Do you know this car? ST56 HCF - AVANT CAT D

[Shigs]

Hi Guys,

Firstly would just like to say what an amazing forum! I've been trolling the last few days reading up as much as possible about the ownership experience with a B7 RS4, to say i've learnt a lot is an understatement! so thank you!

Right, so i'm considering buying an AVANT with 69k on the clock, however the owner has only had the car for 3 months and it was repaired back in 2010 and listed as a CAT D, owner doesn't seem to know the history of accident / the repairs that where performed which is making me feel uneasy, I'm all for a bargain but if it's at the expense of massive bills in the near future or even worst a totally botched up repair, then i'd rather steer clear.

Car is a pictured below, any information on it would be much appreciated.

Merry Xmas!
Michael

[lengster1]

Had it 3 months doesn't sound good,tread carefully,could easily not turn out to be a bargain! Take an experienced body Shop man with you to inspect it,vague history is usually for a reason!

[Shigs]

Had it 3 months doesn't sound good,tread carefully,could easily not turn out to be a bargain! Take an experienced body shop man with you to inspect it,vague history is usually for a reason!

This is what rings alarm bells for me is that he has only had it for a short period of time. Car is in lancashire, does anyone know any experienced body shops around their?

How much are rear shocks for these also? as apparently they need replacing.

[PetrolDave]

How much are rear shocks for these also? as apparently they need replacing.

That's another alarm bell point, the OE shocks (DRC) are interconnected via a valve block and the system is pressurised to 16-18bar.

If the shocks are leaking and the pressure drops too low then as well as the shocks you need to replace the valve block, which turns a few hundred pound bill into a £1500+ bill.

No question, this is an RS4 to walk away from.

[coffey555]

My car starts with ST56 as well so it is likely Audi Perth also supplied this car to its first owner.

Might be worth giving them a call to see if they know more about the history of the car?

[mongo]

I am fairly certain this was up for sale 7 months ago in Glasgow. It was a cat d black avant with yellow brake calipers up for sale from memory at 15k, think it was on ebay, so might be worth a search. It hung about for quite a while, sure it then went onto a car trader in the midlands...

[bluenosewrx]

Walk away mate, try and buy a forum car where you can trace ownership, problems etc

[Neil5489]

How much is it?

[Shigs]

I am fairly certain this was up for sale 7 months ago in Glasgow. It was a cat d black avant with yellow brake calipers up for sale from memory at 15k, think it was on ebay, so might be worth a search. It hung about for quite a while, sure it then went onto a car trader in the midlands...

Thanks for this, I will check it out, I doubt i'll be able to find the old auction however.

[Shigs]

How much are rear shocks for these also? as apparently they need replacing.

That's another alarm bell point, the OE shocks (DRC) are interconnected via a valve block and the system is pressurised to 16-18bar.

If the shocks are leaking and the pressure drops too low then as well as the shocks you need to replace the valve block, which turns a few hundred pound bill into a £1500+ bill.

No question, this is an RS4 to walk away from.

Ouch! that definitely doesn't sound good! Thank you for the heads up!

[Shigs]

How much is it?

The asking price is £15k but it's deffo not worth that clearly, not tried to haggle yet. What would you guys think a CAT D car such as this is worth?

[bluenosewrx]

Depends on what damage it was, mechanical, cosmetic, what's the spec of it???

Also how long you keeping it?? Expensive cars to run if things need replacing

[geordie jay]

the thing about a RS is everything is expensive!!! regardless of the problem..its been talked about on here if you would entertain a cat car..if you did buy it for 15k and there is nasty problems you could spend 5k with no problem,for example a steering rack im led to believe is 4k haha so if you look at it like that save your money and get a decent straight car for 20k and will be well worth the wait..personally I wouldn't touch it for 10k nevermind 15k.looks nice from outside but whats going on underneath is the big fact.unless you know all the ins and outs of car and know what you are looking for I would stay well clear..i would wait for a forum car to pop up personally and then you will know the history and know it will have been looked after.

[Audi Pardner]

Depends on what damage it was, mechanical, cosmetic, what's the spec of it???

Also how long you keeping it?? Expensive cars to run if things need replacing

^^^^^ this. Without evidence of exactly what made it Cat D I wouldn't consider it. However, if it's relatively minor damage (eg stripped interior or new wings after a bump etc) it may be worth looking at. But bear in mind that these are not cheap cars to run, and I don't just mean fuel. Most parts are expensive and servicing costs can be fairly steep. However it's a high performance car, and like any HP car they're pricey to run. But in the case of the RS4 incredibly rewarding to own. Good luck in your search.

[Shigs]

Guys thank you so much for the advice, It's been taken on board and i've decided to leave the car. My intentions where to get a car on the cheap and mod it with a charger as it would of been a keeper.

Hope you all had a great xmas, thanks again.