RS6 Avant-anybody know it?
Discussion
Looking at an RS6, very cheap as it has no service history, from the photos it looks very straight but I need to go see it in the flesh. Always wanted one and I can spanner and engineer so I'm not afraid of working on it and already planned to do a full engine service if I get it.
The "dealer" (I buy and sell in my spare time he says) said the previous owner has all the history but cannot find it. He had it up for 10k on the promise that it would be found but is now hovering around the 5k mark. I don't think I'd every get it but it's a risk to take but I was told if it did turn up he'd pass it on.
Anyway, the reg is R5 GUH if anybody knows of it or had it as a previous car would be grateful to know more about it?
The "dealer" (I buy and sell in my spare time he says) said the previous owner has all the history but cannot find it. He had it up for 10k on the promise that it would be found but is now hovering around the 5k mark. I don't think I'd every get it but it's a risk to take but I was told if it did turn up he'd pass it on.
Anyway, the reg is R5 GUH if anybody knows of it or had it as a previous car would be grateful to know more about it?
I know the C5 generation of A6 very well. An RS6 of this vintage, at £5k odd, is certainly an impressive bargain but lack of history definitely should ring alarms.
Have you done one of those online car checks, or are you perhaps able to contact Audi UK with any additional info (VIN, original plate, original dealer etc) to find out anything?
Primary issues with these, which are well documented elsewhere include:
- ZF gearbox: challenged by the power from factory, let alone with remapped examples
- DRC: original suspension was considered trick at the time, but often replaced due to issues (be surprised if it isn't now on coils)
- Turbos: the nature of the car plus the mileage would have me wondering how worn they are in reality
The C5 is, IMHO, a high water mark for Audi build quality - rust and general wear / tear should be minimal in theory. Electronic gremlins can show, but again are known about and people have set up successful businesses fixing these things.
It might be worth a punt speaking to the likes of MRC or similar Audi specialists, in case they know of the car from previous work done.
Honestly for the price, if you're willing to accept a [somewhat significant] level of potential borkage, you could be on to quite the deal. Epic things.
Feller on this channel had one which he bought as 'the cheapest in the country' to restore - well worth a watch:
www.youtube.com/@NotEconomicallyViable
Go and see it, and check it thoroughly.
Have you done one of those online car checks, or are you perhaps able to contact Audi UK with any additional info (VIN, original plate, original dealer etc) to find out anything?
Primary issues with these, which are well documented elsewhere include:
- ZF gearbox: challenged by the power from factory, let alone with remapped examples
- DRC: original suspension was considered trick at the time, but often replaced due to issues (be surprised if it isn't now on coils)
- Turbos: the nature of the car plus the mileage would have me wondering how worn they are in reality
The C5 is, IMHO, a high water mark for Audi build quality - rust and general wear / tear should be minimal in theory. Electronic gremlins can show, but again are known about and people have set up successful businesses fixing these things.
It might be worth a punt speaking to the likes of MRC or similar Audi specialists, in case they know of the car from previous work done.
Honestly for the price, if you're willing to accept a [somewhat significant] level of potential borkage, you could be on to quite the deal. Epic things.
Feller on this channel had one which he bought as 'the cheapest in the country' to restore - well worth a watch:
www.youtube.com/@NotEconomicallyViable
Go and see it, and check it thoroughly.
Resolutionary said:
I know the C5 generation of A6 very well. An RS6 of this vintage, at £5k odd, is certainly an impressive bargain but lack of history definitely should ring alarms.
Have you done one of those online car checks, or are you perhaps able to contact Audi UK with any additional info (VIN, original plate, original dealer etc) to find out anything?
Primary issues with these, which are well documented elsewhere include:
- ZF gearbox: challenged by the power from factory, let alone with remapped examples
- DRC: original suspension was considered trick at the time, but often replaced due to issues (be surprised if it isn't now on coils)
- Turbos: the nature of the car plus the mileage would have me wondering how worn they are in reality
The C5 is, IMHO, a high water mark for Audi build quality - rust and general wear / tear should be minimal in theory. Electronic gremlins can show, but again are known about and people have set up successful businesses fixing these things.
It might be worth a punt speaking to the likes of MRC or similar Audi specialists, in case they know of the car from previous work done.
Honestly for the price, if you're willing to accept a [somewhat significant] level of potential borkage, you could be on to quite the deal. Epic things.
Feller on this channel had one which he bought as 'the cheapest in the country' to restore - well worth a watch:
www.youtube.com/@NotEconomicallyViable
Go and see it, and check it thoroughly.
Yep lack of history definitely worries me and just calls into question the quality of the car, I'd have to change all the fluids/belts/pulleys/filters etc just to be sure and then run it to somebody like Unit20 or MRC to get it looked at thoroughly.Have you done one of those online car checks, or are you perhaps able to contact Audi UK with any additional info (VIN, original plate, original dealer etc) to find out anything?
Primary issues with these, which are well documented elsewhere include:
- ZF gearbox: challenged by the power from factory, let alone with remapped examples
- DRC: original suspension was considered trick at the time, but often replaced due to issues (be surprised if it isn't now on coils)
- Turbos: the nature of the car plus the mileage would have me wondering how worn they are in reality
The C5 is, IMHO, a high water mark for Audi build quality - rust and general wear / tear should be minimal in theory. Electronic gremlins can show, but again are known about and people have set up successful businesses fixing these things.
It might be worth a punt speaking to the likes of MRC or similar Audi specialists, in case they know of the car from previous work done.
Honestly for the price, if you're willing to accept a [somewhat significant] level of potential borkage, you could be on to quite the deal. Epic things.
Feller on this channel had one which he bought as 'the cheapest in the country' to restore - well worth a watch:
www.youtube.com/@NotEconomicallyViable
Go and see it, and check it thoroughly.
Of course with any car, especially of this type, it can bork at any time even with a full service history but I'd rather it have some than not at all but I guess I could use that to bid him down, will see how long it stays up.
Will give that video a watch, found another one with a suspension issue but does have full history so will see that one first, maybe see this after.
Maintenance and service stuff is the tip of the iceberg. The tip of the tip, even. Almost everything breaks. They're old enough that almost everything can be worn out. When even a really good C5 can spring a bill for thousands out of the blue a rough one could eat £15k and be nowhere near finished. Of all of the broken and worn out things Audi will have discontinued 50% of them so you'll constantly be chasing parts too.
Heaven forbid you crash one, because the parts issues (and low values) make them very easy to write-off.
I would argue that these were not any sort of high water mark for quality; the base A6 was very good and could live a long life, but the RS6 was too complex (and ahead of its time) for its own good.
Still like them mind you. Sold one recently needing suspension and gearbox rebuilds; would have been a wonderful candidate for manual conversion.
Heaven forbid you crash one, because the parts issues (and low values) make them very easy to write-off.
I would argue that these were not any sort of high water mark for quality; the base A6 was very good and could live a long life, but the RS6 was too complex (and ahead of its time) for its own good.
Still like them mind you. Sold one recently needing suspension and gearbox rebuilds; would have been a wonderful candidate for manual conversion.
Service history and condition is key for a car of this age. It could have had the best treatment but without any proof did it even happen?
The no. of owners doesn't bother me as such. It could have had 2 owners and been neglected or 10 and each one has looked after it and then sold it after the experience and real cost of ownership kicks in
The no. of owners doesn't bother me as such. It could have had 2 owners and been neglected or 10 and each one has looked after it and then sold it after the experience and real cost of ownership kicks in
blueg33 said:
No really yikes though, performance cars tend to change hands quite often. My Ferrari has had 9 owners and the car is better than many that have had 2 owners!
The number of registered keepers is almost meaningless without context, but is something that the majority of buyers become hung up on simply because it's repeated so often.Few think about what it means.
As you point out, in the case of this RS6 it is a very long way down the list of things you would worry about.
Still heavily craving one so much but the costs of using it as a daily as well as making sure I'm able to look after it properly with parts are the only 2 things which are worrying me.
I can spanner and do the jobs but I think I'd need a little cheap run around to use daily which I don't think I can justify just yet
I can spanner and do the jobs but I think I'd need a little cheap run around to use daily which I don't think I can justify just yet
I'm still thinking about it, badly and desperately need one. I think I'll be doing more WFH come january so 2-3 days a week in the office isn't too bad. If it does get worse then I can get a 1-2k cheap run around or recommission the 1.9PD Ibiza to do the daily and take the hit on the mileage
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