This thread is a view into the ownership of my Nogaro Blue 2001 B5 S4, from the perspective of an 18 year old. I bought this car out of California, and it arrived in Chicago on October 9th, 2021. While it did have a PPI and some maintenance before it was sent here, I did discover some issues and have had some problems in my first week of ownership. Any advice and wisdom would be greatly appreciated, and I would like this thread to be a reference for other teenagers/people who are considering getting one of their own.
First I'll put what you probably clicked to see, a beautiful Nogaro Blue S4.
That's how it sat in California, and how it looked when I found it on Craigslist.
After much stress and hassle (thanks to my bank) I bought it and one week later it showed up.
I soon found out the car was a bit of an expensive sh*tbox, more on that later.
The good:
The main reason I bought this car is because of the upgrade and maintenance history. It had a lot of major servicing done by the previous owner before it went on the market. Timing belt and water pump replaced, new gaskets and seals, engine mounts, turbos, front hubs, brake rotors and pads, among other things. It also got new front axles and cam seals after I bought it and before it got shipped here.
Upgrades include 630 cc injectors, RS4 K04 turbos, upgraded charge pipes, 034 Motorsport throttle body boot, 2016 A3 wheels, what I believe are KW coilovers, a sweet pioneer touchscreen head unit, aluminum skid plate, and a Stage 3 SPEC clutch.
The bad:
It has a 2016 A3 steering wheel which is quite ugly, hole in drivers seat and tear in passengers seat, some interior trim is a bit dodgy, cracked washer reservoir, and a cracked windshield. The PPI turned up a vibration under hard acceleration over 70 mph, and front axles and engine mounts were recommended to be replaced. I made a mistake and only had the axles done before it came here reasoning the seller had already replaced them, more on that later.
Here's how the first week of ownership went:
Saturday Oct. 9:
I picked up the car in the evening at around 9 pm and took it to get a wash because it was dirty from the transport. After that I drove it straight home as it was not yet registered. Very fun and I was quite excited to finally have my own car, let alone a really cool Audi. Learned very quickly I needed to be cautious on speed bumps and driveways to avoid scraping. Also found out one high beam doesn't work. Car also did not come with a rear view mirror, making parallel parking very interesting.
Sunday Oct. 10:
Got the car registered and drove it to the suburbs to hit up a skatepark with my friends, lo and behold I found out that the vibration mentioned in the PPI was still present. Not stoked but the car ran quite well.
Monday Oct. 11:
Drove my younger brother to school and found out both the AC and Heater work (Yay!) then drove it to meet up with my friend who owns a mk 4 Volkswagen Jetta, also showed it to a friend who is quite car knowledgeable and they both pointed out the fact that it needs new motor and trans mounts as the shifter moves when the car hits bumps or shifts direction quickly. The tune (or lack therof) also is not the best so that will have to be addressed at a later date.
Tuesday Oct. 12:
I had work, and I work very close to where I live so I walked, car sat parked.
Wednesday Oct. 13:
Took the car for another trip to the suburbs, but a few blocks after I left my house I was stopped by a cop for a lack of front plate, which was tucked in the windshield instead. No ticket but somehow he did not notice my lack of rear view mirror and very cracked windshield as well. Trip to the suburbs was uneventful, and took it to a shop to get the front wheels balanced ($60) after in an attempt to solve the higher speed shimmy, which made it mildly less severe. I also found out that it had no resonator, no rust, and a brand new front suspension on both sides. I also found out that the previous owner put wheel spacers on because fitment, but failed to get extended lugnuts or a stud conversion kit. Three threads of engagement are what holds each lugnut on to the hubs. That might explain the shimmy. Later in the evening I was driving to meet some of my friends to do a VW/Audi photo shoot when the rear drivers side tire deflated, and it got shredded. Got roadside assistance ($120), but to add to my woes the spacer for that wheel had about 75% of the hub centric ring cracked off as a result. Limped it home, praying a wheel wouldn't fall off. Extended lugs are now on my shopping list. I also managed to source a NOS steering wheel ($140) so I will have a working horn and an airbag in front of my face soon.
Thursday Oct. 14:
Was at work and I was scared to drive it so it sat.
Friday Oct. 15:
Windshield got replaced by safelite ($260), was quite a quick process and I was surprised they had a windshield on hand for a 20 year old car.
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Originally Posted by TylerT
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