's. Downsizing to 1 but looking for another to be my toy. I have 2 in my scope but scared to pull the trigger. One is an 04 with 130k and no maintenance on the timing area. The other 05 with 95k and prolly the same on the timing side. Stay away? What else to look for?

[jakeoboy67]

if it's a " toy " , I would worry more about oil consumption (scored cylinder walls) than the timing being done or not .

plan for the next few years:
timing can be repaired "easily" (Easy= buy parts $$$, remove engine ,replace said parts)
scored cylinder wall are not replaceable(except for re-plating them)

general condition is important too

[wampaku]

Is mileage an issue? So scoping the cylinders is a must. Toy = my second car not primary.

[icanfly]

just did the full timing job, totally not as scary as everyone thinks (replacing my control arms was more effort/work/the hardest part of the entire project).
it is a fair bit of work, but not "scary / hard"... you just have to have the balls to do the job.
I did it entirely by myself... so can you.
Get elsawin/a hoist and a few tools all of which will not only serve you for your ownership of the car, but enable you to set it up for a long and happy life.

starting with the "better motor" will serve you in the long run. Get a leakdown/compression/scope of that 95K - because it's your playtoy, pull the motor and do all the fun stuff while it's out, have an awesome avant to drive... 'get b!tches'.

[wampaku]

The timing part isn't a scare except for the goes before I get to it part. Now the cylinder walls scare me. The one with 95k is at a used car dealership. Plus 9 hrs from me. Maybe I will see if the dealer will try to get those numbers for me and guarantee it