What do you guys think?

[redline380]

I had the opportunity last night to step into the realm of S ownership, something I have been wanting to do for a couple years. There was a pretty nice looking Avant for sale locally last week for $4500 with 123k on it, which is a mighty fine deal. It was, however, an auto.

So yesterday I stumbled across an ad for a 2000 6mt, brilliant black sedan with 191k on the clock. Dude was only asking $2800. Of course I didn't expect it to be perfect at that price. So I called him up around 10:30am and left a message. He didn't call me back. On my commute home, I got very anxious and decided to call him again. He answers and said some people are driving 200 miles to buy it. I was very disappointed.

Dude calls me back at 5:45pm and says the kids didn't buy it. I am in luck! I drove the 100 miles to check it out.

Pros-

Parts of the exterior are in remarkably good shape, especially the bumper.
It isn't silver
6mt
Turbos were very quiet
Was probably bone stock its entire life
Very tight around twistys


Cons:

CV shaft is almost ready to blow
Other parts of the exterior aren't good, but not that bad. Worst it needs is a good buffing and a driver's door.
Oil leaks (obviously)
Interior needs cleaning
Awful wood trim
Unknown Tbelt mileage
Coolant mixed
4th gear grind unless double clutched

But hell, it runs and drives, right? I figured I could make money parting it out, so there is not that much risk here. My intention was to offer $2000 and try to steal it, but it sounding like there were guys lining out the door to buy this thing. I offered $2500, he shaked his head and said "C'mon man! How about we meet in the middle?"

$2650 it is! Signed an agreement to purchase, gave him $100 down, and he is dropping it off at my dad's cabin tonight in exchange for a business check. I probably won't have time to go grab it until this weekend.

The biggest concern is the 4th gear grind, which is probably a synchro. I'll need to enlist my buddy's help to replace it since I am not too keen on taking apart transmissions. I can do everything else myself. My plans are to put the CV shaft in it promptly and drive it around a bit. Then, I will do the Tbelt and flush coolant to replace it with the good stuff. Other than that, it will need some rust spots taken care of (nothing major) and some good cleaning, as well as some gaskets and seals replaced. IF I need a winter project, I will rebuild the motor.

No plans for going k04's or anything soon. I will chip it once it is in proper order, but my life is too hectic to do anything else right now. Taking the July bar exam, getting married in August, and probably buying a house next spring. By all accounts, this is my 5th audi, 6th if you count the parts car. 2 B5's (one avant, one sedan with 2871r power), 1 D2, and 1 B6 avant. The D2 and B6 were both sold for profit as I now have a rule with cars- don't buy anything I can't make money on. The problem is, I'll want to keep this one! Running out of room here with 3 b5's to my name. My B5 A4 sedan is going nowhere as I have around $14k stuck into it, and I need my B5 A4 avant to commute 150 miles a day (it has been surprisingly reliable!). This S4 will be a fun car/commuter once a week.

Pics to come!

[redline380]

Dude dropped it off for me at Dad's cabin.



[IMG]


[/IMG]

[SN95Audi87]

Awesome! You got 5 Audi's, that's definition of a hardcore enthusiasts. Where do you keep them all lol. I wonder how far these cars can go before needing a rebuild on anything drivetrain related.


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[redline380]

Awesome! You got 5 Audi's, that's definition of a hardcore enthusiasts. Where do you keep them all lol. I wonder how far these cars can go before needing a rebuild on anything drivetrain related.

Not 5 currently, this only makes 3. Well, technically her B8 makes 4 for the 2 of us, but I don't count hers.

I of course am not planning a rebuild and will avoid it if I can. Excpet for the trans, that will definitely need a synchro or 2

[Bordom]

Dibs on the S4 mid flaps! That is, if you're willing to part with them... please lol

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[redline380]

Dibs on the S4 mid flaps! That is, if you're willing to part with them... please lol

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Knew that was coming.

I might not want them. But if the paint is ruined underneath, and it probably is, then They should probably stay on.

[Turbo_B5]

Silver > Black.

[MikeyB3]

I'm so jealous that some of you guys pick these things up for mega cheap. Damn. Well done.

[Timtheguru]

Silver > Black.

Negative.

Nogaro = Imola = Any Green = Casa > Any Red = Black = Pearl > Silver

[Bordom]

Negative.

Nogaro = Imola = Any Green = Casa > Any Red = Black = Pearl > Silver

Idno. This factory custom ordered 964 colour is pretty bomb


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[Timtheguru]

Grimace??

[Bordom]

Grimace??

I'll PM you so as to keep this thread on track for the OP

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[redline380]

On track? I don't give a fuck.

[redline380]

I'm so jealous that some of you guys pick these things up for mega cheap. Damn. Well done.

The thing is you have to watch your sources religiously and be ready to pounce at any minute.

I wouldn't call this car mega cheap considering its imperfections, but it was definitely a deal I couldn't pass up. I reassured the guy it is going to a great home!

Negative.

Nogaro = Imola = Any Green = Casa > Any Red = Black = Pearl > Silver

This is pretty true. Although, I really wish S4's would have come in Ebony Pearl Effect so all three of my B5's would be the same color. But Brilliant Black will do and it matches her B8 I guess

[SomeDayAS4]

that list is almost right if you move imola to the front and remove nogaro entirely off the list

[DieselElectric]

Silver is the survivalist S4 color. It has an uncanny ability to blend in with the wild and remain undetected by predators.

[redline380]

Well, made it home tonight. I think it rounds off the collection nicely!













It drove home pretty well for a $2650 S4 with 198k miles. I am very impressed with how tight the front suspension is, tightest front end of any B5 I have driven. It misfires anything over 1/2 throttle, so I will have to bird dog that.

Here are the plans-

It needs an outer CV joint on the passenger side in the front. Couldn't find one locally, so I will probably order the kit from Europa next week.

The mileage is 198k (owner fibbed a bit). I asked when the tbelt was done last, and he said he bought the car with 155k and that the previous owner had it down shortly before that. I am not one to trust, expecially when it comes to tbelts. So, I ordered the tools today since this is my first V6 and I didn't have them around. That will be done shortly as well.

I need to inspect which gaskets to replace when I do the timing belt. Lots of leaks. When the core support is off, I will clean everything up real nice.

New plugs, and if that doesn't cure the misfires, I will change to FSI coils. I have a few A4 harnesses with 4 wire coil connectors, so I should get it done fairly cheap.

Then, I will move on to the cosmetics. Driver's door is bad enough to need replacement, but the rest of the car isn't bad at all. A little buffing here and there and should look great for its age. Door handles need to be JB welded back on, and the interior needs a good cleaning. A few small rust spots which I will either have to learn how to fix or find someone.

Lastly, and probably over the winter, the transmission will need to be dropped and repair the 4th gear syncrho, which probably means a whole trans rebuild for me. The reverse gear makes a ton of noise too. We'll see if I muster the courage to handle that with my buddy or if I pay someone else to do it.

Overall, I am very impressed with this car. I have instant gratification for the "S" life and kind of wish I would have bought one sooner. (Don't tell my A4 sedan!) It is going to be fairly tough to decide which car to take on a romp around town.

[Bordom]

I have a BNIB GKN outer joint if you're interested.

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[redline380]

I have a BNIB GKN outer joint if you're interested.

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Sure Am! While kit or just the joint? Pm me details

[Maximilian]

I remember being wary of buying a B5S4 for under $7,000 back in early 2013 (thinking expected value). I was also upgrading from a B5S4. You seem much more comfortable with them so the difference stays in your wallet, pretty good deal! Welcome to the S life, gratification is immediate but you'll be ruined from driving any other car forever.

[JJ.]

Why do the handles need to be jb welded? They have a smart way of installing them, maybe something is missing on yours?


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[GrapeBandit]

what do i think? i think an s4 engine/trans swap would have been more logical, and probably cheaper. im allabout owing multiple cars, but not all of the same cars lol.

[redline380]

what do i think? i think an s4 engine/trans swap would have been more logical, and probably cheaper. im allabout owing multiple cars, but not all of the same cars lol.

For $2650, I'm keeping the whole car. It runs and drives the way it is, so why not? It sounds stupid, but I honestly want to start collecting cars. I think it is a shame when someone is willing to just scrap a car. These things need to be saved! If I am capable of keeping a B5 on the road, and I sure am, then I am going to do it.

Why do the handles need to be jb welded? They have a smart way of installing them, maybe something is missing on yours?

[Bordom]

According to Grape, scrap the car because the door handle covers fell off lol

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[GrapeBandit]

According to Grape, scrap the car because the door handle covers fell off lol

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yeah, thats exactly what i said. did you tell them about thebtime i scrapped a car when i post the key?

[Bordom]

yeah, thats exactly what i said. did you tell them about thebtime i scrapped a car when i post the key?

Incriminated yourself there haha

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[GrapeBandit]

Incriminated yourself there haha

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it would incriminating would be if i told you what i did to get the car lol

[redline380]

I think its safe to say we had an unwanted passenger in the car. Seems pretty fresh, so I don't think any wires are damaged. I did however notice the oil pressure switch wire was slightly chewed through.

[audacity]

Silver is the survivalist S4 color. It has an uncanny ability to blend in with the wild and remain undetected by predators.

what he said.

[redline380]

what he said.

Remember the Audi commercial a couple years ago that made fun of Lexus SUV's for all be gold? Audi is no better. I don't care how "under the radar" silver is, it is simply too common for me to be interested in. Would I have still bought the car if it were silver? Absolutely, but I would probably flip it, profit, and purchase a better color S4 or dump it into my A4 sedan and/or wagon.

Silver is a crutch for Audi, I swear. They need to get rid of it and force people to by colors that are at least pleasing to look at.

[christianb5s4]

Do not trust the previous owner saying that anything was done unless there are receipts and pictures to prove it, too big of a gamble especially on the timing belt. Unless you can confirm without a shadow of a doubt something has been done, do it yourself. Cheap-ish security.

[Bordom]

That's why I make threads. To document the history of work done to the car lol

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[redline380]

Do not trust the previous owner saying that anything was done unless there are receipts and pictures to prove it, too big of a gamble especially on the timing belt. Unless you can confirm without a shadow of a doubt something has been done, do it yourself. Cheap-ish security.

That is the plan!

I did remove the driver's side cover last weekend to inspect the belt. It did have cracks in it, however they were superficial and didn't give me much of a concern. So, I feel comfortable enough to put a couple hundred miles on it until I change the belt.

I ordered the CV joint yesterday as well as an extra boot for the other side which is failed but the joint is still good. They should be here this week and I will replace them this weekend. Probably order the Tbelt package next week.

Went to the DMV today to transfer the title. The tabs expired in April so I knew I needed to pay for those too. She said the plates were due to be replaced and gave me new ones. However, MN sucks at transferring titles so it will probably take 8 weeks to get it back. Until then, the plates she gave me will not be linked to the car, essentially meaning I will have untraceable plates for two months. She explained I am going to get hassled by the cops if pulled over and I should keep the transfer documents with me to help explain the situation. That would be pretty funny to be a cop and have my plate come up as having zero record whatsoever.

That's why I make threads. To document the history of work done to the car lol

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I keep a running Word doc on my cars to track maintenance. When I a commute 150 miles a day, you lose track of oil changes quickly. It is also nice to go back and look at what was already done and when. I got pretty pissed when I discovered I got 10k miles on a set of rotors in my avant.

[Bordom]

A little brake happy in traffix eh? Haha

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[redline380]

A little brake happy in traffix eh? Haha

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Not really. I do all highway commuting, so I am going highway speeds. I always try to make stoplights so if they change, I need to slam on the brakes, coming to abrupt stops from 75 mph 3-4 times each way. Rotors wont last long under those conditions I guess. This time around, I went with EBC Slotted rotors, figuring the slots might help keep them cooler and less warpy.So far so good.

[redline380]

Passenger outer CV joint and Driver's outer CV boot are done as of tonight. What a greasy mess!

However, I though this would fix one of my symptoms and it has not. The joint definitely needed to be replaced because it was clicking, but I also had a shuddering feeling in first and second gear. Even after the joint replacement, the shuddering remains. It is fairly tough to describe, the car scoots right along like it should, but almost feels like it has a thousand tiny little misfires from 3k to redline. 2nd gear does it as well, but not as worse.

Any ideas? The drive just isn't smooth. 3rd gear pulls are just fine.

[Bordom]

Pull codes, if any?

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[redline380]

Pull codes, if any?

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I did before I bought the car. Some typical misfire codes and one or two b1s2 codes. not much to worry about. FYI, it does misfire after warm. Plugs/coils coming later.

The CEL is on now and when I bought the car. Thought it was implied. It is a B5 S4 after all.

[redline380]

Couple questions for you guys-

The brake pad warning light is on. Last night when I replaced the cv joint and boots, I snipped both connectors and shorted the circuit. It is still lit. Only other thing I can think of is one of the connectors inside the wheel well is unclipped or damaged.

The "brake light" warning on the lcd is also lit. Both brake light are fine. Any guesses? Never ran into this issue before.

[vavJETTAw36]

If pad sensor is still on, you have a break in the circuit somewhere... Guaranteed. Get out your test light.


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